{"id":1960598,"date":"2026-05-28T16:00:48","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T13:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1960598"},"modified":"2026-05-28T16:00:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T13:00:48","slug":"we-dive-deep-into-the-lost-boys-musical-with-the-star-of-the-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1960598","title":{"rendered":"We Dive Deep Into \u2018The Lost Boys\u2019 Musical With the Star of the Show"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LJ-Benet-Lost-Boys-Interview-1200×675.jpg”]<\/p>\n

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On June 7, several musicals will compete for Broadway\u2019s biggest honor: a Tony Award. But of those that are nominated, only one is based on a cult-classic 1987 vampire film that starred Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Dianne Wiest, Jason Patric, and Edward Herrmann. And it\u2019s deserving of every single award it gets and more.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re talking, of course, about the stage adaptation of Joel Schumacher\u2019s The Lost Boys<\/em>, which recently received 12 Tony nominations, including one for Best Musical. It\u2019s a fantastic show that takes the iconic vibe and story of the original film and gives it more depth and passion than it probably ever deserved. The soundtrack by The Rescues is filled with certified bangers, and the scope and scale of the show is as big as anything you\u2019ll see on Broadway.<\/p>\n

At the center of all that is LJ Benet. Benet plays Michael Emerson, the older brother of the Emerson family who moves to the Murder Capital of the World and gets entangled with its vampires. Jason Patric originated the role, but here, in the musical, Benet takes it to another level. This is a much fuller, more complex Michael. And he has to be. He\u2019s got the weight of the show on his shoulders.<\/p>\n

Recently, io9 spoke with Benet over video chat to geek out about the show and all that it entails. We talked about what he drew from the movie, the show\u2019s many iterations, the legacy of the brand, and so much more. The show\u2019s soundtrack goes up for pre-order on May 29, and we\u2019ll see how it does during the Tonys on June 7. But, for now, here\u2019s our chat with Michael himself, LJ Benet.<\/p>\n

\"Lost
LJ Benet as Michael in The Lost Boys<\/em> \u2013 Matthew Murphy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n

Germain Lussier, io9: I live in LA, but I flew to New York just to see The Lost Boys<\/em> because I am such a big fan. And originally, when they announced it, I was like, \u201cReally?\u201d But then I was like, \u201cReally!\u201d Because it\u2019s so great and you are so great in it, man. Now, this is an obvious question to start with, but you\u2019re a younger guy, so when this first came on your radar, what was your experience with The Lost Boys<\/em>?<\/strong><\/p>\n

LJ Benet:<\/strong> No, I hadn\u2019t watched the movie, but any actor who prepares correctly watches the source material. So I just watched the movie, and you watch it, and you\u2019re like, \u201cOh shit.\u201d You realize why it\u2019s such a classic. It\u2019s Brat Pack, but it\u2019s hot and sexy and cool.<\/p>\n

io9: And did you audition specifically for Michael, or was it more general for the show?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> You know what\u2019s so funny? I think originally, before they had released anything, I went back into my Dropbox. I think I\u2019d put a tape on for David. But this was like two and a half years ago.<\/p>\n

io9: Oh, okay.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> I think they were just like doing Zoom sessions at this point. And none of the music had been released. I don\u2019t even know if they had The Rescues at that point. Maybe they did. I really don\u2019t know. But I auditioned for that. I put another tape on for the workshop\u2026 and then I didn\u2019t hear back for a while. And then all of a sudden, I got this call, \u201cHey, come in for a final callback for Michael.\u201d I was like, \u201cWhat? Where did this come from?\u201d But then it turns out I had angels talking on my behalf. These executive producers that I worked for, Becky [Baeling] Lythgoe and Shane Scheel. They do For the Record<\/em>, [an LA-based show that does] homages to directors, and so they have a show called Tarantino: Pulp Rock<\/em>. I was in that one. And they knew the team that was developing The Lost Boys <\/em>and were like, \u2018You got to see LJ. You\u2019ve got to see LJ.\u201d They were basically like, \u201cHe\u2019s this kid in LA that nobody knows about right now. And he\u2019s good enough to do this.\u201d And they were like, \u201cYeah, okay. If he comes out, we\u2019ll watch him.\u201d And so I flew myself out, and then I freaking booked it.<\/p>\n

