American Psycho - Page 3

[BuddyStarr]

Posted: 4/14/17 at 12:25pm

theatreguy12 said: "^^^ I totally agree.  

I will say though that reading that article, I'm not so sure that American Psycho was necessarily overshadowed by Hamilton.  Even as someone who loved the show, it was the subject matter that wasn't going to appeal to middle America.  Or the average tourist especially....
Those who are visiting the city and probably couldn't get tickets for Hamilton (unless they already had them in hand as I did) would actually be looking for other shows to see.  So if anything, I would think Hamilton's intense popularity and domination of ticket sales (to the point you could't even get one), would be helpful to other shows.  People want to see something...."

I don't know if this is true.  Hamilton kind of sucked the life out of Bway.  It was THE major show to see and I believe the other show suffered from it unless the current season where there is lots to see.

As for American Psycho, I really enjoyed the first act but then the second act couldn't compete with the energy of the first act.  It went downhill from there.  I wish it would have lasted longer.  I would still pay to see Benjamin Walking strutting around the stage in his tighty whities.  More songs stand out from this show than many of the "critically acclaimed" shows of that season.

[theatreguy12]

Posted: 4/14/17 at 1:31pm

I agree, icecreambenjamin.  I think there were probably some who thought they were EXPECTED to see it as cool and edgy going in, so they were going to show the creators that they were TOO hip to see it that way.   Almost like they were above what they thought the creators were trying to do.  If that makes sense. In other words, I think some people go against the grain... of the grain... just to stand out.  If THAT makes any sense.

And BuddyStarr, I will admit that Hamilton did overshadow everything on Broadway at that moment.  And for some it still does.  So perhaps I will be a little more concise and say that while I will agree that it may have been an overshadowing force, I just don't see how that would necessarily impact ticket sales to other shows.  At some point the Richard Rodgers Theater has to fill up, and people have to go elsewhere.   Unless people are just there to see Hamilton, I'm sure they'll be looking for something else.

And IMHO the average tourist or theatergoer (esp. the tourist factor) will pass on American Psycho for the Wickeds or the Kinky Boots or whatever. I was a child of the 80s though (well, I was into my 20s anyway) so I was interested in seeing what they would do with such a book (even though, interestingly, I never saw the movie).  I was a fan of the writer though.  I always liked Less Than Zero, which was more representative of my life, growing up in LA.  So I wanted to see what they did with the music and staging of this other NYC/80s-style musical.  

I thought it was pretty captivating. And the closing with "This Is Not An Exit" was great.  Left you wondering if what we just saw really happened, or if it was part of his imagination.   That's how I chose to take it anyway.

I'm with you, there were some real standout performances and numbers from the show that really resonated with me.  I did actually like the second act too though as "Killing Spree" was great.  I also liked "At the End of an Island" and "This Is Not An Exit." Overall, a really interesting show.

 

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/14/17 at 1:54pm

theatreguy12 said: "...of all the window cards I have hanging in my den, it's the one that elicits most of the questions from friends when they come over.  Even more than the Hamilton window card, ironically."

I have the t-shirt and it also gets some interesting responses.

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 4/14/17 at 1:58pm

The whole score is interesting. I still listen to "Selling Out," "Cards" and "You Are What You Wear" regularly. 

[ethan231h]

Posted: 4/14/17 at 2:04pm

The fact that the show is "'not dead" yet makes me SO happy!!!! I miss it so much

[theatreguy12]

Posted: 4/14/17 at 2:14pm

I'm so glad to have found some clips of the show online, here and there, but the way that theater just pulsated....being there....live....was something else.  Of course, video never does justice, but still glad to have some remaining access to the experience.

 

ethan231h said: "The fact that the show is "'not dead" yet makes me SO happy!!!! I miss it so much

 

"

 

[IHeartNY2]

Posted: 4/14/17 at 7:55pm

One of my all-time favorite opening numbers!

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/15/17 at 9:10am

More talk of a return to London:

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/188254/duncan-sheik-aims-to-return-recent-broadway-musical-american-psycho-to-london-stage/

[mamaleh]

Posted: 4/15/17 at 9:23am

I was just going to say the same thing.  That opening number was fantastic, so thrillingly staged.  It is a shame the show just didn't catch on.  

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 9/24/23 at 12:20pm

Saw a thrilling regional production of American Psycho on a small stage. That's where a weird show like this can thrive. Once the roller coaster was over, I started trying to parse the message. Can a show be critical of capitalism while being aggressively horny for it?

