B'way/Off-B'way Reviews: The Lost Boys, Beaches, Fallen Angels, The Adding Machine

Two musicals based on films from the late 1980s are among the plethora of openings as the 2025-26 New York theater season comes to a close—one is a surprise hit (The Lost Boys), the other a disappointment (Beaches). In addition, there are two plays from the 1920s (Fallen Angels and The Adding Machine) representing very different dramatic sensibilities, but both with their merits.

LJ Benet and Ali Louis Bourzgui in
The Lost Boys.
Credit: Matthew Murphy

The Lost Boys had a lot going against before it premiered at the Palace. Broadway has had three previous vampire-themed tuners in recent memory—Dance of the Vampires, Lestat and Dracula. Each one deserved a stake through the heart and vanished into their graves after brief runs. But this latest venture into the horror genre is a genuinely scary, popcorn-crunching, Broadway equivalent of a hit summer movie. I was prepared to despise the show based on past bad bloodsucker experiences (I saw all three of the aforementioned bombs) and an overload of alienated-teen movies and TV shows, but I wound up loving The Lost Boys.

David Hornsby and Chris Hoch’s solid book adheres closely to Joel Schumacher’s cult 1987 film which spawned two direct-to-DVD sequels. One supporting character has been changed from a boy to a girl, a kindly grandpa is now deceased and resides in an urn of ashes, and another character’s possibly being gay is more explicitly addressed. But the main thrust of horror remains. Divorced mom Lucy Emerson (beautifully belting Shoshana Bean) and her two teen sons (properly sullen LJ Benet and spunky and funny Benjamin Pajak) relocate to her California beachside hometown to escape an abusive husband. Searching for community and attention, rebellious older offspring Michael falls in with with a punk rock band who just happen to be card-carrying members of the undead (led by charismatic, sexy Ali Louis Bourgui). 

LJ Benet, Ali Louis Bourzgui and cast in
The Lost Boys.
Credit: Matthew Murphy

The librettists find room for character development and nuance while maintaining a humorous edge. The family and the vampires are not just sources for jokes or screams, but credible people—within the fantasy context. Even the vampires have motivations for their bloodcurdling actions. The powerful rock score by The Rescues (Kyler England, Adrianne “AG” Gonzalez and Gabriel Mann) delineates and expresses emotions without descending to cliche. The group is also responsible for the gorgeous harmonies in their vocal arrangements and effective orchestrations along with Ethan Popp. Kudos to Adam Fisher whose sound design allows this to be one of the rare rock scores where the lyrics are intelligible throughout. 

Michael Arden’s impressive direction makes full use of Dane Laffrey’s massive set, incorporating the full depth and height of the Palace stage. Two-story houses, creepy lairs, beachside boardwalks, treacherous train trestles fly in, out, up and down as do the demonic rockers thanks to the aerial design by Gwyneth Larsen and Billy Mulholland and aerial choreography by Lauren Yatango-Grant and Christopher Cree-Grant. Arden also stages several ingenious fantasy sequences with chorus members dressed as movie stereotypes of vampires and superheroes (the amusing costumes are by Ryan Park) zooming in and out of the background. There’s also an exciting, realistic motorcycle race. Arden is a magician, pulling impressive rabbit after rabbit out of his directorial hat, along with special effects designer Markus Maurette.

Off-B'way Review: The Monsters; High Spirits

Aigner Mizzelle and Okieriete Onaodowan
in The Monsters.
Credit: T. Charles Erickson

The two-actor cast of Ngozi Anyanwu’s The Monsters at the intimate Stage II at City Center in a Manhattan Theater Club production, go through quite a workout in its 90-minute running time, both physically and emotionally. So does the audience. Anyanwu’s tight and devastating script rings some familiar bells in the estranged-family division, but her script is honest and heartfelt. Her direction is well-paced and, with the aide of Cha See’s lighting, creatively transforms Andrew Boyce’s simple gym setting into a myriad of locales.

As the play opens, Big and Lil (short for Little) are disconnected African-American siblings, survivors of an abusive father. Big, whose real name is not revealed until the end of the play, is a champion mixed-martial arts fighter. His half-sister Lil (actual name: Josephine) attempts to resume their once close relationship after 15 years of silence. Gradually, their severed bond is knit back together as Big trains Lil in MMA. As she raises in the ring ranks, long buried resentments and secrets are revealed and their conflict erupts in a grueling grudge match. (Gerry Rodriguez is the masterful fight director.)

B'way Update: John Krasinki, Private Lives, Beaches, James Taylor

SAG winner and Emmy nominee John Krasinski (The Office, A Quiet Place) will star in the debut production of Studio Seaview (formerly Second Stage's Tony Kiser Theater), Angry Alan, a solo play about a man diving into a digital rabbit hole. Penelope Skinner's dark comedy premiered during the 2018 Edinburgh Festival. Tony winner Sam Gold directs. Previews begin May 23 with an official opening of June 11 for a 10-week limited run. Krasinki last appeared Off-Broadway in Dry Powder at the Public Theater in 2016.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be returning to Off Broadway, and to be surrounded by such a force of talent in Penny and Sam is quite literally a dream scenario,” Krasinski said in a statement.

Private Lives: It's a bit early,  but we have our first production of the 2026-27 season. Jeffrey Richards, Playful Productions, Rebecca Gold, and M/B/P Productions have announced they will present a revival of Noel Coward's 1931 comedy Private Lives sometime two seasons ahead. No news of casting or creative personnel yet.

Gertrude Lawrence and Noel Coward
in Private Lives.

Coward's mannered comedy concerns divorced couple Elyot and Amanda who encounter each other while on their respective honeymoons with new spouses. This will be the ninth Broadway production of the play. Previous outings have earned Best Actress Tonys for Tammy Grimes and Lindsay Duncan and a nomination for Maggie Smith. There have also been stagings starring Coward, Gertrude Lawrence and Laurence Olivier, Tallullah Bankhead, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Joan Collins and Simon Jones, and Kim Catrall and Paul Gross. 

Beaches Launches Tour: The musical version of Beaches, based on Iris Rainer Dart's novel and the

Shoshana Bean and Whitney Bashor in
the Signature Theater, Wash. DC
production of Beaches the Musical.
Credit: Brett Beiner

1988 film starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey, will launch a pre-Broadway national tour in the fall of 2026. The show features music by Grammy winner Mike Stoller with lyrics by Dart and a book by Dart and Thom Thomas developed in collaboration with David Austin. Tony nominee Lonny Price (Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Sunset Boulevard revival) directs. Beaches had a production in Calgary in 2024 and developmental productions in Washington, DC and Chicago.

James Taylor Musical: Grammy winner James Taylor joins Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Carol King, Tina Turner, Cher,

James Taylor

Frankie Valle and the Four Seasons, the Beach Boys, and numerous other pop music stars to have his songbook serve as the basis of a musical. Fire and Rain will feature an original story by Pulitzer Prize winner Tracey Letts (August: Osage County) and direction by Tony winner David Cromer (The Band's Visit). Taylor's songs have previously appeared in the 1978 Broadway musical Working.