The two women marched up the aisle at intermission and spotted a man lingering at the back of the theater.
“Do you have anything to do with this show?” one woman demanded.
“I’m the producer,” the man replied.
“Well, I never!” the other woman yelled and then hit the man with her purse. “A musical about blood and murder and cannibalism? What is wrong with you?”
This sounds like something that happened at “American Psycho.” In fact, it happened at an early preview of Stephen Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd” in 1979. Producer Marty Richards told me the story many times.
But the reaction to “American Psycho,” at least in some quarters, isn’t that different. The older theater-going crowd is “repulsed” at the thought of a musical about a serial killer, says one ticket agent: “It’s a hard sell to the traditional matinee ladies. And forget about school groups.”
Around Broadway, reactions are all over the place. Fans of the Bret Easton Ellis novel and movie get a kick out of the stylized violence and see it as a satire on the empty consumer culture of the 1980s. But others find it disgusting and, in the words of one Tony voter: “just unpleasant.”
Clearly, “American Psycho” has an identity problem. It also has a box- office problem. The advance sale is weak. The mixed reviews didn’t help. A veteran producer watching from the sidelines says, “If it were my show, I’d promote the controversy to get people talking. ‘Is it a horror show? Is it a satire? Come see what all the fuss is about.’ That sort of thing.”
Alas, there’s not a lot of money on hand at “American Psycho” to launch such a campaign. And so the producers are banking on a lift from the Tony nominations, which will be announced May 3. A nod for Best Musical would be a lifeline, perhaps giving the show a chance to find an audience: Charles Manson, David Berkowitz and Hannibal Lecter.
“American Psycho” isn’t the only new musical pining for a Tony nomination. “Tuck Everlasting,” “Bright Star,” “Disaster!” and “On Your Feet” could all use the attention.
Three shows are shoo-ins: “Hamilton” (duh), “School of Rock” and “Waitress.” The wild card is “Shuffle Along.” If the Tony committee deems it a new musical, it’ll nab the fourth slot and that will be that. If, on the other hand, “Shuffle Along” is designated a revival — it’s based on the 1921 revue of the same name — the fourth slot is up for grabs.
My hunch is that “Shuffle” will be judged a revival, pitting it against “The Color Purple,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “She Loves Me.” (That will be one hard-fought category.)
As for Best Play, the nominees will be “The Humans” (it will win), “The Father,” “King Charles III” and “Eclipsed.”
I’m lighting a candle for my favorite play of the season — David Mamet’s “China Doll” — though I suspect it’ll get a nod only for Best Supporting Teleprompter.
As for acting nominations, the possibilities are endless. This season sparkles with magnificent performances, many under the direction of Joe Mantello, who’s emerged as our modern-day Elia Kazan. Mantello directed “The Humans,” whose cast includes Reed Birney, Jayne Houdyshell and Cassie Beck, all of whom will be nominated.
Mantello also directed “Blackbird,” and there’s no doubt Jeff Daniels will be nominated for Best Actor in a Play. He’ll go up against another giant — Frank Langella, who’s brilliant as a man suffering from dementia in “The Father.” Let me also put in a word for Linda Lavin, who was terrific in “Our Mother’s Brief Affair.”
On the musical front, expect nods for Cynthia Erivo and Danielle Brooks from “The Color Purple”; Renée Elise Goldsberry, Phillipa Soo, Leslie Odom Jr., Lin-Manuel Miranda and Daveed Diggs from “Hamilton”; Alex Brightman (“School of Rock”), Ana Villafañe (“On Your Feet”), Laura Benanti (“She Loves Me”) and Danny Burstein (“Fiddler on the Roof”).
Let the campaigns begin!
John Breglio, the Broadway lawyer who’s represented everyone from August Wilson to Joe Papp, has written an excellent book about the nuts and bolts of putting on a show. I love the title: “I Wanna Be a Producer: How To Make a Killing on Broadway . . . or Get Killed.”
His book is a primer on securing rights, negotiating contracts, setting up royalty pools and creating ad campaigns. As such, it will be required reading at every university drama department in the country.
But it’s also an engaging memoir, laced with memorable anecdotes about Bennett, Lloyd Webber, Sondheim, Jimmy Nederlander and the Shuberts.
Breglio was involved in nearly every major Broadway production of the past 40 years. “I Wanna to Be a Producer” is your ringside seat to all the fun, insanity and occasional heartbreak.