Tony Awards 2026: An upset win delivers the night's most political speech (with vampires as a metaphor)
Key takeaways
- Ali Louis Bourzgui scored an upset win for performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical for originating the role of David in the musical adaptation of the cult vampire horror film “The Lost Boys.”
- He began by noting that “vampires represent those who have shunned their own humanity in order to achieve a nonexistent sense of superiority.
- Through the cheers of an invigorated audience, Bourzgui went on to talk about how “theater is one of the last places people can come to worship the power of true collective human presence.”
Ali Louis Bourzgui accepts the best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical award for “The Lost Boys” onstage during the 79th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 07, 2026, in New York. (Theo Wargo / Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions) By Jessica Gelt Arts Editor Follow June 7, 2026 7:32 PM PT 1 3 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
Ali Louis Bourzgui scored an upset win for performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical for originating the role of David in the musical adaptation of the cult vampire horror film “The Lost Boys.”
As viewers scrambled to keep their score cards straight — André De Shields was favored to take the trophy for his work in “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” — the 26-year-old Bourzgui went on to deliver the night’s most impassioned, and pointedly political, speech.