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'Bat Boy' soars with quirky humor

By EVERETT EVANS
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

If ever a musical was born to become a cult hit, it's Bat Boy.

Deliriously offbeat, this recent off-Broadway hit is making its Houston premiere in a dynamite rendition by Stages Repertory Theatre. With ingenious direction by Brian Jucha, a terrifically engaging performance by Scott Sowinski in its unusual title role and a uniformly excellent company, this production socks the show across most entertainingly.

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Video: Bat Boy: The Musical 1 | 2

Book writers Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming and composer/lyricist Laurence O'Keefe have based their musical on the supermarket tabloid stories of the "half-boy/half-bat freak" found in a cave and brought to live in Hope Falls, W.Va. This may strike some as an unlikely source, others as a richly promising premise. Whatever your preconceptions, you'll likely agree that the authors have made much more of the idea than anyone could have anticipated.

For a show that begins in a deep, dank cave, there is a fresh breeze of originality and audacity blowing through Bat Boy, from first note to final curtain.

The authors chronicle their unlikely hero's life from the moment he is discovered in that cave by three horrified spelunkers. Initially a wild child communicating only in howls and grunts (and sinking his fangs into one of the cavers), Bat Boy is taken to the home of the town veterinarian.

Though at first kept in a cage, Bat Boy gradually is civilized by the vet's tender-hearted wife, Meredith, (who names him Edgar) and impressionable teenage daughter, Shelley. Typical of the show's droll humor, Edgar speaks with an earnestly cultured British accent, since he has learned from BBC tapes. Yet he cannot rid himself of his thirst for blood.

The suspicious townsfolk, blaming Edgar for the mysterious death of their cows, begin cooking up trouble for the "freak." Dr. Parker, the veterinarian, jealous of his wife and daughter's affection for Edgar, soon takes on a sinister role in undermining the poor creature's quest for a home and a sense of belonging.

The unpredictable plot encompasses Edgar's confrontation with the citizens at a religious revival, accusations from the villainous vet that place Edgar's life in danger, and as the show's climax, a mind-boggling explanation of his origin that throws the various relationships into turmoil.

Though frequently hilarious, Bat Boy transcends camp. Though it has potent touches of camp humor, it aspires to, and often achieves, a mythic dimension. Much better written than The Rocky Horror Show and others of that ilk, it manages to strike a balance between intense feeling and deadpan parody (it sometimes seems to be kidding the Gothic pop operas like Phantom with their tormented "monster" heroes).

O'Keefe's music and lyrics serve the show's needs inventively, matching the script's freshness and unpredictability. Such ballads as A Home for You and Let Me Walk Among You generate warmth and melodic appeal. There are several strong musical scenes that convey large chunks of the plot, as in the delightful Show You a Thing or Two, charting Edgar's education, and the dynamic A Joyful Noise ensemble at the revival.

Jucha has directed the production with boundless energy and a genuine feeling for its quirky humor. His staging is full of clever and imaginative touches, generous with comic business that almost always wins big laughs.

Sowinksi's shrewdly judged performance in the title role is at the heart of the production's success. Besides singing the demanding score expertly, he evolves most persuasively from an acrobatic creature hanging from and crawling about his cage, to a proper gentleman (though still with fangs and pointed ears) desperate to fit in and be accepted. He conveys the pathos of the outcast's plight as well as the absurd humor of the frequently bizarre details of character.

Kara Greenberg gives a polished and witty performance as Meredith, singing strongly and projecting a gently satiric yet warm-hearted air. Erin Simpson is likewise on target as Shelley -- a natural, exuberant and unaffected teenage love interest. Brandon Peters deftly negotiates the complexities and slippery reversals of Dr. Parker and contributes yet another strong voice.

The rest of the 10-person cast distinguish themselves dramatically and vocally in multiple roles. Special mention is due David L.J. George (both as a mournful matron and the revival preacher) and soaring-voiced Jonathan McVay, who reaches his peak as the god Pan in a sequence that must be seen to be believed.

The production also boasts clever design work by Kirk Markley (sets), Kristina Hanssen (costumes) and Roma Flowers (lighting). Musical director/keyboardist Steven Jones and his band do a bang-up job, ensuring that O'Keefe's eclectic and propulsive score really cooks.

I suspect Houston may have found its surprise hit of the holiday season with Stages' Bat Boy.

Bat Boy

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays, through Jan. 11; no performances Dec. 24-25 and Jan.1; additional shows at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 23 and 30

Where: Stages Repertory Theatre, 3201 Allen Parkway

Tickets: $25-$35; 713-527-0123

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