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Mary Harron, director of the 2000 film American Psycho, is sharing her thoughts on the musical adaptation that hit Broadway in 2016. Despite both her film and the musical being based on the same book by Bret Easton Ellis, Harron is convinced that one specific story decision came at the detriment of the piece.
“They want to give it a bit of heart. They want to give [Patrick] Bateman a bit of conscience,” she told Letterboxd in a recent interview, noting that several adaptations fall into this trap. “The sets were amazing, influenced by the movie. I’m a big fan of Duncan Sheik, but I would have used the pop songs of the time. If you have the actor sing original songs, you’re trying to express their inner life in a way. I don’t think that works here because what is their inner life?”
The musical tells the story of Patrick Bateman, a young and handsome Wall Street banker with impeccable taste and unquenchable desires. Patrick and his elite group of friends spend their days in chic restaurants, exclusive clubs, and designer labels. But at night, Patrick takes part in a darker indulgence, and his mask of sanity is starting to slip.
Harron’s film was released in 2000 and starred Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Justin Theroux, and Reese Witherspoon. The movie has since become a cult classic, and last year, it was announced that a new film version is in the works from director Luca Guadagnino.
American Psycho has music 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), the show had choreography by Tony Award nominee Lynne Page (La Cage Aux Folles). The American premiere of the American Psycho musical began performances on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on Thursday, March 24, 2016, with Benjamin Walker playing the lead role of Patrick Bateman. The musical previously ran on the West End in 2013, starring Matt Smith.
The Broadway production received eight Outer Critics Circle Award nominations (winning two), two Drama League Award nominations, eight Drama Desk Award nominations, and two Tony Award nominations.
Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel
