American psycho "Killing spree" tonight

[Alex M]

Posted: 5/30/16 at 10:12pm

Did any one else at the show know what ensued during killing spree. Ben asked to stop the song but they said they couldn't. Any one know why? I know   somthing was improvised about the sailors in the front row. Was that it?

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 5/30/16 at 10:16pm

Huh??

Can you elaborate as to what happened?

Updated On: 5/30/16 at 10:16 PM

[gleek4114]

Posted: 5/30/16 at 10:22pm

A friend of mine was there and told me a bit about it. Still not 100% sure what happened, but from what I gathered there was an prop placement error, that kinda threw everything off, and Ben tried to get the musicians to restart the song and couldn't, then somehow it turned into Ben trying to cover it up by talking to some sailors in the front row, but ultimately the entire cast got the giggles. 

[veronicamae]

Posted: 5/30/16 at 10:27pm

Yes I was there but I've never seen the show so I didn't understand what went wrong. He was like, "It's live theatre, folks!" and it kind of seemed like he missed his cue or something?

I mean the sailor thing was just him singing "Hey you pretty sailor" to start the song which I figured was just a lyric change from the norm?

To be honest if he hadn't done or said anything about it I would have had zero idea anything went wrong.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 5/30/16 at 10:36pm

Can the op change the title? It's misleading and I personally thought there was a real killing spree. Almost gave me a heart attack! Thanks!

[mfaye9]

Posted: 5/30/16 at 10:38pm

gleek4114 said: "A friend of mine was there and told me a bit about it. Still not 100% sure what happened, but from what I gathered there was an prop placement error, that kinda threw everything off, and Ben tried to get the musicians to restart the song and couldn't, then somehow it turned into Ben trying to cover it up by talking to some sailors in the front row, but ultimately the entire cast got the giggles. "

 

I was there and in the first row, and this is kind of what I have figured out as well. At the beginning, I don't think the knife he needed was there so he delayed the start by improvising about the sailer in the first row and kept saying they were about to get going then would make another joke until the song actually started. Then about halfway through the song, he tried to get the musicians attention to just restart the song after another blunder of some sort. He couldn't get their attention, so the music kept going as did the dancing ensemble, resulting in Ben Walker kind of just standing there in the middle of all of this. Eventually, everything got back on track, and by the end of the song the whole cast was cracking up. Definitely one of the funnier things I have seen at a show. 

 

[veronicamae]

Posted: 5/30/16 at 10:41pm

mfaye9 said: "gleek4114 said: "A friend of mine was there and told me a bit about it. Still not 100% sure what happened, but from what I gathered there was an prop placement error, that kinda threw everything off, and Ben tried to get the musicians to restart the song and couldn't, then somehow it turned into Ben trying to cover it up by talking to some sailors in the front row, but ultimately the entire cast got the giggles. "

 

I was there and in the first row, and this is kind of what I have figured out as well. At the beginning, I don't think the knife he needed was there so he delayed the start by improvising about the sailer in the first row and kept saying they were about to get going then would make another joke until the song actually started. Then about halfway through the song, he tried to get the musicians attention to just restart the song after another blunder of some sort. He couldn't get their attention, so the music kept going as did the dancing ensemble, resulting in Ben Walker kind of just standing there in the middle of all of this. Eventually, everything got back on track, and by the end of the song the whole cast was cracking up. Definitely one of the funnier things I have seen at a show. "

Actually, he DID get the music director's attention, who was frantically looking at screens and eventually held up his hands and said "I CAN'T!" And thus they continued.

[VotePeron]

Posted: 5/30/16 at 11:09pm

Ok, I was in the mezzanine tonight. It was my 5th time at the show. Here's how I interpreted what went down:

 

Killing Spree started. All was well as the ensemble entered. Then instead of saying, "Hey pretty girl, do you wanna dance?" as the first line, Walker said "Hey pretty sailor -" The crowd went wild, and Walker stopped singing. He then could not catch up with the song, because:

All the music and sound effects were a linked track, and could not be stopped or played back. They had no choice but to continue dancing, and since it's just a beat, Walker didn't know where he was in the song. Sound effects of kills happened, but no kills actually did.

Walker tried from the get-go to do everything he could to fix it. First, he said, "You **** it up for a joke, but here we go!" He then thought he could begin, and he didn't. The beat changed, and he again didn't know what to do. He stood Center Stage, and said into the mic, "That's live theatre!" 

This CONTINUED on for another 60 seconds. Finally, Walker signaled to the band to stop playing, but running his hands in front of his neck. The band conductor said "We can't stop!" And Walker continued to stand there. Louis and Evelyn came in to do their mini scenes with Walker, but their mics were not on the entire time. 

FINALLY, the music stopped completely. (If you listen to the LCR, this at 2:54 in the song. The conductor yelled "GO!" And Walker continued with, "Oh this is rich, I shouldn't say..." 

The song then finished without a hitch. The light cues and projections never failed, either, which I thought was incredible. Great job on the stage management.

