Though myths of the undead returning to cause harm can be traced back to antiquity, the word vampire (from the Serbian “vampir”) originated in Eastern Europe and spread throughout the folkloric traditions of the early 18th century to describe an undecomposed reanimated corpse with long fangs that rises from the grave at night to suck the blood of the living by biting their necks, thereby turning them into vampires, too. The popularity of the legend of the preternatural creature increased in the 19th century with the 1819 publication of John Polidori’s short tale The Vampyre (based on a story told by Lord Byron), which introduced the archetype of the charismatic nobleman-turned-bloodsucker, and Bram Stoker’s iconic 1897 novel Dracula, with the likely inspiration of the real-life historical figure Vlad the Impaler, or Vlad II Dracul (1431-76), the cruel Prince of Wallachia (in present-day Romania, and bordering on Transylvania), for the titular character.
During the current 2025-26 season, the theme of the vampire has experienced a revival on both the stage and screen, with the multi-nominated award-winning horror film Sinners, written and directed by Ryan Coogler, the Off-Broadway musical Blood/Love: A Vampire Pop Opera, created by and starring Carey Renee Sharpe, and now playing a limited engagement at Theater 555 through May 10, and The Lost Boys, a new musical by David Hornsby (book) and The Rescues (music and lyrics), based on the 1987 Warner Bros. film, with previews beginning at Broadway’s Palace Theatre on March 27, and an opening scheduled for April 26. And there were also staged script-in-hand concert readings of two new works-in-development this month at the Laurie Beechman Theatre in NYC’s West Bank Café: a one-night-only performance of Black Watch Theatre Company’s “monster musical comedy” The Trouble with Dead Boyfriends by Annie Pulsipher (book and lyrics) and Alex Petti (music, lyrics, and orchestrations), directed by Rachel Klein (presently in London as director and choreographer of the “queer 80s horror comedy rock musical” I Was a Teenage She-Devil, with book, music, and lyrics by Sean Matthew Whiteford, playing at The Other Palace in April); and two industry presentations of Weird Noises Media Group’s “barely historical musical” Vlad and The Impalers by Marc Erdahi (book, lyrics, and direction) and Ben Shooter (music).
Rachel and Marc generously made time in their busy schedules to answer my questions about the new musicals, their development, and the rising contemporary interest in stories of bloodsuckers and the living dead.
Do you believe in vampires?
Rachel: Oh, absolutely – at least that’s what I told myself when I pried myself out of my coffin this evening to stalk about in the night!
Marc: I think there are energy vampires and people who think like vampires: cunning, manipulative, and excessive. But I don’t think there are actual vampires. They are, however, a brilliant archetype and metaphor and sometimes allegory for exploring darker aspects of human nature.
How did you first become involved in developing the show?
Rachel: I first became involved with The Trouble with Dead Boyfriends in 2024, when I began developing the piece with Black Watch Theatre, gearing up for our first public reading as a creative team, and I absolutely fell in love with the story and the characters. It was clear almost instantly that the entire team and I were going to build something really incredible together.
Marc: I was looking for an anachronistic historical figure to rewrite and to have fun with. I was inspired by Hulu’s The Great and Something Rotten and Mel Brooks and Monty Python. I’m a big fan of anachronisms.
What attracted you to the subject?
Rachel: I am a complete horror head. I started cackling when I first opened the script and read the lyrics “there’s young love . . . creeping through the halls of George A. Romero Memorial High.” It’s so clever and effortlessly a love letter to the entire genre of horror storytelling. The leading ladies of the piece, three teenage besties since childhood, go on a journey where their connection and belief in each other saves them from being dragged down by toxic relationships, literally represented by supernatural beings. I was drawn to the project because of the themes of overcoming societal pressures and letting self-actualization win, as well as the story centering on the unbreakable bond of female friendship. It’s such an incredible message and certainly one that I am proud to help deliver.
Marc: We live in a time of retreating democracy and rising authoritarianism. It’s incredible that we don’t learn from history; so, it was attractive to lampoon a tyrant from eons ago. Even from 1472, he’s not so different . . .
Can you tell us a little about the format and plot?
Rachel: In The Trouble with Dead Boyfriends, Madison, the head cheerleader, is determined to find her “perfect love” for her senior year. Naturally, she seeks to accomplish this by dabbling in some black magic with her besties, Stella and Grace (who is a natural-born witch). As black magic is wont to do, the spell does its own thing, and “a love undying” becomes “a love undead.” The trio then must confront their own demons to be able to break free of the harmful antics of their supernatural BFs, one of which is a Victorian Vampire; the other two are a zombie and a ghost.
Marc: Well, Vlad and The Impalers is actually very much not a vampire musical. There are no vampires in the show. I like to say we do for the legend of Dracula what Wicked did for the Wicked Witch; we kind of go crazy re-imagining how Vlad became the inspiration for Dracula, through a lost Eurovision-style song contest – medieval boy bands and girl groups and punk bands. It’s very much about tabloid journalism and celebrity culture and “fake news” and how it shapes a narrative. But it is very much entertaining first. The message is just there if you choose to see it!
Why do you think vampires have become so popular in our current time?
Rachel: Vampires always seem to bounce back and forth in the cultural zeitgeist, and now they’re certainly having a moment again. As eternal beings, it makes sense that popularity of vampire-themed art in pop culture seems to come in waves. The idea of the vampire is sexy, alluring, mysterious, and romantic, which is why the appeal keeps circling back. For me personally, my favorite part of the vampire narrative is the history they hold – specifically an older vampire character – and the ways in which they’ve seen the world change, the experience they’ve had watching an ever-morphing cycle of humanity.
Marc: I think we live in an age of intense selfishness and darkness in many ways. I think, even unconsciously, vampires are a reflection – pardon the pun – on our worst instincts. And they are really fun to camp up and treat like idiots.
What do you hope audiences will take away from the show?
Rachel: I’ve directed multiple vampire musicals (I have a gift, what can I say?) and The Trouble with Dead Boyfriends is by far the favorite in my personal vampire musical journey. It’s fun and electric, brilliantly crafted with incredible music and such a witty book (shout out to the fantastic writing team Annie Pulsipher and Alex Petti!). More importantly, it’s full of heart, and within the fun and comedy and nods to all my favorites of horror cinema, it’s truly a piece about friendship, the relationships that matter, found family, and self-agency.
Marc: I hope people laugh. That’s number one. Vlad and The Impalers is incredibly funny and dumb and the score by Ben Shooter is unskippable. It’s a culty, ear-worm heavy show. It’s very commercially minded in those ways. People need escape. They need to make fun of the current dark times but without being literal. That’s often the best form of entertainment. As they say, all art is political – but it’s best when the statement is a layer below the story. So, if people are also reminded that tyrants are a bad idea – even the charming ones – that works for me as a message.
Many thanks, Rachel and Marc, for sharing insights into your new musicals and the eternal theme of the vampire. I look forward to seeing the full-stage productions of The Trouble with Dead Boyfriends and Vlad and The Impalers in the near future!
