On June 7, several musicals will compete for Broadway’s 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’s deserving of every single award it gets and more. We’re talking, of course, about the stage adaptation of Joel Schumacher’s The Lost Boys, which recently received 12 Tony nominations, including one for Best Musical. It’s 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’ll see on Broadway. 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’s got the weight of the show on his shoulders.
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’s many iterations, the legacy of the brand, and so much more. The show’s soundtrack goes up for pre-order on May 29, and we’ll see how it does during the Tonys on June 7. But, for now, here’s our chat with Michael himself, LJ Benet.
