Based Off the 1991 Bret Easton Ellis Novel

In February 2016, a musical adaptation of the famous novel American Psycho will begin previews at a Shubert Theatre to be announced on Broadway. The opening will then follow in March 2016. This musical has been gestating for several years, with private industry readings having taken place in New York for several years. The music and lyrics are written by Duncan Sheik, who also composed the music for Spring Awakening, for which he won a Tony Award for Best Original Score, and which is being revived on Broadway this upcoming season in a Deaf West production with both hearing and non-hearing actors. American Psycho has a book written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who has been a co-producer and writer of Glee, a script doctor for the musical Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark, and the Chief Creative Officer of Archie Comics. The novel American Psycho was published in 1991 to wide acclaim and controversy, due to the dark and violent nature of the subject matter. It was then adapted into a feature film in 2000 starring Christian Bale in the title role of Patrick Bateman; that film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was widely touted as the next Fight Club. Though it polarized audiences, the film was a financial and critical success and is now considered a cult classic.

A Sold-Out London Run at the Almeida Theatre

On December 3, 2013, American Psycho the Musical had its world premiere in London at the Off West End venue, the Almeida Theatre. The official opening night was December 12, 2013. The show was originally scheduled to run just until January 25, 2014, but it was extended until February 1, 2014. That production was directed by Rupert Goold, choreographed by Lynne Page, and starred Matt Smith as Patrick Bateman. Although the run was relatively short, it was sold out and received great critical acclaim. The Guardian admitted that it sounded strange to make a musical about a serial killer, but that the show worked superbly, confirming the mythic power of Bret Easton Ellis’ novel while also succeeding in being brilliantly entertaining. The Daily Mail called the show undoubtedly a theatrical event, and praised Duncan Sheik’s catchy score. The Independent called the production diabolically slick, praising the terrific attack of the singing and dancing ensemble and the ability to avoid sentimentality in the second act. The Telegraph was less enthralled, giving the show two stars out of five and calling the lead performance expressionless and boring. Variety flew out over the Atlantic to review the production, and reported back that the serial killer story lacked drama, which is a serious problem with this subject matter.

Benjamin Walker Stars in the Broadway Production

In the Broadway production, Rupert Goold will return to direct, and Lynne Page will also return to choreograph. However, the cast will be revamped for the New York production. In the lead role of Patrick Bateman, Benjamin Walker stars. Walker has been seen on Broadway in the title role of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, as Brick in the 2013 revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, as Le Chevalier Danceny in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and as Bertram Cates in Inherit the Wind. Though the rest of the cast has not yet been announced, developmental readings have included actors such as Zosia Mamet (“Girls”), Jennifer Damiano (Next to Normal), Isabel Keating (The Boy from Oz), and Wesley Taylor (“Smash”). The story deals with a 26 year-old man named Patrick Bateman who is sophisticated, handsome, and dirty rich. He works on Wall Street and can get any girl he wants. However, there is a lot more going on in this man’s head than it first appears, and he commits a lot of murder anything starts to go wrong.