American Psycho: The Musical Cuts Back Into Texas With Fresh Staging

Houston has become the unlikely epicenter of a Broadway cult revival. American Psycho: The Musical, the provocative stage adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's infamous 1991 novel, is back in the spotlight at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, where Houston Broadway Theatre is mounting a newly retooled production through September 14.

The show, with music and lyrics by Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening) and book by playwright Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Riverdale), first premiered in London in 2013 to critical intrigue. Its Broadway transfer in 2016 was short-lived, closing after just 54 performances despite a flashy marketing campaign and a star turn by Benjamin Walker as Wall Street anti-hero Patrick Bateman. That original run, overshadowed by the juggernaut success of Hamilton, never managed to win over mainstream theatergoers who were skeptical about a "serial killer musical."

Now, Houston is giving the piece a second life. Directed by Joe Calarco, this new staging it's a reimagining. The creative team has restored material from the London version, added fresh scenes, and reshaped the score to give the satire sharper teeth. Broadway veteran Robert Lenzi steps into Bateman's Armani suits, while Tyce Green plays Timothy Price. The cast also includes Paul Schwensen as Paul Owen, Kaye Tuckerman as Mrs. Bateman, and Ethan Achee as Sean Bateman.

The production is being treated as both a full-scale engagement and a creative laboratory. The first three performances acted as previews, with nightly adjustments before the official opening on September 5. According to Sheik, "musicals are never done, they just close at some point. Our job in Houston is to make it tight and right." The hope is that this staging will pave the way for a West End revival in London in 2026, and potentially another attempt at Broadway.

For a story steeped in excess and violence, American Psycho remains eerily current. Ellis's novel skewered the greed and moral emptiness of 1980s consumer culture through Bateman, a Wall Street banker who moonlights as a serial killer. The musical doubles down on that theme with a synth-pop score evoking the era's glossy surfaces, while exposing the rot beneath. In an age defined by Instagram filters and curated lifestyles, the satire feels newly relevant.

The Houston revival also arrives as American Psycho enjoys renewed cultural momentum. Earlier this year, a new film adaptation was confirmed to be in development, with reports suggesting a closer fidelity to Ellis's novel than the 2000 movie that turned Christian Bale into a star. The synergy between stage and screen may finally give the property the mainstream attention its creators have long chased.