\"Lj
Benet and the company during rehearsals \u2013 Avery Brunkus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

io9: That\u2019s so great. So, I\u2019m more of a movie guy than a musical guy. I love Broadway. I love musicals. But my love of this show specifically comes from the movie. What role does the movie play in your preparation? I mean, obviously, it gives you a general idea of what the story is going to be. Once you know you\u2019re going to be Michael, you have Jason Patric\u2019s performance. But tell me a little bit about what that relationship is in your head between the movie and the show.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> I think the movie did such a good job. And this kind of transitions into The Rescues and what they were able to do. But the movie did such a great job of like these prolonged shots, like stills, of the characters\u2019 faces. They looked great, but cameras are all about the eyes. And so you really got to see where the eyes were going in the movie, especially with Jason Patric. So you really get to see, \u201cOkay, what is he thinking behind his eyes?\u201d And now it\u2019s the job of The Rescues to be like, \u201cThis is what\u2019s happening behind his eyes.\u201d So I watched the movie, and I tried to find these moments where the camera was just stuck on Jason Patric. And I was like, \u201cOkay, what\u2019s going on there?\u201d Something\u2019s going on there that no one knows. Only Jason Patric knows. And now I have to figure out what he\u2019s actually thinking and why he\u2019s thinking it and why he\u2019s taking his time. Why is he not saying anything? Obviously, it\u2019s in the writing. Obviously, they want this cool shot, whatever. But what is going through his brain character-wise? Why is he not talking? What\u2019s so peculiar about this moment? And then why do I have to sing now?<\/p>\n

io9: [Laughs] Yes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> It\u2019s really interesting because film and theater are very different. Film is a lot about what you\u2019re not saying that\u2019s being told. And theater is, I\u2019m going to tell you, and I\u2019m going to make you feel this with me.<\/p>\n

io9: Yeah. That\u2019s an awesome answer. I love that. So then at what point does the movie just become an afterthought? Because eventually you have your performance. You have the songs. You\u2019ve got the book. At a certain point, I assume, you put it aside. When does that happen? Or does it happen?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> I don\u2019t know if it does, to be honest. There are certain things where, every now and then, I\u2019m just like, \u201cOh, yeah, this was in the movie.\u201d So you want to honor what that was because it\u2019s so classic. The minute you screw with that, people are like, \u201cGrrr.\u201d But at the same time, it\u2019s making it my own and making it original every single night. So I don\u2019t know if it ever leaves, but there is an interesting balance to it.<\/p>\n

\"Lost
Star (Maria Wirries) and Michael (LJ Benet) \u2013 Matthew Murphy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

io9: Okay. Yeah. One of the things I love about the show is how much more we learn about the Emersons, right? About yourself, about Lucy, about Sam. What is your favorite aspect of Michael that we get to learn that\u2019s not explicitly stated in the movie, but here we really get to dive into?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> You know, I\u2019m really grateful that [Chris] Hoch and [David] Hornsby, they gave me a lot to chew on with my dad. The movie touches on it a little, but with the flashback in the show, we really get to chew on it a lot more, which I\u2019m grateful for because I think it gives a certain depth to Michael. Because like, if Michael doesn\u2019t have this arc of redemption, which you don\u2019t really understand in the first like 30 minutes of the production, you\u2019re like, why is he being a dick to his mom?<\/p>\n

io9: [Laughs] Yes!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> All of a sudden, he\u2019s leaving. He doesn\u2019t want to help with anything. Great. He\u2019s going after a girl. Oh my God. Clich\u00e9 dickhead who just wants to go get a girl. Awesome. That makes sense. And then he lifts up a shirt and you realize, \u201cOh. That\u2019s why.\u201d That\u2019s why he\u2019s being a dick. That\u2019s why he\u2019s trying to distract himself with a girl. Something happened here. And I feel like a lot of people can relate to that aspect of putting on a fa\u00e7ade or putting on a character to hide what\u2019s actually going on underneath or what\u2019s going on in their brain on a day-to-day basis. And no one really knows.<\/p>\n

The other aspect of that is that everything with Michael is being chosen for him, as far as his family. His family\u2019s being moved. That\u2019s his mom\u2019s decision. Now I have to go here. My brother\u2019s being like this. Now I\u2019m the man of the house. I didn\u2019t ask for that. You know what I mean? And then all of a sudden, there\u2019s this guy that I am looking at. He\u2019s kind of like this older brother character. He\u2019s kind of like a dad. He\u2019s kind of into it. But I\u2019m like, what\u2019s happening right now? All of a sudden, he\u2019s revealing things that I\u2019m not even telling you. How does he know that? There\u2019s no choice that Michael gets to make. And I feel like people relate to that as well, where it\u2019s just like life just happening to you and at you until finally that thing happens where you have no choice but to finally just be like, \u201cOkay, this is who I am. What I\u2019ve always been. And now you\u2019re seeing it. So take it or leave it.\u201d And I feel like that\u2019s what people can grab on to with that. What they gave me on stage to play versus the movie.<\/p>\n

