Review: ‘American Psycho' is now a bloody and gutsy musical in the Chopin basement - Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune 10/3/23.

I last saw "American Psycho," the musical based on the 1991 Bret Easton Ellis novel and the 2000 movie shocker, in New York in 2017. The splatter show - think Broadway meets "Dexter," minus the morality and with an added dose of unreliable narrative pretension - flopped fast and disappeared in about six weeks. I haven't seen it since. I've never seen that as any great loss.

But Kokandy Productions and producing artistic director Derek Van Barham, hve been doing some interesting things of late in the Chicago-style basement of the Chopin Theatre in Wicker Park, one of my favorite spaces in town and the old semi-sacred stamping grounds of the auteur director David Cromer. So, I thought, another round with the 27-year-old investment banker and handsome serial killer Patrick Bateman, blue blood in his icy veins and whose idea of a good time does not stop with "sucking face" in some chandelier room with his vapid, Hamptons-going pals.

"American Psycho" was, arguably the first in a 1990s line of fin de siecle novels featuring characters torn between sensual fulfillment and existential dread. "The world is going insane," poor messed-up Patrick observes at a moment of self-reflection, as every rich 27-year-old, ever, declares.

The shocking elements of the nihilistic novel were doubled down upon by the book writer, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and the composer Duncan Sheik, who combined an original score with covers of the clubby standards of the era. The fun, retro experiences include "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," "Hip to Be Square" and "Don't You Want Me." Many have appealing harmonic arrangements to which this vocally adroit cast is perfectly capable of doing justice. Point of fact, those are the best sensual moments in the material.

Still in 2017, it all felt very crass, shallow and filled with obnoxious, objectified characters, forced in some cases to twist in agony before you. Or, to put that another way, this felt like a vehicle for titillating New York's coked-up banker class in the premium seats while reassuring them they at least weren't as bad as this guy. Not unless they were going around stabbing their friends.

And now? Well, the piece, with its Walkmans and 30-inch screens and picture-in-picture, definitely feels more like a cultural visitor from another time and place, if not another planet, which increases its appeal to some degree.

And this is a production with extraordinary guts, which I do not intend as faint praise.

It's one thing to perform this stuff at the remove of a proscenium stage; it's entirely another to do it about a foot from the front row of the audience and make it all feel real, or real enough for the show. If you're interested in immersive design trends, check out the work here of G. Max Maxin IV, who somehow has crammed 120 seats into every corner of this space while staging the entire show on a runway so narrow as to hold only one chair. When the characters go to dinner at some impossible place to score a reservation, they sit in a row, emphasizing one of the show's major themes, a time and place bereft of true intimacy. Maxin, who also did lights and projections, is working without much of a budget either. Big, big talent.

There are some young performers here well worth seeing, too, including Kyle Patrick, the enigmatic lead, sometimes decked in little more than his precious Calvin Kleins, doing his mischief upon assorted victims like business rival Paul, the similarly excellent John Drea. Many of the members of the ensemble are stuck with characters written as types, but they do their considerable best and I was especially taken with Sonia Goldberg, who plays Jean, and who listens intently and offers up the only heart that seems to be beating - which is more a comment on the writing than the acting.

I can't say I was convinced that "American Pyscho" was unfairly treated by critics in 2017. And I suspect that Kokandy wasn't allowed to change much, especially since they mostly are working to a track, with one live keyboard. That's a shame, because a tighter running time would be a big plus.

Hopefully, the pace will pick up over this relatively long run, by today's standards. You won't be bored for a moment. And if you're looking for a Halloween-time experience, the level of artistry found in Breon Arzell's choreography and elsewhere here already is much higher than you're likely to find in most of your alternatives" 

 

In Kokandy's ‘American Psycho,' the star slays, but the songs are bloody awful: The '80s-set musical's characters start out loathsome and just stay that way - Catey Sullivan, Chicago Sun-Times 10/2/23

"Like the 1991 Bret Easton Ellis novel that spawned it, "American Psycho: The Musical" is larded from start to finish with loathsome characters, jarring, violent instances of misogyny and homophobia and an over-the-top obsession with designer labels.

