Reviewed by Chris Cassone cc@chriscassone.com
Lil' Abner meets The Elephant Man by way of Oedipus Rex on Casitas Avenue.
The irony here is that our
Bat Boy, in his final throes of understanding himself, blurts out for all to hear, "I
am an animal." But before we get ahead of ourselves realize that this is a clever and complex story that was constantly changing as the
Bat Boy evolved in human care.
Book authors Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming along with songwriter Laurence O'Keefe have created a little gem of a fantasy based on the gullible world of tabloid journalism. Hey, I paged through Bat Boy issues while waiting on the check-out line at the A&P in the 90's. Who didn't want to catch a glimpse of a half-boy/half-bat cave dweller? The only issue with bigger circulation was Elvis coming down on a UFO.
A trio of red-necked spelunkers discover the bat boy in the depths of a West Virginia cave. It doesn't take long for the sister of the two boys to start up an attraction. And our story grew from there.
Director Pat Towne went against all odds and decided to show us the hideous boy bat in the opening scene. Right off the bat (sorry,) we are introduced to a special creature, with phenomenal athleticism and vocal chops, one who can jam acapella, and even sing better than the real people.
It's the story told over and over. Tarzan of the Ape men comes into civilized society and of course sweeps some hapless teenager off her feet with his animal hormones. It was fun to watch even if Bat Boy had an unusual British accent, not unlike John Merrick, the beloved Elephant Man.
Without treading too close to spoiler-land, understand that I did say the story was "complex" earlier. He wasn't just raised by bats...Let that sink in as our little operetta sings its way through the cornpone world of Hope Falls. So much was familiar: the classic Town Meeting to address the emergency, the townspeople hunting through the forest with pitchforks and torches (make those flashlights and rifles,) and the dénouement where our incredible story is finally revealed, one that would make Freud blush.
For a two hour-plus production, I never felt it drag for a second. The pace, in fact, increased as we learned more about our Bat Gentleman as he has evolved.
With a large cast of sixteen and a band of four behind the curtain, the musical lived up to its definition. We were treated to constant singing and wonderful choreography compliments of Jennifer Maples. From knee-slapping hoedown to "sound the alarm" hustle and bustle around the building, this theater company earned their wages in steps alone. The Atwater complex has two rear doors behind the bleachers for the actors to shake things up with different entrances and exits. When sixteen people are running in and out from a plethora of entrances, you really do have the feeling of being in the forest. Add to that the mountain echo our sound man used, and you are in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The music on the whole was engaging while several of the power ballads had a huge effect. Most notable, and I qualify that as one that I'm singing on the way out of the theater, was the Gospel track, "A Joyful Noise." Can't make fun of a state of rednecks without mocking their Baptist tent revivals and the Reverend Hightower played by Chima Rok had the audience praisin' the lawd. But of course, the Bat Boy, now in a fine southern gentleman white suit reminiscent of Tennessee Williams' Big Daddy, spoiled their testifying.
The ensemble was electrifying. Led by
Bat Boy Ben Raaman whose vocals took command of the theater. Standouts were Scott Mosenson as Dr. Parker and Robin Roth as Meredith, his wife.
The production team deserves much applause as they did a lot with a little. Mostly they brought a vision to the stage and asked the audience to believe we were in that cave, in the town of Hope Falls and we were there as
Bat Boy devoured a bunny.
When you believe, it isn't long before the magic takes over. The transformation of the Bat Boy was a singular achievement.
If you can, don't miss the
Bat Boy: The Musical. It's a sure-fire cinch for a cult classic.
Bat Boy: The Musical
runs through April 6th Tickets to performances range from
$26 to
$45.
Atwater Village Theatre is located at
3269 Casitas Ave in
Los Angeles,
CA 90039. Parking is free is in the ATX (Atwater Crossing) parking lot one block south of the theater. To purchase tickets and for more information call (
323)
882-6912 or go to
openfist.org.