\"The
The original poster for The Lost Boys<\/em> \u2013 Warner Bros.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

io9: Yeah, I\u2019ve seen a movie a billion times. I could quote the whole thing. But when I watch it, I never feel like Michael is the main character because he is sort of flat. The show really makes you, Michael, the main character. And I love that about it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> Yeah, I\u2019m grateful for that.<\/p>\n

io9: Have you met Jason Patric? Have you talked to Jason Patric? Would you want to?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> You know, I haven\u2019t. But we had a co-producer who knows him, and he sent a really nice message, basically like hoping he can come and see the show. But he\u2019s a busy guy.<\/p>\n

io9: Makes sense. So, when I first heard about this, I was a little worried because movie musicals can be hit or miss, right? This obviously hit. I loved it. Tony nominations. It\u2019s doing great. But was there a moment when you realized, \u201cOh, wow, this is a special show.\u201d And even if it hadn\u2019t gotten all these Tony nominations, you would have been like, \u201cI\u2019m super proud to be a part of it.\u201d Was there a moment that you can point to?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> [Long pause] It\u2019s so funny. I really do my best not to glorify the moment. I was telling a buddy backstage, \u201cThis feels like we\u2019re doing a high-budget regional theater camp production.\u201d [Laughs] Just because the whole thing, our whole cast feels like a family. And you don\u2019t get a cast like this, or a creative team like this, often when shows are this big. The pressure is so much. One wrong thing and the whole thing blows up, but it\u2019s never felt like that, to be honest. It\u2019s always just felt like something we get to do. Something that we\u2019re privileged to do versus like something that we have to do this or [else], you know what I mean? So I don\u2019t know if I\u2019ve had that moment. I think it\u2019s like, for me, honestly, those moments come when like Shoshana [Bean] brings like Billy Crystal backstage.<\/p>\n

\"Lost
Shoshana Bean as Lucy in The Lost Boys<\/em> \u2013 Matthew Murphy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

io9: Oh, sure.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> [Laughs] You know what I mean? Somebody of a high caliber that I\u2019m just like, \u201cFirst of all, how do you know these people?\u201d And then I\u2019m like, \u201cWait, you\u2019re Shoshana Bean, why am I even asking that? You own New York. Of course, you know all these people.\u201d So that\u2019s been the crazy thing is like you finish a show and all of a sudden there\u2019s just like a celebrity backstage. Beyond that, it really just feels human.<\/p>\n

io9: Have you moved past that point with [producer] Patrick Wilson? I was at a preview, and I saw him in the back, and I was like, \u201cOh my God, it\u2019s Patrick Wilson!\u201d But I know he\u2019s been with the show the whole way.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> Yeah, I see Patrick and I\u2019m just like, \u201cWhat are we doing today?\u201d [Laughs] But at first, he was for me, like he was Raoul from The Phantom [of the Opera].<\/em> That was the first show I ever saw. So when I first got the call from him that I booked it, I was like, \u201cOh, cool, one second. Sorry, Patrick. The Phantom of the Opera<\/em> is my favorite musical of all time. Raoul made me want to be like cool on stage. Like, thank you for that.\u201d And he was like, \u201cThat\u2019s great, LJ. Let\u2019s get to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

io9: That\u2019s awesome. Obviously, I love the music. I can\u2019t wait for the soundtrack to come out. But there are big musical moments in the movie that the show only kind of alludes to. \u201cCry, Little Sister\u201d is in there a little, for example. Was there ever a moment where you asked, or did you ever hear anybody talk about, why \u201cCry, Little Sister,\u201d \u201cI Still Believe,\u201d or anything like that wasn\u2019t in the show? Or do you have any thoughts on it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Lj
More rehearsals \u2013 Avery Brunkus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Benet:<\/strong> I never had any discussions as far as why they weren\u2019t in it. I can only assume. But I\u2019m also like, I\u2019m really happy that we\u2019re not another jukebox musical. Not that there\u2019s anything wrong with that. But it really says something to the fact that you can take such a classic film like this, and then put a little bit of originality behind it as well. So that it\u2019s not so predictable. You know what I mean? And I feel like that\u2019s what makes the musical such a fun ride. Because people know the movie, but then the people who watch the movie also get to experience something new as well. People like it, people hate it, I don\u2019t know. Whatever. I think it was really brave, and it was really courageous of the team to go, \u201cLet\u2019s be original and let\u2019s see what we can put on stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

io9: Yeah I was worried that I was gonna be mad those songs weren\u2019t in there, but it works. They find the right balance of \u201cThere\u2019s the sax man.\u201d \u201cLost in the Shadows\u201d looks exactly like it does in the movie. It works.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet: <\/strong>Yeah.<\/p>\n

io9: I know that there were a lot of changes during previews because you guys kind of started in previews as opposed to opening at a small regional theater. What change do you think was the most important in that time that made for the biggest improvement?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> Hm, such a great question. [Long pause] You know, it always sucks when you have to cut songs, and we cut a number of songs. But it helps move the story forward. You know, I\u2019m a person of faith. I believe sacrifice is the context of miracles, and I think that we had so many wonderful songs in the show that never made it to the light of day. But I think those cuts make our show what they are today, and I think it makes it more enjoyable for us as performers, being able to get through the show, and I think it makes it much more enjoyable for the audience getting through the show as well.<\/p>\n

