Tony Nominee Ali Louis Bourzgui On ‘The Lost Boys,’ David’s Queerness [VIDEO]

Anyone who saw The Who’s Tommy performance from the 2024 Tony Awards, experienced just how mesmerizing and magnetic a performer Ali Louis Bourzgui was in the titular role. After that electric revival of Tommy, which deserved a longer run, Bourzgui went on to appear in the New York Theatre Workshop production of We Live in Cairo and then star as Orpheus in the acclaimed musical, Hadestown.

Now, he’s simultaneously dazzling and terrifying audiences as the bloodsucking vampire David in The Lost Boys at the Palace Theatre. The show was just nominated for 12 Tony Awards including a much deserved one for Bourzgui for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. His beguiling turn has also nabbed him his third Outer Critics Circle Award mention, his second Drama League Award nomination and his first Dorian Theater Award nod.

Based on Joel Schumacher’s 1987 cinematic camp thriller, The Lost Boys is adapted for the stage by David Hornsby and Chris Hoch, with a terrific rock score and lyrics by the Rescues. The plot is basically the same as the film, set in Santa Carla, California, and focusing on sullen teen Michael (LJ Benet) and his geeky younger brother Sam (Benjamin Pajak) who arrive in town with their mom, Lucy (Shoshana Bean). What they aren’t aware of is that Santa Carla is infested with vampires, led by the enigmatic blond bombshell David (Bourzgui), a blood-sucker bent on turning Michael and decimating everyone in town—but there’s a lot more going on there—including a triangle subplot involving David’s gal, Star (Maria Wirries) who now appears to be falling for Michael.

Bourzgui burrows into his character’s restlessness, angst and loneliness with a ferocious intensity that often elevates the show to nuanced heights. And what a powerhouse voice!

Discussing the homoerotic nature of David and Michael’s relationship and the character’s queerness, Bourzgui keenly offers, “…Vampires reach a certain point where they let go of all human rules of life, including any form of sexuality. I think even in his human life he was queer…Then when he becomes a vampire you reach a certain level of immortality where it doesn’t even matter…Everything’s attractive to me now, because I’ve lived for so long that I don’t need labels…He finds Michael and Star both attractive, but he also sees them as siblings. He also wants to be their leader, their father figure. It’s this crazy combination of him just wanting to be everything to them. It’s a combination of multiple facets of attraction…In my mind, he grew up in the ‘20s. So I’m not sure he ever fully admitted anything to himself or was able to discover that about himself. And now that it’s the ’80s, maybe he’s starting to hear labels or hear these things that he could call himself, but is also now so far into this vampire realm that, do labels matter? But he’s definitely attracted to both Star and Michael from my point of view.” (WATCH THE FULL CHAT BELOW)

The thesp landed the first national tour of the sublime musical The Band’s Visit just months after graduating from Ithaca College. He went on to do regional work before landing Tommy, which brought him a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut.

If Tommy was his breakthrough role—and it was–Bourzgui’s David is his star-making performance.

The Lost Boys is currently wowing audiences at the Palace Theater (160 W. 47th Street, NYC). For Tickets visit THE LOST BOYS.

The Contending had a blast VIDEO chatting with Bourzgui about The Lost Boys and his career to date.