An Illustrated Guide to Methods of Murder in Musical Theatre
A tour through the madness and mayhem in ten killer musicals.
Rumor has it Benjamin Walker is racking up a high body count in American Psycho over at the Schoenfeld Theatre, but he’s not the first madman to bloody up the Great White Way. From women with powers to men with blades, the New York stage has seen its fair share of mayhem. Playbill takes a look at some methods of murder in these killer musicals.
Marie Christine, Broadway 1999 Loosely based on Medea, Michael John LaChiusa plops his woman scorned, Marie Christine, among the world of voodoo in turn-of-the-century New Orleans. Armed with spells of paralyzing fear and cursed gifts that burn rivals alive, Marie causes quite a bit of damage wherever she travels. She may not have laid hands on all of her victims, but she definitely has a hand in every murder in this musical—even casting spells causing others to do her bidding. Though she’s responsible...