Theater Review—

‘Bat Boy’ Is Good On A Number Of Levels

By Julie Stern

NEW MILFORD — TheatreWorks New Milford is currently presenting Bat Boy: The Musical.

No, this is not the one where they sing “Take me out to the ballgame…” This is something else altogether!

When I was ten years old and Broadway tickets were as cheap as babysitters, my parents took me to see a revue that included a skit depicting Euripides’ Medea as done by Walt Disney, complete with a Greek chorus dressed as ducks in sailor suits (Huey, Dewey and Louie) while the hapless title character thrashed about on the ground, letting out ear-splitting shrieks. (At this point my mother leaned over and whispered, “That’s supposed to be a famous actress named Judith Anderson, dear”)

While that was an example of the sublime being made ridiculous, Bat Boy – with story and book by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemmings, and music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe – starts with the ridiculous premise from the ranks of the supermarket tabloids and gives it a musical interpretation that is, if not exactly sublime, certainly high spirited, energetic and original. Furthermore, to keep up the parallel, while the authors were probably only hacking around in order to be amusing, they manage to invoke echoes of Greek tragedy, Shakespeare, The Bible, Darwin, Frankenstein, and Freud.

Set in Hope Falls, West Virginia, the story bears the unmistakable ring of National Enquirer silliness: a feral teenager – half boy, half bat – is captured in the depths of a mountain cave and brought to the home of the local veterinarian. Since he bit one of the kids who discovered him, the townspeople want him put to death, but the vet’s wife and daughter plead for mercy. Slowly they tame the wild child, naming him Edgar, teaching him to wear clothes and to speak, until he becomes a literate, articulate spokesman for compassion towards those who are different.

At an old time tent revival meeting, Edgar’s plea for acceptance is so persuasive that even the most bigoted and suspicious of the townspeople find “Christian charity” in their hearts and step forward to grasp his hand. However, when Edgar and Shelley (the vet’s daughter) fall in love and head to the forest in search of pagan bliss, troubling issues begin to assert themselves, and dark secrets move toward the light. As the play draws to its inevitable “tragic” conclusion, the mystery of Bat Boy’s origins is finally explained in a denouement that is like a mixture of the endings of Hamlet and Oedipus Rex.

If you want to do more intellectual analysis, there are also issues raised by Edgar’s thirst for blood (apparently one of his parents was a vampire bat), which comes into conflict with his sincere acceptance of Christianity. Is the willingness to kill a sign of inhumanity, or is it just the opposite? After all, the folks in Hope Falls are a bunch of gun totin’ fools for whom cruelty and moronic attitudes seem as natural as apple pie.

What makes this TheatreWorks production so effective is the array of talent both onstage and behind the scenes. Jeff Tuohy is phenomenal as Bat Boy, going from a filthy, gibbering, wild animal who literally hangs upside down from the wall of his cage, to an Edwardian gentleman, dressed in old fashioned finery and speaking with a British accent (he learned to speak from a set of BBC tapes).

He is well matched by Tom Matson, whose marvelous singing voice is at odds with his uptight persona as the vet, Dr Parker – a man with a genial smile masking inner rage. In addition, the family quartet is balanced out by Juliette Garrison as Mrs Meredith Parker. Ms Garrison, who has starred in past productions including Chicago (as Velma Kelly) Guys and Dolls (as Adelaide) and Little Shop of Horrors (as Audrey), is a comic actress with a stunning voice, enabling her to play these over-the-top characters perfectly.

Mr Matson and Ms Garrison are well matched and equaled by Morgan Firestone as Shelley, who goes from an obnoxious adolescent to a young woman discovering love.

One other player who does an amazing job is Damion Broomfield, an imposing figure whose training as a countertenor enables him to play (and sing) male and female roles with equal aplomb. Thus he goes from being the sonorous, gospel pounding Reverend Hightower to the formidable mother of the three teens who first discover Bat Boy, simply by changing costumes.

Director/Choreographer Bradford Blake has become a fixture at TheatreWorks summer musical productions, and his skill is apparent, not only in the lively pacing and high energy that keeps the show moving, but also in many little creative touches and sight gags that must be seen to be appreciated. Rarely will you see as many stuffed animals treated in such unusual ways on a stage.

On top of all this, new seats have been installed at TheatreWorks’ theater. They’re roomier than the previous set, have added to the theater’s capacity and best of all, they’re much more comfortable than the old ones were.

This is not a show to which I would recommend you bring ten-year-olds. While the first act might delight them with Bat Boy’s antics in his cage, the second act, with its graphic suggestions, may generate more questions on the bestiality theme than many parents might feel comfortable with. (After all, how does a Bat Boy get conceived, in the fevered imagination of a tabloid story?)

If tickets aren’t already sold out, it’s a good show for the adult crowd.

(Performances continue until August 23 on Friday and Saturday evenings. There are Sunday evening shows on August 3 and 10, and a matinee on Sunday, August 17. All seats are $20.

Call the theater, which is at 5 Brookside Avenue in New Milford, at 860-350-6863 for details or reservations.)