Exclusive: Utah’s DeLaney Westfall on Rehearsing for THE LOST BOYS on Broadway and More

St. George, Utah native and Brigham Young University grad DeLaney Westfall gave BroadwayWorld the inside scoop on her newest Broadway job, in the ensemble and understudying Lucy in THE LOST BOYS, currently in previews. 

The new musical, based on the 1987 teen vampire film, is a spectacle on a massive scale directed by Tony winner Michael Arden (PARADE, MAYBE HAPPY ENDING).  With a book by David Hornsby and Chris Hoch, it has an original score by The Rescues and stars LJ Benet as Michael, Shoshana Bean as Lucy, Ali Louis Bourzgui as David, Benjamin Pajak as Sam, Maria Wirries as Star, and Paul Alexander Nolan as Max. The show will officially open at the Palace Theatre in New York City on April 26, 2026. 

Westfall, who starred as Christine in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at BYU before making her Broadway debut as a swing in SIDE SHOW, then played Lauren in KINKY BOOTS and Marilyn/Cynthia understudy in BEAUTIFUL. She was Johanna in Barrow Street Theatre’s immersive off-Broadway production of SWEENEY TODD and again at Pioneer Theatre Company before joining the Broadway revival of the show in the ensemble and understudying Johanna and Mrs. Lovett. 

Heading into previews, she was happy to chat with BroadwayWorld all about her experience with the development and rehearsal process for THE LOST BOYS, which is her first original musical on Broadway.

How did your time in Utah at BYU and Hale Centre Theatre prepare you for your time on Broadway?

I’m very grateful for my training at BYU. It was obviously very impactful and wonderful. I think the most important street-wise experience I gained was from doing shows at the Hale, or doing PHANTOM at BYU. Ever since I was like eight, I think every year I did a musical. I was always involved in doing shows. And I think that's what built up my stamina, not only stamina, but also my skills, my general experience. So that when I moved to New York and I was doing the auditions and booking shows, it was like I kind of knew what to do. And of course that comes from training at a university or wherever, but most of it was just hands-on, like being thrown into the fire, just having to do it. So everything I learned was from doing shows, and that helped prepare me, because my first professional Broadway job was as a swing, and I don't know that I would have been able to do that if I hadn't done so many shows, especially in college. I was doing Young Ambassadors, and I was always doing a show outside at the Hale, which was crazy and I don't know how I did that.

What was it like being part of two very different New York productions of SWEENEY TODD?

Well, the pie shop, the Barrow Street production is, and I don't know when it will be beat out, but it is the most artistically fulfilling thing I've ever done, and I think I will ever do. I got to meet Sondheim three times. He came and saw it three times. It was so cool. And that was my first experience. I didn't really know the show, because you know, at BYU, we get a great education, it's just a little bit of an edited education, obviously. So I didn't really know SWEENEY TODD at all, for whatever reason, but boy, have I now learned it so well because I can't get away from it. Which is so funny, because the first couple things I did in the city—obviously, I sing classically, but SIDE SHOW, and then KINKY BOOTS was so pop, BEAUTIFUL so pop. I did a LES MIS in between there, a regional production, as Cosette. And I was like, I get to use it! And then, wow, have I only used it until now, which is hilarious, because there's like, two notes in all of THE LOST BOYS that I'm allowed to use vibrato, which is crazy. It's just so pop rock, you know? I mean, Broadway was amazing—SWEENEY—it was really cool to be part of a huge production of it. The whole cast, we were like, so in love, in a way I had never experienced until then. And some best friends for life that I'm still unbelievably close with from that production.

Moving on to THE LOST BOYS, what has the experience been like developing a new musical?

I mean, it's unlike anything I've done, because my only original casts have been revivals, so there's tweaks and changes, but not much, because you have to respect what's been written already. So this has been crazy and amazing. There are days during rehearsal when we would have 90 new pages that we would have to replace in our book. Most people switched to iPads, which I regret never having done. I just like to have the physical thing, especially learning understudy material and stuff. It's exciting and cool to be able to see something new each day. But 90 pages! It was always at least 20 pages. Not necessarily new scenes—mostly just tweaks of scenes or cuts of songs. That's what it's been a lot of because they've been working on the show for years and years. They've been doing readings of it for like, two years, and I joined it just for the reading that took place right before that was in October, November.

But it's really exciting, too, because we don't know how it's going to be received. With both SIDE SHOW and SWEENEY TODD, it was like, people will like it. There are diehard fans of both of these shows. We know that it will be received well by many people, but this is scary. I think it's really freaking cool, and I think people will like it. If nothing else, the spectacle. It is the biggest set I've ever been on. It is the most expensive production I think I maybe will ever be a part of, in terms of costumes, in terms of wigs, in terms of props. It's so extensive, and we had four and a half weeks of rehearsal, and then three weeks of tech, and then a month of previews. They've got time to make it good, and I think it is gonna be really good, but it's exciting to be a part of. You know that opening night, reading the reviews is going to be so crazy to just see what people think of our play. I hope they like it.