\"Lost
LJ Benet and Ali Louis Bourzgui as Michael and David in The Lost Boys<\/em> \u2013 Matthew Murphy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We changed the ending a number of times. That\u2019s made it really interesting. That\u2019s probably one of the most pivotal things that we made changes to. I remember coming in one day, and it was a completely new ending, and I had like 40 new pages of sides. I was like, \u201cWhat the heck?\u201d<\/p>\n

io9: The stuff in the house, you mean? At the end in the house with everyone?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> Yeah, yeah, yeah. The house. Before, we were flying up in the air and it was this whole aerial battle thing. But I\u2019m really happy with what we found because I think it was a lot more organic, instead of people expecting us to fly into battle. It became like Conjuring<\/em> or Paranormal Activity<\/em> all of a sudden. It was kind of scary and spooky. And we got to utilize lighting in a really good way.<\/p>\n

io9: And it\u2019s a way for the show to be original as opposed to the movie. I was expecting the flying because there\u2019s already flying in the show, and the movie has flying in that scene.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> Yeah, a lot of equity rules about what we can do with flying.<\/p>\n

io9: We need to make sure everybody can perform the next night and doesn\u2019t die.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> [Laughs] Yeah, exactly.<\/p>\n

\"Lost
LJ Benet, Ali Louis Bourzgui, and Company in The Lost Boys<\/em> \u2013 Matthew Murphy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

io9: You talk about the ending. I was on my feet cheering for the show, and then those lights dropped, and we got that end-credit scene, which I\u2019ve never seen before on stage. And it\u2019s such a big thing now in pop culture. I\u2019m curious, can you tell me a little bit about that decision, and then logistically, how does it work? Do you all just run off stage?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> Yeah, I mean, lights go out, and we go off stage really quickly. That\u2019s it. We\u2019re holding each other\u2019s hands, running stage left or stage right, making sure we don\u2019t fall in holes because everything is being brought back up\u2026 but yeah, it\u2019s cool. I think it\u2019s really cool. I think it\u2019s really fun, especially in this day and age, where a lot of the Marvel movies really got us with the post-credit scenes. I think it\u2019s really fun that we brought that to the theater as well.<\/p>\n

io9: And that was in and out, too, right? Is that something that got cut and came back?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> Yeah, yeah, yeah. We had it. We didn\u2019t have it. And then the audience loved it, so we brought it back.<\/p>\n

io9: Yeah, I loved it. I loved it. When I was watching the show, like I said, I\u2019ve seen the movie a billion times. So nothing really about the story overall surprised me. But when Max is revealed to be the head vampire, half the theater was in shock. Is that an every-night occurrence?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> Yeah. Sometimes, it\u2019s a little bit, sometimes it\u2019s the whole house, which really makes me happy because it feels like this is bringing a whole new audience to The Lost Boys<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Lost
Shoshana Bean, Benjamin Pajak, and LJ Benet as the Emersons in The Lost Boys<\/em> \u2013 Matthew Murphy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

io9: Absolutely, and the last thing is, you have an amazing voice. The songs are so great. But do you have one in particular that you really love to crush every single night?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> [Long pause] I do. It\u2019s so funny. It\u2019s two. Obviously, \u201cBelong to Someone,\u201d I love to do every single night. That song is so technical, too, in terms of like: I have to be on my mark, I have to get myself hooked up, I have to get myself into a robot, I have to fly off stage, I have to make sure my abs are tight, I have to support here, support there. It\u2019s all these things that I just never imagined I\u2019d be doing, singing \u201cBelong to Someone.\u201d And there\u2019s actually a part of the show where Ali [Louis Bourzgui, who plays David] and I get to sing together, which we don\u2019t get to do a ton in the show. But it\u2019s the \u201cBelong to Someone\u201d reprise, and so we both get to like sing at each other and with each other for a brief period. And that\u2019s one of my favorite things to do, just because I get to watch him, I get to be on stage with him, and I get to sing with him.<\/p>\n

The Lost Boys<\/em> is now playing in New York at the Palace Theater. Get more info here.<\/p>\n

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Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what\u2019s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

