Bat Boy: The Musical

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

Preposterous? Of course. Comedy and tragedy meet head on, locking horns only to collapse exhausted in a draw after 90 non-stop minutes of Bat Boy: the Musical.

Nichlas Sugar as Bat Boy and Jenny Hecht as Shelley Parker in Bat Boy: The Musical.

For the Theatre Group, Steven Tangedal directs Bat Boy: The Musical at Theatre On Broadway with the finesse of a ballet choreographer.

Inspired by a feature article in the Weekly World News, Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming wrote the story and book with Laurence O’Keefe writing the music and lyrics for this horrific, hysterical piece.

A half-boy, half-bat creature is found in a cave in the vicinity of Hope Falls, West Virginia. The tabloid printed it, and the writers ran away with the idea on a hoot, a giggle, and sadness.

This is comedy because the brilliantly concocted piece leaves one giggling all the way through. (For me to giggle through an entire show marks it immediately as extraordinarily funny.)

This is tragedy because the preposterous concept of finding a half-boy, half-bat creature anywhere points directly toward the human fear of having to deal with the unfamiliar. Forget wanting to understand. Forget the obvious differences, there are always those who want to find a way to get rid of the unknown.

Bat Boy pokes hard at that reality.

Sheriff Reynolds (Jim Miller) takes the weird creature to the local veterinarian, Dr. Thomas Parker (Chris Whyde) who takes him in to raise as part of his family.

Nicholas Sugar deliciously shows Bat Boy in his frightened state, bouncing all over his cage. Actor/dancer/choreographer, Sugar disappears from sight as the creature takes over. Whyde walks a thin line with Parker, outwardly showing veterinarian type benevolence, while inwardly despises the strange intrusion. Whyde masterfully projects both sides. The art of humanizing Bat Boy falls into the laps of Parker’s wife, Meredith (Alex Ryer) and his daughter, Shelley (Jenny Hecht).

Bat Boy shows a penchant for wisdom and intelligence that far exceeds the small-minded townspeople. When someone shows a higher intelligence than captive small mindedness, obviously, there’s only one thing to do: get rid of the superior being. In the midst of the controversy, Shelly, awed by the depth of Bat Boy, falls in love with him. They have no choice but to run away. In fear the townspeople organize a posse to destroy Bat Boy and save Shelly. In the frenzy and destruction Meredith reveals a mysterious secret.

Musical direction is under the magical hands of Donna Kolpan Debreceni with Hold Me, Bat Boy, Christian Charity, Another Dead Cow, Let Me Walk Among You, Inside Your Heart, and Apology To A Cow.

The supporting cast demonstrates their expertise easily flowing in and out of various roles. Melissa McCarl wonderfully tackles five roles. Todd Peckman takes on three, as does Janelle Kato. Melissa Deni magnetically pours her energy into Grandma. Shelley McMillion Burl outdoes herself as the Rev. Billie Jean Hightower, plus one other.

Ramifications for Bat Boy: The Musical seep far beyond the 90-minute giggle of a preposterous scenario, and ingeniously constructed Bat ears (designed by Todd Debreceni) into almost every inch of our culture where the different stands before us. So much easier to simply destroy that which is not understood or wanting to be understood. At that level, there is no giggle.