Like the book Ellis claimed was pure satire, the 1980s-set tuner that Kokandy Productions opened last week is centered on the world of 27-year-old Wall Street investment banker Patrick Bateman. In addition to being obsessed with bespoke suits, fine dining and his hero Donald Trump, Patrick is also a serial killer, mostly of women.

Directed for Kokandy by Derek Van Barham, "American Psycho: The Musical" follows Patrick as he slices up innocents in between meals at exclusive restaurants, workouts with his Ivy League-educated finance bros at upscale gyms and coke-fueled nights at the club. Patrick also goes to the office, but his work seems to consist primarily of comparing business cards (a metaphor for an especially testosterone-driven anatomical appendage) with his co-workers and remonstrating his secretary for wearing a pants suit to the office. (Only heels and dresses, Patrick dictates with a wolfish smile).

According to a lecture Ellis gave in Chicago back in the early aughts before the release of the 2000 movie adaptation of "American Psycho," the story is a send-up of ‘80s-style materialism. But in the musical as in the book, Bateman's litany of skin-care products and Gaultier accessories read more like shopping lists for the 1 percent than any kind of social commentary.

Satire or not, "American Psycho: The Musical" (book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, music and lyrics by Duncan Sheik) suffers from the same intractable problem that defined the novel: Bateman and his crew are vile people from start to finish. There's no growth, no evolution and no redemption. There is only a series of increasingly meaningless violence.

The other major problem here is ludicrous lyrics. The score includes several '80s hits from the likes of Phil Collins and Huey Lewis and the News, as well as original music from Sheik. The former are fine. The latter is typified by the inane "You Are What You Wear," sample lyric: "Mahi mahi/Works so well/With Isaac Mizrahi." Anther memorably awful song, "Hardbody," includes gems like "I like a hardbody/I bet that after this class/She teaches dirty karate."

There's not a lot director Van Barham can do to elevate such tripe.

All that said, Kokandy has a Patrick Bateman who radiates star quality from his slickly gelled hair to his impossible shiny shoes. As Bateman, Kyle Patrick is a creature of remarkable charisma and a dancer of flowing elegance and pile-driving athletic acrobatics. When he's on stage - whether in a wild-eyed killing frenzy or glowering over the font on his business card - he seems to be lit from within. The impish gleam in his eyes matches the sparkling knives he wields with a juggler's grace in the unimaginatively titled number "Killing Spree."

The other star here is Breon Arzell's alternately spiky and fluid choreography. Lewis' "Hip to Be Square" is a cheeky delight to watch, even if you know something bloody terrible is about to unfold. "Hardbody," inarguably dumb lyrics notwithstanding, is a hoot in its replication of frenetic disco-aerobics.

Far less engaging are the roles allotted to the women stuck in this story. As Bateman's girlfriend Evelyn, Caleigh Pan-Kita is sorely underused as a character who is essentially a mannequin, all surface and no interior. Bateman's secretary Jean (Sonia Goldberg), meanwhile, does little but follow her boss with yearning, puppy-dog eyes, hoping to be noticed.

Throughout, there are problems with Michael J. Patrick's sound design, which has the orchestrations blaring at a volume almost painfully loud; if you're seated next to a speaker, it's like being in the front row of an arena concert. You'll want a pair of earplugs. Music director Heidi Joosten's work suffers as a result; some of the solo numbers sometimes feel more like bad karaoke than musical theater.

Rachel Sypniewski's costumes have the men in (mostly) well-fitted suits that adequately mimic the uniform donned by the sort of '80s Yuppie who aspired to Wall Street millions and cited Trump as a role model. G. Max Maxin IV's spare set design makes the most of the downstairs space at the Chopin, although a couple of pillars in the basement venue sometimes make for challenging sightlines.

