Like any good livewire rock-and-roll act, The Vampire Lestat’s begins with thunderous cheers and applause—and that’s before Sam Reid has even taken the stage as his charismatic, bratty Interview With The Vampire character. A mere glimpse of Reid and his castmates entering New York’s Beacon Theater is all it takes to get the crowd going. The Vampire Lestat, the Anne Rice novel that details the immortal Lestat de Lioncourt’s rebirth as an internationally famous recording artist, was released during a year of peak goth crossover, the commercial heyday of The Cure, The Cult, The Sisters Of Mercy, and an entire subculture born from a London club night called, aptly, The Batcave. But Rice couldn’t have anticipated that there would come a time when actors playing her vampires were greeted like rock stars.
For this combination premiere screening and concert, the nearly century-old Beacon has transformed into a gothic-glam arena. We’re talking a black carpet instead of red, a lobby full of Lestat merch, and attendees decked out in funereal colors and classic punk-by-way-of-the-graveyard accoutrements (fishnets, capes, chokers, what have you), ready to belt along to the original songs that Reid and composer Daniel Hart created for the AMC series based on Rice’s Vampire Chronicles books, rechristened The Vampire Lestat for its third season.
Fans, even those who didn’t have confirmed tickets, lined up well in advance to get into the roughly 3,000-seat venue—some as early as 8 a.m. for a 5 p.m. will-call time. One who arrived at 4:30 p.m. only to be met with a line that was already hundreds of people long told The A.V. Club that she didn’t mind waiting because the “vibes were good” and she had made friends in the queue. There could be no better or more delightful way for AMC to usher in The Vampire Lestat than allowing so many enthusiastic viewers to immerse themselves in the fictitious creature of the night’s luminous musical world. Reid is more than willing to oblige, embodying the slithering, sexy, smarmy Lestat on stage, scars and all.
As ridiculous as it sounds, the actor’s commitment to the bit—during the performance, he speaks and dresses in character, frequently disses Lestat’s ex-lover Louis (Jacob Anderson) and the salacious account of his life written by Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian)—is precisely why this one-night-only bet has paid off. Over two seasons, Rolin Jones’ thrilling, unabashedly queer Vampire Chronicles adaptation has garnered a fervent fandom online. So it makes sense to bring those fans into the real world to witness the undead Lestat come alive alongside the show’s cast, crew, and industry insiders. They’re the reason everyone’s here, after all: As AMC exec Dan McDermott notes in his introduction, “The series exists because of the passionate fan community. Tonight is as much your celebration as it is ours.”
After a screening of episode one—its own reminder of the power of communal experience, met with uproarious laughs and gasps—the curtains immediately open to reveal a large, sparkling purple VL logo, theatrical fog, and translucent lights. A heavily eyelinered Reid confidently struts onto the stage to join Lestat’s backing band: Hart, guitarist/keyboardist Matthew Santos, drummer Bobak Lotfipour, guitarist Meg Toohey, and bassist Nelly Efron. They kick things off with the stomping glam-rock earworm “Long Face”; songs from The Vampire Lestat have been released at a steady drip since February, so the audience is primed to sing their hearts out to the opening number. But these are no recitations of the studio versions: Reid succeeds in bringing different vocal elements to his live performances of “Long Face,” “Your Biggest Fan,” and the catchy closer “Butterscotch Bitch”—the man is positively keyed into Lestat’s diva behavior.
A few yet-to-be-released songs make their way into the setlist as well, like “Big Bad Wolf,” written in honor of Lestat’s maker, who gave him the moniker “wolfkiller.” Reid’s costume changes pay homage to the character’s background, too, like the black, oversized faux-wolfskin coat he dons at one point. (Other wardrobe highlights: shimmery tank tops, mesh jackets, and what rock star’s look is complete without skintight leather pants?) Reid also croons a beautiful ballad, dedicated to Louis, appropriately called “Brutal Love.” How these songs factor into The Vampire Lestat remains to be seen, but the titles alone hint at how deeply season three will pivot to a 265-year-old Lestat’s origin story, relationship troubles, and existential crisis, told from his new vantage point at the top of the charts.
In seasons one and two, Interview With The Vampire centered on Louis’ rocky yet mesmerizing afterlife journey. But with season three, it’s quite literally Lestat’s turn in the spotlight. (Fear not: Louis remains a deservedly big part of the story.) And if this electrifying 30-minute live performance proves anything, it’s that Reid is the right anchor for the series’ shift in POV. Rice may or may not have pictured real-life chants of “Lestat! Lestat! Lestat!” ringing through a mid-sized Midtown Manhattan theater 41 years ago. But it’s exactly the sort of religious reaction that her work seems to have beckoned.
Saloni Gajjar is The A.V. Club‘s TV critic.
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