Photo by Jeremy Daniel
One of the best and most original scores I've heard on the Great White Way for a very long time comes to us from the Tony-winning composer of Spring Awakening, Duncan Sheik. The electro-pop soundtrack from the Broadway premiere of American Psycho was instantly gripping and just like serial-killing, it's a crime that this music will no longer be heard on Broadway after this week. So, it's last chance saloon to see American Psycho at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre - our #ShowOfTheWeek!
After a phenomenally successful limited run at London's acclaimed Almedia Theatre, featuring "Doctor Who" star Matt Smith, and an axed off-Broadway tryout, Sheik and Roberto Aguire-Sacasa's musical adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis' bestselling novel hit the Great White Way in March of this year. Sadly, due to the competitive market that is Broadway, it will play its final performance on 5th June.
Having missed the opportunity to see the show in London, I didn't really know what to expect as I made my way to the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. I had never read Ellis' novel and I felt weirdly alienated when I watched the film adaptation, which starred Christian Bale. To my surprise and delight, however, the musical adaptation brought a whole unexpected level of entertainment to the forefront. There was a welcomed emphasis on humour and visually stunning lighting and projections that were a feast for the senses. This was coupled with Lynne Page's quirky choreography that often evoked the spirit of a classic Pet Shop Boys concert. These were all elements that attracted me as a regular theatregoer.
The elements of the production which were new to me, at least in the theatre world, besides the aforementioned electro-pop score, were the fact that the musical centres on an anti-hero in Patrick Bateman and that the book is filled with a generous helping of ambiguity. Are we merely witnessing Patrick's darkest fantasies play out before us, whilst he suffers the entrapment of his corporate, daily life? Are these atrocities true and covered up by those in power because the rich are allowed to get away with anything? The abstract nature of the musical's staging, particularly in the second act, lends itself perfectly to raise these questions and let the audience member react to them personally to decide his or her own interpretation. That is the beauty of this musical. Sometimes you pay your money to sit back, be spoon-fed and, above all, be entertained. But theatre can also offer us these rare gems, where two audience members take two completely different experiences with differing revelations away from the same production.
Click HERE to read our interview with the show's star Benjamin Walker.
Click HERE to read our interview with director Rupert Goold.
If you haven't seen this show yet, get down to the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre this week to witness one of the most unique and thought-provoking shows of the Broadway season. Spoiler alert! For those of you who get a little squeamish, there may be the odd drop of blood spilled here and there along the way!
Click here for tickets to American Psycho for performances through to 5 June 2016 at Broadway's Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.
Benjamin Walker in American Psycho More Production PhotosOriginally published on