It’s been bandied about before, but now it seems official. “American Psycho: The Musical” is coming to Broadway in spring 2016 for a Tony run. Brett Easton Ellis’s novel was controversial when it was published in 1991. His hero Patrick Bateman beds and kills a number of people. This was depicted graphically in the movie with Christian Bale, including a notable threesome that left everyone dripping in blood.
Now Benjamin Walker will play Patrick on stage, with Rupert Goold re-creating his London staging from the Almeida. The Almeida is not the West End, however. It’s off Broadway, so to speak. “American Psycho” did not get good reviews in London. I have no idea how this will play here. What’s the upside? Unlike Sweeney Todd, Bateman is not avenging anything. He’s just being ironic. The creators would have to change the story significantly to make Patrick sympathetic.
Anyway, no one asked us, did they? The show is currently casting all the principals, including Patrick’s fiancee (maybe Reese Witherspoon’s best movie role), his three pals, his secretary and brother. The show will open in March.
