MARK KENNEDY
AP Drama Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — The attempt by the musical “American Psycho” to come to New York isn’t going smoothly.
The off-Broadway company Second Stage Theatre said Friday it will no longer stage the musical based on Bret Easton Ellis’s novel. Second Stage was to have started performances of it in February 2015.
Artistic Director Carole Rothman said in a statement that Act 4 Entertainment, which owns the rights to the story, “have decided to not move forward with the production at Second Stage.” The fate of the musical is now unclear.
The book for the stage version was written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Duncan Sheik penned music and lyrics for more than a dozen original songs. It centers on yuppie serial killer Patrick Bateman, who is obsessed with high-end clothes and beauty products even as he slashes his way through Manhattan.
Sheik, who had the 1996 hit “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.
The show, directed by Rupert Goold, made its premiere in December at the Almeida Theatre in London, drawing mixed reviews. The show had gone through changes before its now-aborted New York debut.
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