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On June 7, several musicals will compete for Broadway\u2019s biggest honor: a Tony Award. But of those that are nominated, only one is based on a cult-classic 1987 vampire film that starred Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Dianne Wiest, Jason Patric, and Edward Herrmann. And it\u2019s deserving of every single award it gets and more.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re talking, of course, about the stage adaptation of Joel Schumacher\u2019s The Lost Boys<\/em>, which recently received 12 Tony nominations, including one for Best Musical. It\u2019s a fantastic show that takes the iconic vibe and story of the original film and gives it more depth and passion than it probably ever deserved. The soundtrack by The Rescues is filled with certified bangers, and the scope and scale of the show is as big as anything you\u2019ll see on Broadway.<\/p>\n

At the center of all that is LJ Benet. Benet plays Michael Emerson, the older brother of the Emerson family who moves to the Murder Capital of the World and gets entangled with its vampires. Jason Patric originated the role, but here, in the musical, Benet takes it to another level. This is a much fuller, more complex Michael. And he has to be. He\u2019s got the weight of the show on his shoulders.<\/p>\n

Recently, io9 spoke with Benet over video chat to geek out about the show and all that it entails. We talked about what he drew from the movie, the show\u2019s many iterations, the legacy of the brand, and so much more. The show\u2019s soundtrack goes up for pre-order on May 29, and we\u2019ll see how it does during the Tonys on June 7. But, for now, here\u2019s our chat with Michael himself, LJ Benet.<\/p>\n

\"Lost
LJ Benet as Michael in The Lost Boys<\/em> \u2013 Matthew Murphy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n

Germain Lussier, io9: I live in LA, but I flew to New York just to see The Lost Boys<\/em> because I am such a big fan. And originally, when they announced it, I was like, \u201cReally?\u201d But then I was like, \u201cReally!\u201d Because it\u2019s so great and you are so great in it, man. Now, this is an obvious question to start with, but you\u2019re a younger guy, so when this first came on your radar, what was your experience with The Lost Boys<\/em>?<\/strong><\/p>\n

LJ Benet:<\/strong> No, I hadn\u2019t watched the movie, but any actor who prepares correctly watches the source material. So I just watched the movie, and you watch it, and you\u2019re like, \u201cOh shit.\u201d You realize why it\u2019s such a classic. It\u2019s Brat Pack, but it\u2019s hot and sexy and cool.<\/p>\n

io9: And did you audition specifically for Michael, or was it more general for the show?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> You know what\u2019s so funny? I think originally, before they had released anything, I went back into my Dropbox. I think I\u2019d put a tape on for David. But this was like two and a half years ago.<\/p>\n

io9: Oh, okay.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> I think they were just like doing Zoom sessions at this point. And none of the music had been released. I don\u2019t even know if they had The Rescues at that point. Maybe they did. I really don\u2019t know. But I auditioned for that. I put another tape on for the workshop\u2026 and then I didn\u2019t hear back for a while. And then all of a sudden, I got this call, \u201cHey, come in for a final callback for Michael.\u201d I was like, \u201cWhat? Where did this come from?\u201d But then it turns out I had angels talking on my behalf. These executive producers that I worked for, Becky [Baeling] Lythgoe and Shane Scheel. They do For the Record<\/em>, [an LA-based show that does] homages to directors, and so they have a show called Tarantino: Pulp Rock<\/em>. I was in that one. And they knew the team that was developing The Lost Boys <\/em>and were like, \u2018You got to see LJ. You\u2019ve got to see LJ.\u201d They were basically like, \u201cHe\u2019s this kid in LA that nobody knows about right now. And he\u2019s good enough to do this.\u201d And they were like, \u201cYeah, okay. If he comes out, we\u2019ll watch him.\u201d And so I flew myself out, and then I freaking booked it.<\/p>\n

\"Lj
Benet and the company during rehearsals \u2013 Avery Brunkus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

io9: That\u2019s so great. So, I\u2019m more of a movie guy than a musical guy. I love Broadway. I love musicals. But my love of this show specifically comes from the movie. What role does the movie play in your preparation? I mean, obviously, it gives you a general idea of what the story is going to be. Once you know you\u2019re going to be Michael, you have Jason Patric\u2019s performance. But tell me a little bit about what that relationship is in your head between the movie and the show.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> I think the movie did such a good job. And this kind of transitions into The Rescues and what they were able to do. But the movie did such a great job of like these prolonged shots, like stills, of the characters\u2019 faces. They looked great, but cameras are all about the eyes. And so you really got to see where the eyes were going in the movie, especially with Jason Patric. So you really get to see, \u201cOkay, what is he thinking behind his eyes?\u201d And now it\u2019s the job of The Rescues to be like, \u201cThis is what\u2019s happening behind his eyes.\u201d So I watched the movie, and I tried to find these moments where the camera was just stuck on Jason Patric. And I was like, \u201cOkay, what\u2019s going on there?\u201d Something\u2019s going on there that no one knows. Only Jason Patric knows. And now I have to figure out what he\u2019s actually thinking and why he\u2019s thinking it and why he\u2019s taking his time. Why is he not saying anything? Obviously, it\u2019s in the writing. Obviously, they want this cool shot, whatever. But what is going through his brain character-wise? Why is he not talking? What\u2019s so peculiar about this moment? And then why do I have to sing now?<\/p>\n