In the end, Kokandy's production has one massive plus in Kyle Patrick's sleek, sparkling performance. It makes "American Psycho: The Musical" a passable exercise in hate-watching, but little else.

With a serpentine strut and 6-pack abs, this Patrick Bateman has time to sing, too- Lauren Emily Whalen, Queerty 10/3/23 

The Rundown

American Psycho has been a cultural phenomenon for over three decades. And now Patrick Bateman is singing for his supper.

The controversial 1991 hit novel by queer wunderkind Bret Easton Ellis - a dark critique of late-stage capitalism riddled with misogynistic sex and violence - was optioned for film soon after publication. After years in development, the iconic 2000 movie, directed by Mary Harron and co-adapted by queer screenwriter and actress Guinevere Turner - elevated former child actor Christian Bale into superstardom.

Featuring a book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and score by' 90s pop star Duncan Sheik, American Psycho: The Musical ran in London in 2013 (starring Matt Smith and Ben Aldridge) and on Broadway in 2016 (featuring The Other Two's Helene Yorke). The production finally makes its Chicago premiere with an up-close-and-personal production by storefront theater Kokandy Productions.

No Tea, No Shade

It's the late 1980s, and Patrick Bateman (Kyle Patrick) is loving every minute, at least on the outside. The Wall Street investment banker seemingly has it all - a killer body, Armani ties aplenty, and a gorgeous apartment in the same building as a certain Top Gun star - but craves a satisfaction that not even his fashionable girlfriend Evelyn (Caleigh Pan-Kita) or hot side piece Courtney (Danielle Smith) can provide.

Meanwhile, Patrick's nemesis, Paul Owen (John Drea), is more connected, and his business cards are a thing of beauty. On his 27th birthday, Patrick stabs a homeless man to death and feels... something. But as the bodies pile up, Patrick wonders if that's all there is and if his rampages are even real.

As a book and film, American Psycho is a modern classic: a gory and darkly funny takedown of '80s excess through the eyes of one of literature's most unreliable narrators. In the musical, Aguirre-Sacasa's book smartly references the source material, with plenty of witty yet biting asides from Patrick inspired by Ellis's still-genius writing. Everything is perceived from Patrick's gaze, and therefore, nothing is certain - until one of Sheik's songs pops up, shifting the point of view to long-suffering secretary Jean (Sonia Goldberg) or label-obsessed Evelyn. The show's best songs are from the period, including "Hip to Be Square" by Patrick's favorite band, Huey Lewis and the News, played in its entirety during a disturbing Act I finale.

That's not to say the score's inconsistencies hinder Kokandy's production. Director Derek Van Barham - one of Chicago storefront's finest-delivers a bloody solid product (though a bit more stage blood would have been most welcome). Staging the musical in the round on an ‘80s-tastic runway decoupaged with Patrick's beloved business cards invites the audience to experience American Psycho's gorgeous yet volatile world firsthand. Breon Arzell's choreography supplies an erotic taste of the era's drug-fueled club kid underground.

Let's Have a Moment

American Psycho can't function without a magnetic Patrick Bateman - an extremely challenging role that seldom leaves the stage for the show's two-and-a-half-hour run-time. Kyle Patrick draws upon his experience as an aerialist and an actor, and his physicality is top-notch. Bateman is hyperaware of how he presents himself to the outside world and possesses extreme vanity. Patrick's serpentine strut, perpetual smirk, and balletic executions radiate star quality and pitch-perfect casting. Rather than emulate Christian Bale's unique vocal delivery, the actor creates a fabulously skeevy interpretation, leaving the audience equal parts aroused and shaken.

The Last Word

As a musical, American Psycho meanders with a run-time that occasionally drags and a score that fails to find its groove (at least until Huey Lewis comes on). When asked about adaptations of his works, author Bret Easton Ellis said, "With novels, you're on your own, and you don't have to engage with those things - it's all about language and style. I can never picture what my narrators look like. It's not what I'm focusing on."

