The reading cast featured James Barbour as Lestat, Jack Noseworthy, Steve Blanchard and Max Von Essen.

[1] Lestat premiered in pre-Broadway tryouts at the Curran Theatre, San Francisco, California on December 17, 2005 and closed on January 29, 2006.

[2] The musical transferred to Broadway and opened at the Palace Theater on March 25, 2006 and closed on May 28, 2006, after 33 previews and 39 performances.

The title role of Lestat was played by Hugh Panaro, and the cast starred Carolee Carmello as Gabrielle, Drew Sarich as Armand, Jim Stanek as Louis, Roderick Hill as Nicolas, Michael Genet as Marius, and Allison Fischer as Claudia.

[4] The choreographer Jonathan Butterell was added to the Broadway creative team "to give his perspective on the staging.

"[5] Elton John explained that he had written two new songs for the Broadway production: "Right Before My Eyes" and "My Beautiful Boy," for Lestat's mother, Carolee Carmello.

"[5] An additional change is that "Lestat typing his memoirs into a laptop, with super titles being shown to the audience, has been abandoned since San Francisco.

"[6] The CurtainUp reviewer noted: "Press reports from out-of-town about songs, characters, scenes and performers being dropped and/or replaced indicated that there was plenty of work to do on this particular incarnation.

Lestat leaves his mother Gabrielle to go to Paris to live with his boyfriend Nicolas ("My Beautiful Boy").

He denounces them as blasphemers, but Lestat reveals to his followers that they do not actually serve the Devil ("The Dark Laws / To Live Like This").

Lestat lights a fire to kill him, and scatters the ashes ("Right Before My Eyes" (reprise)) as Marius appears.

Washington Post critic Peter Marks mused that "Lestat's contribution to art and equality is demonstrating that a gay vampire with a two-octave range can be just as dull as a straight one.