It was disappointing though that they couldn't or didn't stop when it all began, like Walker wanted, to re start the song. Many people were there for the first time tonight, and while I was satisfied to see such an exciting moment in theatre history, the Killing Spree sequence is truly the best in the show.

So yeah, it happened. The audience applause at the end was rapturous. Class acts all around, no doubt. Cannot believe they didn't hold the show.

[Golenboybway]

Posted: 5/30/16 at 11:11pm

Call_me_jorge said: "Can the op change the title? It's misleading and I personally thought there was a real killing spree. Almost gave me a heart attack! Thanks!

 

The name is fine the way it is, that is the song it happened during, so that's why there are quotes around it.

 

[haterobics]

Posted: 5/30/16 at 11:15pm

Call_me_jorge said: "Can the op change the title? It's misleading and I personally thought there was a real killing spree. Almost gave me a heart attack! Thanks!"

A show about a serial killer, called American Psycho, tripped you up over a term that is also one of the songs in the show?!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/30/16 at 11:17pm

Oh Jorge.

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 5/30/16 at 11:18pm

Off topic a little, but do you think the beats and instrumentals already made and set is the reason a cast album would cost $55,00, arguably very cheap for a cast album to be made? Like, they would hypothetically just have to go into the studio and sing the show as they do every night. There need be no orchestra recorded, nor any bells or whistles to be added onto the music, since it's already set in stone. Just a thought.

[mpkie]

Posted: 5/30/16 at 11:19pm

This is HILARIOUS. Which part is "killing spree"? When they all come out dressed in white (if I remember correctly?) and he kills dancing cast members over and over again with various weapons?

I think if a prop wasn't there he could've mimed it, so it sounds like it was a good joke that he didn't realize would land so well with the crowd and as a result wasn't prepared and it screwed him up!

[VotePeron]

Posted: 5/30/16 at 11:22pm

^ That's the correct moment.

It was absolutely not a prop error. Walker is a brilliant actor and wouldve covered for that.

[morosco]

Posted: 5/30/16 at 11:31pm

Desiree Armfeldt:     Where the HELL is the Stage Manager?

[ZellMorrowsPledge]

Posted: 5/31/16 at 12:35am

Give em' a tony

[haterobics]

Posted: 5/31/16 at 12:42am

CindersGolightly said: "Like, they would hypothetically just have to go into the studio and sing the show as they do every night. There need be no orchestra recorded, nor any bells or whistles to be added onto the music, since it's already set in stone. Just a thought."

There is a live band, but it seems like they play on top of a track (hence the conductor being unable to restart), so... no.

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 5/31/16 at 1:38am

i was in the front row also, Ben improved a line, lost the count and thought they could restart it but its so tech heavy they cant just start from the beginning at the drop of a hat so it just devolved into a little chaos, but they recovered by the end, some funny lines became funnier due to the timing (Oh this is rich) as had been mentioned before.

At the stagedoor Charlie Rosen mentioned this was the only music snafu they have encountered so far.

the applause went so long that Jennifer started breaking up laughing as did some ensemble members 

[devonian.t]

Posted: 5/31/16 at 2:30am

Sounds like this show is being cut a lot of slack these days.  

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 5/31/16 at 6:02am

Oh the joys of musical theatre nowadays where the music is on computers. 

[E. riley]

Posted: 5/31/16 at 6:42am

It is true to the time period. The rock/dance music of the eighties was all about using sequencers,synthesizers and drum machines. This score would be ridiculous and wrong without the techno music. Essential. If some of a track is programed it's can't necessarily or spontaneously adjust like a human being receiving a cue .

Sounds like fun night. I hope the cast is relishing these last days.They deserve it. Great show. 

Updated On: 5/31/16 at 06:42 AM

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 5/31/16 at 9:19am

"All the music and sound effects were a linked track, and could not be stopped or played back. "

 

Maybe this is a lesson that four musicians (or is it five?) and computers aren't the smartest way to play a Broadway musical.

Updated On: 5/31/16 at 09:19 AM

[newintown]

Posted: 5/31/16 at 9:34am

"Maybe this is a lesson that four musicians (or is it five?) and computers aren't the smartest way to play a Broadway musical."

Sadly, most audience members don't care and would be just as happy if everything, including vocals, was on a track and it sounded exactly like the recording that they're used to. And producers would prefer that, because it would be cheaper than paying musicians. So live large acoustic instrumental music on Broadway will probably be heard only rarely, if at all, going forward, and the 15 or so of us who care will have to just roll with it.

[darquegk]

Posted: 5/31/16 at 11:52am

I had been under the impression that the show used a DJ, not a backing track. Didn't Spring Awakening have an acoustic band, an electric guitarist, and a DJ?

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 5/31/16 at 11:57am

I don't know what you mean by DJ.

http://www.playbill.com/production/american-psycho-gerald-schoenfeld-theatre-vault-0000014139