But Kokandy Productions knows exactly how to draw your attention with its intimate production, thanks to creative staging, dynamic choreography, and an electric cast led by a killer Patrick Bateman"

Wall Street bloodbath: Kokandy's American Psycho is a slasher fashion show - Kerry Reid, Chicago Reader 10/4/23

"Last year for the Halloween season, Kokandy Productions presented Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd. Now they're back with another slasher songfest: American Psycho: The Musical, adapted from Bret Easton Ellis's 1991 novel by book writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and with a score by Duncan Sheik, whose original songs are interspersed with pop hits like "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and "In the Air Tonight."

It's definitely a case of style over substance this time around-Patrick Bateman, the bored rich investment banker at the center of Ellis's story, has far less justification for his murderous rampages than barber Sweeney. But in director Derek Van Barham's hands, the ensemble delivers a sardonic snapshot of 1980s excess and narcissism. (Yes, a certain Manhattan real estate mogul of the era who went onto, um, other things in more recent years is name-checked with admiration by Bateman.)

I confess I've never read Ellis's novel and have only seen Mary Harron's 2000 film starring Christian Bale as Bateman in bits and pieces, but I don't think you need familiarity with the source material to enjoy what Kokandy has cooked up here. (For the squeamish, it should be noted that while murder is on the menu, the stage violence is highly stylized, rather than realistic.)

What the story lacks in insight (breaking news: extreme consumerism and greed make soulless drones of us all!) it makes up for in wit and commitment to the disturbing worldview of Kyle Patrick's creepily charismatic Bateman. A strong supporting ensemble playing multiple roles and clever runway set design by G "Max" Maxin IV (who also designs the lights and projections) make us feel like we're at a fashion show of the damned.

Review: Murderous Fun With Some Kinks in American Psycho: The Musical by Kokandy Productions - Adam Kaz, 10/3/23 - Third Coast Review

American Psycho as originally conceived by author Bret Easton Ellis has a great elevator pitch. "A novel about an investment banker in the Reagan eighties who at night becomes a serial killer." Just on its face it sounds brilliant. Blood n' guts n' satire. I'm hooked. Take my money.

But it's Ellis's stomach-curling pitch-black comedic execution that implanted the tale in the public's memory (who can forget the bit with the rat?) and made the story ripe for adaptation. Ellis's 1991 book became a highly memified Mary Harron-directed 2000 film and a successful 2010 musical by Duncan Sheik (music and lyrics) and Robert Aguirre-Sacasa (book).

Now Kokandy Productions brings American Psycho: The Musical, directed by Derek Van Barham, to the Chopin Theatre for its Chicago debut. Overall, it's an electrifying production dripping with style. The American Psycho property has an established aesthetic-suits, slick hair, spooky club lighting-and people will happily find that iconography and vibe in the production. Strong, though not perfect, lead performances delivered regular laughs. However, issues with the staging and set created unnecessary and disappointing hurdles

Like the other American Psychos, the musical is heavy on tone but light on plot. It's a simple story, the unraveling of a narcissist, a bad to worse trajectory. In the beginning Patrick Bateman, played competently but with some questionable choices by Kyle Patrick, our money-obsessed murderous protagonist and narrator, conceals his burgeoning bloodlust under a mask of cool-guy normalcy. He introduces himself in Ralph Lauren tighty-whities, showing off a-to borrow an inspiringly insipid phrase from the source material-hardbody physique. Speaking in a flat tone, he brags about his muscle definition and lavish apartment. He's a yuppie consumed by excess. His perspective is clear when during his proverbial I Want Song, "Selling Out," he sings, "I want it alllll!"

