American Psycho

American Psycho is playing at the Schoenfeld Theatre located at 236 West 45th Street. It plays two hours forty five minutes with one intermission. It is an open ended run.

The show premiered at London’s Almeida Theatre on December 12, 2013.

It is based on the controversial 1991 novel American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. The book inspired the 2000 film starring Christian Bale.

Lynne Page is the choreographer. She was nominated for a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for La Cage Aux Folles (2010).

Alice Ripley won a Tony Award for Next to Normal in 2009. She was nominated for a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for Side Show in 1998.

Jennifer Damiano was nominated for a Tony Award in 2009 for Next to Normal.

As the show opens, fog fills the room hands press against a clear screen on stage.

The next thing we see is Patrick Bates (Benjamin Walker) is coming up from the floor in back of him is a tanning machine. He is in his under ware. Patrick is meticulous on the things he puts on his body and face. He describes the clothes he his putting on and who made it. Everything has to be right.

Patrick works in brokerage house. Jean (Jennifer Damiano) his secretary is there to help him.

We meet the people in his life, his girlfriend Evelyn Williams (Helen Yorke), his mother (Calia Ripley) and brother Sean (Jason Hite). Evelyn is materialistic and has to be perfect. When he is with his mother and brother you can feel the tension. His secretary loves him, his mother is over powering and his girlfriend wants commitment in their relationship, like a wedding.

After work he goes out with the guys from work such as Timothy Price (Theo Stockman), Luis Carruthers (Jordon Dean) and Paul Owen (Drew Moerlin). Each one is making contact with the girls where they are at. His competition is David Van Patten (David Thomas Brown). David is very smug with a big ego.

None of the people in his life realize who the real Benjamin is. He loves to kill peoples.

We don’t know why he is doing it or when will it end.

But the bigger question is, is he really doing it?

This is a whimsical but impressive musical. Props come and go the real scenes are portrayed on the walls and ceiling. The dance is abstract.

Benjamin Walker does an awesome job. The rest of the cast is great.

If you want to know what happens, you will have to see the show. You may leave thinking what really happened?

I saw the show twice. In a matter of two weeks things changed for the better. More is emphasize on Patrick Bateman. Patrick will point into the audience as if he is addressing that person. As he is talking he points to someone in the front row and say stops making noises. You think it’s part of the show but I found out later someone in the front row was shaking a box of candy. Without losing a beat Benjamin went back into character as if nothing had happened. In any case it is still a great show to see.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

To read an interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for recent photos. Click on recent photos for this and other shows.