io9: [Laughs] Yes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> It\u2019s really interesting because film and theater are very different. Film is a lot about what you\u2019re not saying that\u2019s being told. And theater is, I\u2019m going to tell you, and I\u2019m going to make you feel this with me.<\/p>\n

io9: Yeah. That\u2019s an awesome answer. I love that. So then at what point does the movie just become an afterthought? Because eventually you have your performance. You have the songs. You\u2019ve got the book. At a certain point, I assume, you put it aside. When does that happen? Or does it happen?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> I don\u2019t know if it does, to be honest. There are certain things where, every now and then, I\u2019m just like, \u201cOh, yeah, this was in the movie.\u201d So you want to honor what that was because it\u2019s so classic. The minute you screw with that, people are like, \u201cGrrr.\u201d But at the same time, it\u2019s making it my own and making it original every single night. So I don\u2019t know if it ever leaves, but there is an interesting balance to it.<\/p>\n

\"Lost
Star (Maria Wirries) and Michael (LJ Benet) \u2013 Matthew Murphy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

io9: Okay. Yeah. One of the things I love about the show is how much more we learn about the Emersons, right? About yourself, about Lucy, about Sam. What is your favorite aspect of Michael that we get to learn that\u2019s not explicitly stated in the movie, but here we really get to dive into?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> You know, I\u2019m really grateful that [Chris] Hoch and [David] Hornsby, they gave me a lot to chew on with my dad. The movie touches on it a little, but with the flashback in the show, we really get to chew on it a lot more, which I\u2019m grateful for because I think it gives a certain depth to Michael. Because like, if Michael doesn\u2019t have this arc of redemption, which you don\u2019t really understand in the first like 30 minutes of the production, you\u2019re like, why is he being a dick to his mom?<\/p>\n

io9: [Laughs] Yes!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> All of a sudden, he\u2019s leaving. He doesn\u2019t want to help with anything. Great. He\u2019s going after a girl. Oh my God. Clich\u00e9 dickhead who just wants to go get a girl. Awesome. That makes sense. And then he lifts up a shirt and you realize, \u201cOh. That\u2019s why.\u201d That\u2019s why he\u2019s being a dick. That\u2019s why he\u2019s trying to distract himself with a girl. Something happened here. And I feel like a lot of people can relate to that aspect of putting on a fa\u00e7ade or putting on a character to hide what\u2019s actually going on underneath or what\u2019s going on in their brain on a day-to-day basis. And no one really knows.<\/p>\n

The other aspect of that is that everything with Michael is being chosen for him, as far as his family. His family\u2019s being moved. That\u2019s his mom\u2019s decision. Now I have to go here. My brother\u2019s being like this. Now I\u2019m the man of the house. I didn\u2019t ask for that. You know what I mean? And then all of a sudden, there\u2019s this guy that I am looking at. He\u2019s kind of like this older brother character. He\u2019s kind of like a dad. He\u2019s kind of into it. But I\u2019m like, what\u2019s happening right now? All of a sudden, he\u2019s revealing things that I\u2019m not even telling you. How does he know that? There\u2019s no choice that Michael gets to make. And I feel like people relate to that as well, where it\u2019s just like life just happening to you and at you until finally that thing happens where you have no choice but to finally just be like, \u201cOkay, this is who I am. What I\u2019ve always been. And now you\u2019re seeing it. So take it or leave it.\u201d And I feel like that\u2019s what people can grab on to with that. What they gave me on stage to play versus the movie.<\/p>\n