Then the chorus comes in, and that's when the show is at its best. None of the songs pass the can-I-hum-this-for-days test, but they're punchy and fun, with an '80s electric feel, and Breon Arzell's choreography has a sort of robotic rigidity that complements the disassociated headspace of the main character. Special praise goes to the lighting design by G "Max" Maxin IV, who also created the scenic and projection design. The lights are probably the most impressive aspect of the show. The primarily white stage is a great canvas for bold blues and flashy reds. The show adopts a neo-noir look, neon and shadows, which is most effective during large dance numbers, club scenes, and driving sequences. When Bateman drives through New York this gorgeous blue suffuses the stage and you could swear it's a Michael Mann movie.

The show's first act settles into a series of vignettes, slice-of-life moments between Bateman and his friends and girlfriend Evelyn (Caleigh Pan-Kita). Everyone is vapid and casually cruel. "Get this," says Bateman's friend Tim Price, played by Will Lidke, at a dinner, "So far today, from the second I left my apartment, I've counted twenty-three homeless people. Twenty-three." Bateman talks with his colleagues, he orders strange food at fancy restaurants, he hosts parties with his girlfriend. And it is during these moments with more than three cast members on stage that the show betrays its greatest weakness. Unfortunately, the stage built for this musical just isn't doing it any favors.

Unlike previous productions, this American Psycho is performed on an alley stage, probably no more than five feet wide. The stage runs through the center of the theater, splitting the room and imitating a fashion runway. Which is odd. Nothing about the musical suggests it would benefit from an alley stage, and the decision generated some severe logistical problems

Due to the design of the stage, scenes that require multiple actors, like the famous business card sequence, are staged in an awkward staggered fashion. The performers stand in a row and face the audience. They inhabit their own two-foot space and talk outward, almost like a live reading or a Beckett play. We imagine they're speaking in a round even though they're obviously not. One could argue the staging is a personification of the characters' isolation, but I'm not convinced. I'd say it was a poor decision by Van Barham and Maxin IV.

The murder and torture sequences are brief and quick and, for the most part, bloodless. Rather than splash the stage with fake blood, whenever Bateman axes or stabs someone, the ghost of an earlier victim throws red confetti at the murdered actor. The result is more implied violence than real violence. It's serviceable but underwhelming. People looking for a slasher fix would probably be happier elsewhere.

At the end of the day, though, American Psycho lives and dies on its main character. He carries the burden of audience expectations. So how'd he do? Kyle Patrick deserves some praise for purposefully avoiding mannerisms that would remind the audience too much of the Christian Bale performance. Whereas Bale's mock sincerity manifested as a sort of larger-than-life crooning madman, Kyle Patrick plays it as more sardonic. His Bateman has a lilting sarcastic quality, almost arch, kind of like a Bond villain.

When his secretary Jean, played by Sonia Goldberg, asks that he get them a reservation at Dorsia, Bateman replies, "So-o-o-o-o, Dorsia is where Jean wants to go, Jean's just like everyone else . . ." And while Bale delivers the line with a sly insincere smile, Kyle Patrick gives it more of a "La-dee-da, what do we have here?" affect. It's bold to do things differently, and more often than not his portrayal plays well. But sometimes the sarcasm comes off as bored or idle, which doesn't exactly work. Bateman, who is more of a mood or an attitude than he is a character, should seem exacting, commanding the world either with cold swagger or aggressive bravado. When he seems indifferent the audience pulls away.

As far as performances go, the real MVP was Caleigh Pan-Kita's Evelyn. Portraying Bateman's materialistic and clueless girlfriend, she stole the show in every scene and played very well off Kyle Patrick's deadpan approach. They really were the odd couple of a depraved sitcom. More than a few times she spoke with this whiny Kardashian resonance, which established her character perfectly. Evelyn's song "You Are What You Wear" was probably the show's catchiest, though again it doesn't stick with you long.

American Psycho is a fun time at the theater, no doubt about it. Yes, a wider stage would have been a wise decision, but it was a solid show nonetheless. You come for the style, you come for the dancing and the lights and the biting satire, you leave satiated.

