Musical of ‘American Psycho’ heading off-Broadway

MARK KENNEDY
AP Drama Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The yuppie serial killer Patrick Bateman from “American Psycho” is about to stalk an off-Broadway stage.

Second Stage Theatre said Monday it will stage the musical based on Bret Easton Ellis’s 1991 Manhattan-based novel starting in February 2015. No casting was announced.

The book for the stage version was written by playwright Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and is directed by Rupert Goold. Duncan Sheik has penned music and lyrics for more than a dozen original songs, including “You Are What You Wear.”

Sheik, who had the 1996 smash-hit single “Barely Breathing” and is the songwriter of the Tony Award-winning musical “Spring Awakening,” turned to Kickstarter to give the show a $150,000 infusion. Almeida Theatre in London staged the world premiere in December.

The show also uses real songs from the era, including one by Tears for Fears, New Order and Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.” Huey Lewis and the News’ “Hip to be Square” is the subject of an enthusiastic ode by Bateman.

The book’s graphic violence provoked extreme reactions when it was published and “American Psycho” was adapted for the screen by Mary Harron in 2000, with Christian Bale in the lead role. The new adapter, Aguirre-Sacasa, worked on the TV series “Glee” and Broadway musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.”

In London, Matt Smith, best known as the galaxy-hoping hero of the BBC sci-fi series “Doctor Who,” played Bateman.

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Online: http://www.2ST.com

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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