AMERICAN PSYCHO - Duncan Sheik's new musical

[Pgenre]

Posted: 2/2/10 at 4:39pm

I, for one, am VERY enticed by this concept. I am a HUGE Bret Easton Ellis fan, though I realize he does write pulp trash on occasion, and I find it interesting that this is actually happening in the cultural/economic climate these days. I also think that Paul Scott Goodman proved with his musicalization of Jay McInerney's equally hard-to-permeate BRIGHT LIGHTS BIG CITY that he is MUCH more appropriate for the project than Sheik seems to be, but we will see. Sheik doesn't have the true rocker edge I think this needs, I see it more as a Trent Reznor type project, I understand the desire to go with a more rock sound from an established theatre composer who comes from rock, but I really think this would have been the perfect opportunity for a more current rocker to try their hand at a musical score.

I wonder if they are basing this on the book or the movie, or both? They are quite different properties.

Also, I think LESS THAN ZERO and THE RULES OF ATTRACTION (and even LUNAR PARK) lend themselves to musicalization more than this does, but I am willing to keep an open mind.

I know this was first announced to be a jukebox show using 80s hits, but I'm glad they are going the original score route now.

Other thoughts?

P

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/2/10 at 5:07pm

Not interested in seeing a musicalization of this story. It's a stunning piece of literature, but I don't understand the need to stage it, much less musicalize it. I don't know, it could end up being fantastic, but there is nothing about the project that appeals to me in any way.

[darquegk]

Posted: 2/2/10 at 5:09pm

I think Duncan Sheik works well for this, compared to Trent Reznor. The yuppie edge of the book wouldn't work well with someone QUITE too edgy- remember, this is a killer whose idol is Phil Collins.

[BwayTday]

Posted: 2/2/10 at 6:54pm

I really don't know much about this movie/book. But don't you think Sheik is taking on a lot of projects. I would rather him focis on one and make it amazing. Who knows, maybe he can handle it.

[Brick]

Posted: 2/2/10 at 9:18pm

Yes, please.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/2/10 at 11:33pm

"I am a HUGE Bret Easton Ellis fan...."

Ahahahahahahahahaha. 'Nuff said, P. Now and forever.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 2/2/10 at 11:39pm

If you're gonna quote, at least quote the full CLAUSE if not the whole sentence, gutter trash.

"...though I realize he does write pulp trash on occasion..."

Though why give a care about syntax or sentence structure when you can just be a bitter old crab and misquote whoever whenever?!

Zzzz. Try A LOT harder next time, Namo.

P

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/2/10 at 11:43pm

That nugget contained everything I will ever need to know about you. Seriously. I meant it. Enough said.

Ahahahahahahahahahaha.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 2/3/10 at 12:13am

Not everyone can be Yoko Ono. Or Patti Smith.

Or (insert literary equivalent here - probably Thomas Wolfe or John Irving).

SUCH a cliche... in every way...

P

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/3/10 at 12:15am

I practically peed laughing when you referred to Trent Reznor as a "more current rocker."

Man, that s--t is comedy gold.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 2/3/10 at 12:18am

No one knows more about p*ss and sh*t than you, Namo.

P

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/3/10 at 12:26am

Ah, the old rubber/glue defense. ALMOST as cutting edge as calling Trent Reznor a more current rocker. Skeik's first album: 1997. Trent Reznor's: 1989.

Yeah, you're so hep to the sounds of the young people and the contemporary literature of today!

Ahahahahahaha.

You're forever lost in the credibility gap. Have fun down there. Ahahahahahhaha.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 2/3/10 at 12:30am

LOL! The cliche calling the credibility card?!

Now, THAT is funny!

P

P.S. Let me know when Sheik writes a score half as good as THE FRAGILE.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/3/10 at 12:31am

Nothing like watching a moron compare apples and oranges. On the other hand, I fully support Sarah Palin getting upset on your behalf.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 2/3/10 at 1:10am

"Moron"? "Apples and oranges"? "Sarah Palin"?! THAT's the best you've got?! What a sad day it is on BWW when even Namo has a toothless bite. Zzzzz.

More boring and tired than Yoko Ono and Patti Smith COMBINED!

P

[maxximumvolume]

Posted: 2/3/10 at 4:00am

"That nugget contained everything I will ever need to know about you. Seriously. I meant it. Enough said.

Ahahahahahahahahahaha."


To have the audacity to judge someone based so solely on their enjoyment of a particular author tells me everything I will ever need to know about you. Seriously. I mean it. Enough said.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 2/3/10 at 4:02am

If they cut the shower scene, the tanning bed scene, the threesome scene or the scene where he runs around naked with a chainsaw then I'm not going.

Oh, and if Jonathan Groff isn't playing Patrick Bateman then they might as well just stop now.

[Dantes]

Posted: 2/3/10 at 8:08am

Wow this thread turned to another playground thread very quickly, and oh what a suprise to see Namo's name there.

Anyway, im pretty excited for this, its a great story which was perfectly translated to the screen.

[darquegk]

Posted: 2/3/10 at 8:32am

TO be fair, you're both right and wrong here. Duncan Sheik begain his career later than Trent Reznor, but only Trent is still a current star, releasing successful albums with regularity in this past decade.

[BroadwayBen]

Posted: 2/3/10 at 9:45am

I would be more excited if Mr. Sheik could write anything but a over intellectualized pop song.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 2/3/10 at 10:43am

Against my better judgment, I'm excited for this. I hope it's bloody though. Like super bloody. Like you have to wear a raincoat in the first few rows like The Evil Dead musical.

Posted: 2/3/10 at 10:58am

Trent is still a current star? Really? Seems like they have both had current successes. Duncan as a Composer of a wildly successful Broadway show and Trent as a guy who can still give away his music to the folks who would have paid for it 15 years ago.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/3/10 at 11:19am

Exactly.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 2/3/10 at 1:03pm

I'll admit it, I liked AMERICAN PSYCHO a lot when it was published. Good mean fun, deliberately intended to provoke reactions, and some of the darkest pitchblack comedy outside of Martin Mcdonagh. And I liked LESS THAN ZERO, too -- it seemed there was a real sadness to it that BRIGHT LIGHTS BIG CITY never really came near somehow. I know I read THE RULES OF ATTRACTION, but don't remember much about it.

I don't have the active rabid dislike of Ellis that lots of folks have, but I'm not wild about him either. He's no David Foster Wallace, that's for sure. I always thought that Wallace's story "Girl With Curious Hair" was a brutal parody of AMERICAN PSYCHO until someone pointed out that Wallace's story pre-dated Ellis' novel.

As for the musical, well, okay, we'll see if it ever happens.

[darquegk]

Posted: 2/3/10 at 2:05pm

He's very much the "intellectual pop trash" author of his generation, like Chuck Palahniuk was for the next one. Either brilliant, worthless or brilliantly worthless, depending on perspectives.

And as far as Duncan only writing over-intellectualized pop songs, that's probably because he's an overly-itellectual pop songwriter. Pete Townshend's been turning out rock operas and concept albums for years of the same sort of thing, but no one ever said, "Write something different!" Just like no one would have said to Cole Porter "Write some bebop, man!"