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Bat Boy: The Musical |
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Author: Story and Book by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming
Music and Lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe
Reviewer: David Roberts for Theatre Reviews Limited |
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The "big three" Manhattan newspapers have tipped their collective critical hats and given "Bat Boy The Musical" positive notices so very little of what is written here will be considered to have much veracity. But the state of criticism and the health of the wonderful process we call theatre demand that the critical process be expanded well beyond "the big three" in Manhattan or in any great city in the United States.
  
"Bat Boy The Musical"while it succeeds in many respects, fails in more ways than it succeeds. In its current "life" the musical might work very well on a tiny stage in a reputable Off-off Broadway house. At The Union Square Theatre it seems to beg for attention as the actors mug and spoof their way through decades (even centuries) of drama, musical theatre, and grade B (at best) movies. Not knowing how to respond, audience members seem willing to giggle, whistle, shout, and clap at the inane silliness sprawled out on the "Rent" like "Les Miserables" like set.
What is sad is that this musical should and could have been much better. What a great concept! Tabloids reporting discovery of a half-human, half-bat boy in some remote area in the United States. The bagged bat boy ends up in the home of the local veterinarian and becomes (unwittingly) the focus of bigoted townspeople, a loved starved mother and daughter, a whacky animal physician, and cash-strapped ranchers. And he ends up being the dashing, eloquent leading man! All the stuff of a hilarious musical if (and here is the key) it is all played completely straight.
"Bat Boy The Musical" could have been the cult classic "Carrie" should have been. Had the producers of "Carrie" had the courage, it is possible that the musical could still be running. "Carrie" was played straight, completely straight, and when something over-the-top happened on stage, the audience howled because they could see and celebrate the humor in what was intended to be serious.
An example from "Bat Boy:" Actors who played more than one character (and more than one sex) made relatively quick changes into the costumes of their characters. Women playing men did not play those roles as cartoons; however when the men played women the characters were always cartoon-like, flat, unappealing, and sometimes bordering on stereotypes which bordered on offensive. Not trusting the concept, not trusting the skills of the actors, not trusting the audience, the creative team decides to "do the work" for the audience and literally tell them when to laugh, when to be still, when to howl. And for some odd reason, the audience (and apparently a few confused critics) bought the package hook, line, and stinker. That is "sinker."
But not all is looney tunes revisited. Two of the actors, and possibly a third, understand what this musical was meant to be. And when they are on stage, especially when they don't have to fight against the sheer silliness of stuffed animals and childish swipes at Disney-on-Broadway, these three actors shine and give "Bat Boy The Musical" the performances the musical requires and deserves to make it work. Deven May (Bat Boy), Kaitlin Hopkins (Meredith), and Kerry Butler (Shelley) are exactly what "Bat Boy" needs to make it work. When they move, or speak, or sing, they perform with poker-faced seriousness no matter what the lyric or the line. And therefore whatever they do on stage is very funny. In short, these actors "get" the concept without oversized props, gag lines, and ridiculous costumes. They "trust" the material they are working with and they equally trust their craft.
Is it worth $55.00 to see these three skilled actors do what they do best? Probably. As for the rest of the musical, a night at "Forbidden Broadway" would serve the purpose of releasing any pent-up Broadway-bashing feelings. One can only hope that despite sweet reviews and foot-stomping friends in the audience, the balance of the cast will take a good look at actors May, Hopkins, and Butler and demand from their director something better for themselves.
Reviewed on Tuesday March 20, 2001
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Story and book by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming. Music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe. Directed by Scott Schwartz. Musical director, Alex Lacamoire. Set design by Richard Hoover and Bryan Johnson; lighting design by Howell Binkley; costume design by Fabio Toblini; sound design by Sunil Rajan; production stage manager, Renee Lutz. Presented by Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Riot Entertainment, Robyn Goodman, Jean Doumanian and The Producing Office at The Union Square Theatre, 100 East 17th Street between Union Square East and Irving Place. Performance schedule: Tuesday through Friday at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $50.00-$55.00, with a limited number of $20.00 rush tickets available for each performance. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster at (212) 307-4100 or at the box office at (212) 505-0700 or by clicking on "Buy Online Tickets" above.
WITH: Kathy Brier (Maggie/Ron), Kerry Butler (Shelley Parker), Daria Hardeman (Ruthie/Ned), Kaitlan Hopkins (Meredith Parker), Trent Armand Kendall (Rev. Hightower/Mrs. Tayor/Roy), Deven May (Bat Boy), Sean McCourt (Dr. Thomas Parker), Jim Price (Bud/Daisy/Pan), Richard Pruitt (Sheriff/Delia), and Doug Storm (Rick/Lorraine/Mr. Dillon).
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