\"The
The original poster for The Lost Boys<\/em> \u2013 Warner Bros.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

io9: Yeah, I\u2019ve seen a movie a billion times. I could quote the whole thing. But when I watch it, I never feel like Michael is the main character because he is sort of flat. The show really makes you, Michael, the main character. And I love that about it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> Yeah, I\u2019m grateful for that.<\/p>\n

io9: Have you met Jason Patric? Have you talked to Jason Patric? Would you want to?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> You know, I haven\u2019t. But we had a co-producer who knows him, and he sent a really nice message, basically like hoping he can come and see the show. But he\u2019s a busy guy.<\/p>\n

io9: Makes sense. So, when I first heard about this, I was a little worried because movie musicals can be hit or miss, right? This obviously hit. I loved it. Tony nominations. It\u2019s doing great. But was there a moment when you realized, \u201cOh, wow, this is a special show.\u201d And even if it hadn\u2019t gotten all these Tony nominations, you would have been like, \u201cI\u2019m super proud to be a part of it.\u201d Was there a moment that you can point to?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> [Long pause] It\u2019s so funny. I really do my best not to glorify the moment. I was telling a buddy backstage, \u201cThis feels like we\u2019re doing a high-budget regional theater camp production.\u201d [Laughs] Just because the whole thing, our whole cast feels like a family. And you don\u2019t get a cast like this, or a creative team like this, often when shows are this big. The pressure is so much. One wrong thing and the whole thing blows up, but it\u2019s never felt like that, to be honest. It\u2019s always just felt like something we get to do. Something that we\u2019re privileged to do versus like something that we have to do this or [else], you know what I mean? So I don\u2019t know if I\u2019ve had that moment. I think it\u2019s like, for me, honestly, those moments come when like Shoshana [Bean] brings like Billy Crystal backstage.<\/p>\n

\"Lost
Shoshana Bean as Lucy in The Lost Boys<\/em> \u2013 Matthew Murphy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

io9: Oh, sure.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> [Laughs] You know what I mean? Somebody of a high caliber that I\u2019m just like, \u201cFirst of all, how do you know these people?\u201d And then I\u2019m like, \u201cWait, you\u2019re Shoshana Bean, why am I even asking that? You own New York. Of course, you know all these people.\u201d So that\u2019s been the crazy thing is like you finish a show and all of a sudden there\u2019s just like a celebrity backstage. Beyond that, it really just feels human.<\/p>\n

io9: Have you moved past that point with [producer] Patrick Wilson? I was at a preview, and I saw him in the back, and I was like, \u201cOh my God, it\u2019s Patrick Wilson!\u201d But I know he\u2019s been with the show the whole way.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> Yeah, I see Patrick and I\u2019m just like, \u201cWhat are we doing today?\u201d [Laughs] But at first, he was for me, like he was Raoul from The Phantom [of the Opera].<\/em> That was the first show I ever saw. So when I first got the call from him that I booked it, I was like, \u201cOh, cool, one second. Sorry, Patrick. The Phantom of the Opera<\/em> is my favorite musical of all time. Raoul made me want to be like cool on stage. Like, thank you for that.\u201d And he was like, \u201cThat\u2019s great, LJ. Let\u2019s get to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

io9: That\u2019s awesome. Obviously, I love the music. I can\u2019t wait for the soundtrack to come out. But there are big musical moments in the movie that the show only kind of alludes to. \u201cCry, Little Sister\u201d is in there a little, for example. Was there ever a moment where you asked, or did you ever hear anybody talk about, why \u201cCry, Little Sister,\u201d \u201cI Still Believe,\u201d or anything like that wasn\u2019t in the show? Or do you have any thoughts on it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Lj
More rehearsals \u2013 Avery Brunkus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Benet:<\/strong> I never had any discussions as far as why they weren\u2019t in it. I can only assume. But I\u2019m also like, I\u2019m really happy that we\u2019re not another jukebox musical. Not that there\u2019s anything wrong with that. But it really says something to the fact that you can take such a classic film like this, and then put a little bit of originality behind it as well. So that it\u2019s not so predictable. You know what I mean? And I feel like that\u2019s what makes the musical such a fun ride. Because people know the movie, but then the people who watch the movie also get to experience something new as well. People like it, people hate it, I don\u2019t know. Whatever. I think it was really brave, and it was really courageous of the team to go, \u201cLet\u2019s be original and let\u2019s see what we can put on stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

io9: Yeah I was worried that I was gonna be mad those songs weren\u2019t in there, but it works. They find the right balance of \u201cThere\u2019s the sax man.\u201d \u201cLost in the Shadows\u201d looks exactly like it does in the movie. It works.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet: <\/strong>Yeah.<\/p>\n

io9: I know that there were a lot of changes during previews because you guys kind of started in previews as opposed to opening at a small regional theater. What change do you think was the most important in that time that made for the biggest improvement?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> Hm, such a great question. [Long pause] You know, it always sucks when you have to cut songs, and we cut a number of songs. But it helps move the story forward. You know, I\u2019m a person of faith. I believe sacrifice is the context of miracles, and I think that we had so many wonderful songs in the show that never made it to the light of day. But I think those cuts make our show what they are today, and I think it makes it more enjoyable for us as performers, being able to get through the show, and I think it makes it much more enjoyable for the audience getting through the show as well.<\/p>\n

