MOM THEATRE BLOGGER: AMERICAN PSYCHO: Broadway Musical Review by Robin Gorman Newman
Photo by Jeremy Daniel
Sex. Drugs. Rock ‘n Roll. And, throw blood ‘n guts into the mix, and there you have AMERICAN PSYCHO.
But, it’s much more…..in a glossy, gory, garish…ultimately good way.
Slickly packaged and based on the bestselling cult novel by Brett Easton Ellis, later made into a star vehicle film with Christian Bale, AMERICAN PSYCHO stars Benjamin Walker as Patrick Bateman, a Wall Street 26 year old on the cusp of 27, who lives a life of entitlement and has murderous disdain for many in his life including a bum on the street who all too willingly gropes at the chance to accept cash strewn at him.
Set in the capitalistic 80s, Bateman and his Barney’s fashion clad friends frequent clubs, sun bathe in the Hamptons, dine in swanky NYC hotspots, snort coke, screw each other in a multitude of lewd ways/positions (literally) and compete….to the point of scoring who has the better business card….and throwing a tantrum when they don’t win at their professional game. The good life (or death) comes all too easy, and at what price? By day, Bateman is swimming in dough, and by night, he’s seemingly covered in blood as a serial killer knocking off his demons sometimes one by one or in a massive killing spree. No one in his inner circle is truly safe, and no weapon is off limits.
Studly and often on stage in his skivvies, Walker is in fine form, both physically and artistically, and is perfectly cast. He is able to capture the dark side and inner conflict of Bateman, and plays along well with the satire of the script….attempting to tone down some of the brutality.
Helene Yorke is delicious as his blonde bombshell girlfriend who can’t wait for him to put a pricey ring on it.
Alice Ripley plays Patrick’s Mothers/Mrs. Wolfe, and she is always a treat. Jennifer Damiano is Jean, Patrick’s beautiful, loyal, demure secretary who lusts for him and is literally the sweet voice of sanity. Drew Moerlein makes an impactful Broadway debut as Paul Owen and displays some cool finesse and fancy athletic footwork.
The highly stylized robotic-style dancing is a knock out. The vivid, modern set and lighting is stunning. The revolving floor keeps the action cleverly and seamlessly flowing.
The talented and eye-candy cast is uniformly superb and hard-bodied. It features Krystina Alabado as Vanden; Dave Thomas Brown as David van Patten; Jordan Dean as Luis Carruthers; Anna Eilinsfeld as Victoria; Jason Hite as Sean Bateman; Ericka Hunter as Sabrina; Holly James as Christine;Keith Randolph Smith as Detective Kimball; Theo Stockman as Tim Price; Alex Michael Stoll as Craig McDermott; and Morgan Weed as Courtney Lawrence. Also featured in the company are Brandon Kalm, Sydney Morton, Anthony Sagaria, and Neka Zang.
AMERICAN PSYCHO features a mix of 80s classic combined with an electro-pop score and lyrics by Tony and Grammy Award-winner Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening), and a book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (“Supergirl,” “Looking,” “Glee”). Directed by Olivier Award-winner Rupert Goold (King Charles III), it has choreography by Tony Award-nominee Lynne Page (La Cage Aux Folles). Music direction is by Jason Hart, and music supervision and vocal arrangements by David Shrubsole.
It features scenic design by triple Olivier Award-winning stage designer Es Devlin (tours for Adele, Beyoncé, U2, Kanye West), costume design by Tony Award-winner Katrina Lindsay (Les Liaisons Dangereuses), lighting design by Obie Award-recipient Justin Townsend (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Here Lies Love), sound design by Obie Award-recipient Dan Moses Schreier, and video design by Tony Award-winner Finn Ross (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time).
How many times have you thought about wanting to kill someone who crossed your path?
AMERICAN PSYCHO may inspire you to ponder that question. Granted this premise isn’t for everyone, but you might find yourself with a newfound gratitude for the end of the 80s party scene…yet saying hello to the cyber wars of today’s social media generation. That’s a whole different battleground….paving the way perhaps for an AMERICAN PSYCHO….Revisited….and it’s not a pretty picture.
Visit www.americanpsychobroadway.com.
Tags: american psycho, benjamin walker, broadway musical, duncan sheik, mom theatre blogger robin gorman newman, nyc show