American Psycho: The Musical by Kokandy Productions continues at the Chopin Studio Theatre at 1543 W Division St., thru November 26. Running time is 2.5 hours with an intermission. Tickets are $40-$50 with $30 for seniors and students.

SCARY GOOD: 'AMERICAN PSYCHO' AT THE CHOPIN THEATRE - Buzz Center Stage 10/1/23 

When my husband announced that his company holiday party this year was 80s themed, my first thought was that it had been done before. I'd donned enough leg warmers and sported enough side ponytails at enough parties. My second thought was why not the 90s? Surely in 2023 people want to worship another decade? But when I read Chicago was getting American Psycho: The Musical, I dug out my favorite oversized blazer and headed to Wicker Park to watch the book-turned-movie-turned-musical that encapsulated and glorified the very decade I dared to criticize..

The cast was led by the showstopping talent of Kyle Patrick as Patrick Bateman, the stylish and sadistic center of American Psycho. Patrick's performance was riveting, one couldn't take his eyes away from him. He perfectly captured Bateman's devilishly attractive and hypnotic presence, pulling you in with his charm and wit, turning psychotically evil effortlessly before falling back into his charm. The range Patrick displayed as Bateman was nothing short of breathtaking. The murderous chemistry between Patrick and John Drea as his nemesis Paul Owen was haunting and electric, their bravados embodying the 80s and their fight staging choreography scarily convincing. The play was accompanied with an indulgent soundtrack with original numbers like "Cards" and "Not a Common Man" along with seminal 80s bangers Everybody Wants to Rule the World and of course Hip to Be Square. You were dancing in your seat along with the cast.

The play was set appropriately on a cat walk, white business cards adorning the path, the cast using the cat walk to seamlessly transition from the Tunnel nightclub Tunnel, to the gym, to the office, to Paul Owen's apartment, the entrances draped cleverly with white tarp. The choreography, directed by Breon Arzell, was nothing short of art. Arzell was able to take extremely difficult and violent scenes and make them hauntingly captivating. In one particularly sexually violet scene (read the book or watch the film if you are curious about this referenced scene), an adonis-like Patrick puppeteered two women, played by Emily Holland and Quinn Simmons, through a series of graceful movements, simulating a sexual throupling without being obscene, and navigating the violence with dignity, masked through the art of dance. Such scenes were made to be very effective thanks to Kokandy's incredibly talented Intimacy Coordinate Kirsten Baity and Fight Choreographer Kate Lass.

The book-turned-movie-turned-musical has real staying power. Comments Director Derek Van Barham, It's horror, it's satire, it goes for the guts and getsinto your head. And it's all tinged with that David Lynchian unease of ‘What is actually happening?' Extending that question of uncertainty into the live experience, we're playing with what we show vs. what we don't show, what you see vs. what you think you saw. A lot is going to be left up to the audience." American Psycho: The Musical has many themes that are still applicable and relatable today. If I concede that the musical glorifying the 80s is still relevant and significant in 2023, then by proxy the 80s are still relevant and significant today, meaning I must find neon bangle earrings to match my leg warmers this holiday season...

Kokandy Production's American Psycho: The Musical runs throughNovember 26, 2023 at The Chopin Studio Theatre (1543 W. Division St., Chicago). Tickets are available at https://www.kokandyproductions.com/american-psycho/.

From the Director & Producer - American Psycho is a ruthless and daring musical from Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening) and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Riverdale, The Picture of Dorian Gray).Based on the electrifying novel by Bret Easton Ellis, the musical tells the story of Patrick Bateman, a young and handsome Wall Street banker with impeccable taste and unquenchable desires.  Patrick and his elite group of friends spend their days in chic restaurants, exclusive clubs and designer labels. But at night, Patrick takes part in a darker indulgence, and his mask of sanity is starting to slip...