When it was announced that American Psycho —Bret Easton Ellis’s notorious novel about a narcissistic, serial-killing Wall Street yuppie—was being adapted into a musical, the immediate reaction from most cultural commentators was confusion. How do you sing about Huey Lewis & The News while splitting someone’s head open with an axe?
For all its sharp satire, the script is not perfect. american psycho musical script
The American Psycho musical, with a book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and music by Duncan Sheik, is a satire of the 1980s that turns the novel's internal monologue into a rhythmic stage experience. The script uses an ensemble to highlight the consumerist culture of the time, making the audience complicit in Patrick Bateman's actions. When it was announced that American Psycho —Bret
The musical's script differs from the film and novel by utilizing an electronic score mixed with '80s pop hits to heighten its satirical tone. The American Psycho musical, with a book by
One of the script's biggest successes is how it treats the supporting characters. In the novel, they are indistinguishable background noise; in the musical script, they form a literal chorus of conformity.
The script uses reprises cleverly. When Bateman sings about his desire to "fit in," the script creates a feedback loop. He kills to fit in, and he fits in by killing.