What has the rehearsal schedule been like? Are you focusing more on your ensemble parts now, or are you starting to work on the understudy stuff?

Rehearsal up until tech has been 10 to 6 every day. There was one week where we did some crossover, where some of the boys went to fly on the stage, because there's so much flying, and that is obviously extensive rehearsal needed for that. When we got into tech, it's been 1:30 to 10 pm. I love sleeping in, but my husband's in THE BOOK OF MORMON, and so he is gone every night, and 10 to 6 was amazing for us, because he could be dad and I could be mom at night. Starting previews, they still have the ability to call us a certain amount of hours every day, like 10 to 6 every day. I have a feeling it's going to be a lot of those days, because just of how big this show is. And then not until April 26 do we finally get our days. But then Thursdays, Fridays will be understudy rehearsal. So it's very daunting to think about the next, but it's exciting too. I am mostly focused on my ensemble stuff. We're doing a lot. I'm dancing a lot, which is not something I've done a ton of on Broadway, but we're singing background for most songs. And Michael Arden likes to have his ensemble on stage, so there is a lot of backstage things, like offstage singing, but we're in the scenes a lot, whether we're doing crosses or we're dancing in the background or whatnot, so I'm not quite focusing on the Lucy material yet, but I need to, because you never know what might happen.

How has it been working with Michael Arden?

He's so good at what he does, and he's very kind and very thoughtful. We did this fun thing at the end of every week they called Vampire Weekend. And the last hour of rehearsal, they brought drinks and snacks and had a little party for us, which was so crazy. No one does that. And then the final week, because we had a half day, we had a Vampire Brunch. And we went to this coffee shop, and Michael got us all coffee, which was so sweet. And then yesterday, he brought us all cookies. He just takes care of us in that specific way. But he's been really wonderful. I mean, tech can bring out sometimes the worst in people, especially directors. And he's just been really level-headed and cool. And this is a huge show. I can only imagine how much stress he's under, because he's also co-lighting designer, so he's just busy and still approachable and lovely, and he's so great. And the biggest thing I keep telling people actually about the show is that it doesn't feel like there's a hierarchy, which is often the case in shows where you're like, oh those are the principals, this is the ensemble. We are I feel on the same level as everyone in terms of importance. And I think that starts from him and trickles down. So he's great.

Isaac Powell had similar things to say about him.  Now, you talked about a lot of changes. Have they slowed? Or does it seem like it's pretty steady? How do you keep them straight?

Well, I think it's slowed. It's definitely slowed, but the book writers are just constantly trying to perfect, even when we're not doing it in front of them. And it's just very cooperative. Shoshana Bean will be like, actually can I switch that line? It feels better to me to do it this way. And they're like, sure. So it's cool in that way. Music-wise, it is really hard, because there will be like, one measure cut, and we're supposed to have remembered that when we do it, and we are expected to be professionals that can do that. What I've been most impressed with is Benjamin, who plays the youngest brother. He's 14 years old, and he will get, like, a full new version of his song, and he will perform it in the run and do it perfectly. He's like, such a little pro. He's so great.

What else would you like to say about the experience developing the show?

There's a lot of Broadway debuts happening in this production, and I keep warning them that it's not always like this. We're in a really fancy renovated new theatre. It's nice. Everyone is so nice. The company is so wonderful it might compete with the SWEENEY Broadway company, I hate to say it. But I keep warning people, the youngins, because there's lots of them, that this is really special, and to really live in the moment and be grateful. Because the show is cool. The company is lovely. This theatre is incredible. The set is unbelievable. The care being taken from all departments feels rare and feels special. And I'm just grateful to be a part of it for a lot of reasons, but mostly that we're being so cared for and thought about. And that's awesome.

What are you most excited for audience to see?

Gosh, the whole thing. It's just thing after thing after thing, like really crazy transitions, blood and flying and motorcycles, and I think it's gonna be unlike anything anyone has ever seen. So everything is what I'm excited for people to see!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I get to roller skate, which is a fun thing because my professional debut was at Tuacahn doing STARLIGHT EXPRESS and learning to roller skate, and then having to do it for thousands of people, and I was terrified. And then I did XANADU. Before that, I had done XANADU at the Hale twice. And so it's very fun to dust off my roller skates for one scene for like 45 seconds. I enter and pose and leave. But it's kind of fun, because the foundations of that skill were built doing theatre in Utah.