\"Lost
LJ Benet and Ali Louis Bourzgui as Michael and David in The Lost Boys<\/em> \u2013 Matthew Murphy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We changed the ending a number of times. That\u2019s made it really interesting. That\u2019s probably one of the most pivotal things that we made changes to. I remember coming in one day, and it was a completely new ending, and I had like 40 new pages of sides. I was like, \u201cWhat the heck?\u201d<\/p>\n

io9: The stuff in the house, you mean? At the end in the house with everyone?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> Yeah, yeah, yeah. The house. Before, we were flying up in the air and it was this whole aerial battle thing. But I\u2019m really happy with what we found because I think it was a lot more organic, instead of people expecting us to fly into battle. It became like Conjuring<\/em> or Paranormal Activity<\/em> all of a sudden. It was kind of scary and spooky. And we got to utilize lighting in a really good way.<\/p>\n

io9: And it\u2019s a way for the show to be original as opposed to the movie. I was expecting the flying because there\u2019s already flying in the show, and the movie has flying in that scene.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> Yeah, a lot of equity rules about what we can do with flying.<\/p>\n

io9: We need to make sure everybody can perform the next night and doesn\u2019t die.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> [Laughs] Yeah, exactly.<\/p>\n

\"Lost
LJ Benet, Ali Louis Bourzgui, and Company in The Lost Boys<\/em> \u2013 Matthew Murphy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

io9: You talk about the ending. I was on my feet cheering for the show, and then those lights dropped, and we got that end-credit scene, which I\u2019ve never seen before on stage. And it\u2019s such a big thing now in pop culture. I\u2019m curious, can you tell me a little bit about that decision, and then logistically, how does it work? Do you all just run off stage?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> Yeah, I mean, lights go out, and we go off stage really quickly. That\u2019s it. We\u2019re holding each other\u2019s hands, running stage left or stage right, making sure we don\u2019t fall in holes because everything is being brought back up\u2026 but yeah, it\u2019s cool. I think it\u2019s really cool. I think it\u2019s really fun, especially in this day and age, where a lot of the Marvel movies really got us with the post-credit scenes. I think it\u2019s really fun that we brought that to the theater as well.<\/p>\n

io9: And that was in and out, too, right? Is that something that got cut and came back?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> Yeah, yeah, yeah. We had it. We didn\u2019t have it. And then the audience loved it, so we brought it back.<\/p>\n

io9: Yeah, I loved it. I loved it. When I was watching the show, like I said, I\u2019ve seen the movie a billion times. So nothing really about the story overall surprised me. But when Max is revealed to be the head vampire, half the theater was in shock. Is that an every-night occurrence?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> Yeah. Sometimes, it\u2019s a little bit, sometimes it\u2019s the whole house, which really makes me happy because it feels like this is bringing a whole new audience to The Lost Boys<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Lost
Shoshana Bean, Benjamin Pajak, and LJ Benet as the Emersons in The Lost Boys<\/em> \u2013 Matthew Murphy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

io9: Absolutely, and the last thing is, you have an amazing voice. The songs are so great. But do you have one in particular that you really love to crush every single night?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benet:<\/strong> [Long pause] I do. It\u2019s so funny. It\u2019s two. Obviously, \u201cBelong to Someone,\u201d I love to do every single night. That song is so technical, too, in terms of like: I have to be on my mark, I have to get myself hooked up, I have to get myself into a robot, I have to fly off stage, I have to make sure my abs are tight, I have to support here, support there. It\u2019s all these things that I just never imagined I\u2019d be doing, singing \u201cBelong to Someone.\u201d And there\u2019s actually a part of the show where Ali [Louis Bourzgui, who plays David] and I get to sing together, which we don\u2019t get to do a ton in the show. But it\u2019s the \u201cBelong to Someone\u201d reprise, and so we both get to like sing at each other and with each other for a brief period. And that\u2019s one of my favorite things to do, just because I get to watch him, I get to be on stage with him, and I get to sing with him.<\/p>\n

The Lost Boys<\/em> is now playing in New York at the Palace Theater. Get more info here.<\/p>\n

\n

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what\u2019s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LJ-Benet-Lost-Boys-Interview-1200×675.jpg”] On June 7, several musicals will compete for Broadway\u2019s biggest honor: a Tony Award. But of those that are nominated, only one is based on a cult-classic 1987 vampire film that starred Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Dianne Wiest, Jason Patric, and Edward Herrmann. And it\u2019s deserving of every single award […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,53],"class_list":["post-1960598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-gizmodo-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1960598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1960598"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1960598\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1960598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1960598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1960598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}