Ethan Popp
Matthew Smedal Photography
As a music producer, supervisor, and orchestrator, Grammy, Olivier, and Tony Award-nominated Ethan Popp’s work has been heard on stages and screens around the world, including on the Broadway hit The Lost Boys. We caught up with him to talk about bringing the show to life and the places that make New York
Where do you live in the city?
Forest Hills has become home for my family. It gives us the energy of New York, just with a little more breathing room. My wife, Vanessa Leuck, is an award-winning costume designer, so home has also become a shared creative space for us. But the great luxury is that it’s still home—a place where we can hold onto family life while doing the work we’re so passionate about.
What is your favorite neighborhood in NYC and why?
Still Forest Hills. It offers a balance that can be hard to find in New York: access to the city and all of its energy, but also a real sense of calm and community. For us, it also offered the chance to give our son a childhood where New York can still feel a little magical.
Can you share some of your favorite spots in the Theater District and what makes them so great?
I love its contradictions. There’s foot traffic and adrenaline, but also little pockets of refuge.
For me, one of those is Paley Park. There’s something miraculous about stepping into that space and having the waterfall almost erase the city for a few minutes. More broadly, the district is absurd and electric, which, at its best, wouldn’t be the definition of theater itself.
What’s your favorite New York City theater?
Vanessa and I love bringing our 9-year-old son, Aldrin, to the theater and watching what captures his imagination. We love musicals, but also plays and immersive work—anything that widens his sense of what storytelling can be. I’m always drawn to work with a strong point of view.
Best watering hole near the theater, and what should we order?
Valerie and The Rum House are favorites. I have a weakness for tequila, and Valerie feels elegant without behaving as though it invented elegance. After a day in the theater, I also have a real soft spot for Madame George.
The best place for a pre- or post-theater meal, and what should we order?
The Alderman has great food and a grounded warmth. I love the House Smoked Salmon Toast to start, and the New York strip is exactly what you want it to be. Aldrin would also very seriously tell you they make the best smash burger he’s ever had.
Any insider tips for enjoying a show like The Lost Boys?
For The Lost Boys, my best advice is to arrive early enough to actually arrive. Theatergoing now can feel so compressed. Part of the pleasure is letting the room take hold of you a little.
How do you musically create fear or suspense in a live environment where the audience can see everything happening?
For me, suspense often lives in the relationship between orchestration and sound design: tension, instability, low-end pressure, and a texture that feels just slightly wrong in exactly the right way. On The Lost Boys, it wasn’t only about what the instruments were doing, but also how the room itself could participate in fear.
Did the film’s cult following feel like something you had to overcome, or was it an inspiration?
Both. The film means a great deal to people, and rightly so. I wanted to honor that without ever feeling like we were simply dressing the score in an ’80s costume. The Lost Boys gave us the chance to create something that feels reverent toward the film while still staking its own claim.
Share your insider New York gems.
My first piece of advice is always: leave Manhattan on purpose. Each borough has its own rhythm and sense of self. Forest Hills Stadium is one of the great pleasures of the city. Flushing Meadows–Corona Park has real scale and history. Astoria and Long Island City both have tremendous energy and food culture. New York reveals itself best when you let it be local.