There are structural similarities to Sweeney Todd. But I find the nihlistic tone is closer to Chicago: The Musical. We forget the crimes of Roxie, Velma and their cellmates and focus on their razzle dazzle glamor. Patrick Bateman can do what he wants as long as he looks terrific in his Ralph Lauren briefs. 

Roxie and Velma have clear goals. They want to be stars. Patrick's arc is fuzzier. He wants to "fit in" with his rich colleagues. He does the same workout, wears the same clothes and buys the same products they do. But nothing brings him satisfaction. He briefly clings to the idea that Paul Owen is more "successful" than he. But his colleagues see them as interchangeable. 

Roxie sings "Nowadays" when her showbiz dreams are taken away from her. She gets them back and the audience cheers despite knowing she's a killer. Patrick gets the idea that he can redeem himself by turning himself in. And the brief hope that perhaps the killings were all in his head. Followed by the sad realization that no one cares either way and that his mind is utterly broken. His lament, "This is Not an Exit," is a chilling acceptance of this. 

Updated On: 9/24/23 at 12:20 PM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/24/23 at 12:39pm

God, I loved this on Broadway. I saw it a few times during its short run.

[desperateAndee]

Posted: 9/24/23 at 2:52pm

If it had opened after T***p's presidential win, it would've ran on Broadway for years. 

[scripps]

Posted: 9/24/23 at 3:02pm

I consider myself fortunate for seeing this three times but it pains me that we did not get a Broadway cast album. 

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 9/24/23 at 3:17pm

I agree. This wasn’t given a shot, and it was great. Different, but great. I remember looking at my friend at the beginning of the first act and us both being enthralled by the energy. Maybe an encores or something will give this its due one day.

[singer234]

Posted: 9/24/23 at 3:22pm

God I loved this show. It was so smart, sexy, and seemingly minimalist, but actually rather huge and quite oftentimes breathtaking with its set and lighting. Sound design some of the best I’ve ever heard in a theatre, and the opening fog/Jean double sequence may be my favorite opening moment of a musical ever.

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 9/24/23 at 5:46pm

Count me in as someone who adored this show. I only saw it once (at the first preview and I heard quite a bit changed throughout previews). I would love to see it again, I had no idea the rights were ever released.

[kingfan011]

Posted: 9/24/23 at 11:33pm

Its a great show. Also a great movie and a genuinely brilliant works of literature. I wish the Broadway production was more successful. It deserved it.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 9/25/23 at 3:12am

BuddyStarr: ''As for 'American Psycho,' I really enjoyed the first act but then the second act couldn't compete with the energy of the first act.  It went downhill from there.  I wish it would have lasted longer.  I would still pay to see Benjamin Walker strutting around the stage in his tighty whities.  More songs stand out from this show than many of the "critically acclaimed" shows of that season.''

I agree 1000%. And I'll go further about Walker, who gave one of the most incredible and charismatic performances I've ever seen on Broadway. He was nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Musical by the Outer Critics and the Drama Desk, and it's crazy that he wasn't nominated for a Tony. And frankly, he deserved to win the Tony, too! 

Here's Walker & Co. doing ''Selling Out'' from the show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhJKsZ_5LG8

 

Updated On: 9/25/23 at 03:12 AM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/25/23 at 7:32am

It’s playing at a small venue here in Chicago for the fall! 

[IronMan]

Posted: 9/25/23 at 11:49am

Benjamin Walker being denied a Tony nom is still upsetting to me.  One of the finest performances I've been privileged to witness; his command of character was astounding.  The shifts between the public face of Patrick Bateman (with all his insecurities) and his interior thoughts (where he was vastly superior to everyone else) were a master class in subtlety.   

The show wasn't perfect, but it had a distinct, unique point of view and an overall vision that all departments were in agreement on.  Something you rarely get to see.  

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 4:05pm

First reviews are up for the Chicago production of American Psycho. Most praise the leading man and the staging. They’re frosty on the source material and the Duncan Sheik songs. I think the messages really resonate in a post Trump era. But I know it’s not for everyone.

https://www.theatreinchicago.com/american-psycho-the-musical/reviews/12079/

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 4:17pm

What's this buzz of an immersive return in Brooklyn?

That might actually serve the show better than a proscenium house...

[DurantPlummer41]

Posted: 10/4/23 at 5:20pm

I have stumbled across the renderings online. Any more official word about it?