The trend of turning horror movies into farcical pop musicals continues with the mostly successful American Psycho: The Musical. You get to experience the film on stage, mostly, with the addition of a thumping 80s electronic score. The original songs by Duncan Sheik work well, but these are interspersed with tedious snippets of classic 80s songs, which take you right out of the moment. Presumably this was done to give the cast a chance to execute numerous costumes changes or wipe the blood from their bodies and stage.
The musical is fun, zippy, and brash, but the success rests squarely on the broad shoulders of the actor in the lead role of Patrick Bateman. In the Ray of Light Theatre’s West Coast premiere production, the charismatic, tall and handsome Kipp Glass perfectly fills Patrick’s tighty-whities. He’s oozing cocky confidence and antsy lunacy by way of crazy bulging eyes, irritable intensity, and impeccable line delivery. His singing is on point and he truly embodies the character.
Having lived through the 80s, the references, visuals, and the costumes all made sense and the book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is quite amusing while retaining the serious storyline. The simple set is aided by projections which allow for vibrant, shifting visuals. The design smartly turns the room, showcasing a corner center stage, allowing for two opening panels that allow for entrances and scene changes. Then there’s some awkward choreography which involves the rather large cast, although most eyes are on Glass and his purposely cumbersome white boy dancing. It all seems chaotic and incoherent, which was probably a choice.
The second act drags a bit and the big reveal at the end was more of question mark than a statement. If they wanted us to feel as dumbfounded as Patrick Bateman, they certainly succeeded. Nonetheless, American Psycho was bloody fun, well-conceived, and didn’t teeter too far into gloominess or camp. I’m extremely excited to see what Ray of Light Theatre does next.
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