Graced with only two Tony nominations (for lighting and sets), “American Psycho” will be one of the most high-profiled flops of the 2015-2016 Broadway season. The stylish $14-million musical, based on the notorious 1991 Bret Easton Ellis novel, will close on June 5 after 81 performances. So what went wrong? There was a lot of head scratching when it was announced in 2008 that producers David Johnson and Jesse Singer of the Los Angeles-based Act 4 entertainment company were developing a musical of “American Psycho.” While the Mary Harron film adaptation, starring Christian Bale, had been well received in 2000, many were doubtful that the leading character of Patrick Bateman, a label-conscious businessman and pathological serial killer, would be a fitting subject for a Broadway musical. However, when Duncan Sheik signed on as the composer and orchestrator, he brought a great deal of credibility to the project. “Spring Awakening,” which Sheik co-wrote with Steven Sater, not only won the Tony for Best Musical in 2006 but also brought the composer two Tony Awards for his musical theater debut.Hired as well for the project was Rupert Goold, one of Britain’s brightest directors of classical and contemporary theater (“Macbeth”, “Enron” “King Charles III”), as well as Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (“Glee,” “Spider-Man, the Musical”), who was charged with the adaptation. With such a talented team in place, things started to look up for the show’s prospects, undimmed when the world premiere engagement at the Almeida Theatre in 2013 received mixed notices but did brisk business. Indeed, the producers were so encouraged by the London response that they decided to forego an announced transfer to off-Broadway’s Second Stage and head directly for Broadway.For the New York engagement, American actors were brought onboard, with Benjamin Walker replacing Matt Smith in the role of Bateman. Walker was an inspired choice, having established his Broadway bona fides in roles ranging from Brick in “A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” to the title role in the musical “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.” He was able to temper the chilly threat of his character with a wounded sense of self. That eventually won him very strong notices when the Broadway musical opened in April — even as the show itself again divided the critics.Whatever its strengths, “American Psycho” may well have been doomed from the start as a viable Broadway show. It proved to be what is known in the business as a “Why? Musical.” The term was coined by the late Mary Rodgers (“Once Upon A Mattress”) to describe a show whose basic story is not improved by the addition of songs. As expert and engaging as Sheik’s contributions were — supplemented by pop hits from its ‘80s setting — the plot didn’t appear to demand them. Indeed, at times they seem to undercut the Grand Guignol aspects of “American Psycho,” diluting the horror and shock of the serial killings that were sleekly and cleverly presented. Thus the show wasn’t scary enough to be the cause celebre of the season or emotionally compelling enough to serve as a satisfying date night. The musical also had the misfortune to have to compete in a season dominated by “Hamilton” and the innovative “Shuffle Along.” It was left to struggle for business against such tamer fare as “Bright Star,” “Waitress,” and “School of Rock” — all of which edged it out of a nomination for the Best Musical Tony.Still, “American Psycho” is a noble failure and will live on in the original London cast recording. Sheik has hinted that the show will be filmed and the material, as sung by the Broadway cast, will get an airing in that version.One can only hope.
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