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‘Bat Boy: The Musical’ ready to fly |
| By
Angela Riddel |
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Apr 9, 2008 |
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| Patrick J. Miller, a freshman majoring in film and minoring in art, plays Bat Boy. |
“Bat Boy: The Musical,” a comedy that deals with the serious problem of intolerance, will open Friday, April 11, in UT's Center for Performing Arts Center Theatre on Main Campus.
Performances continue through Sunday, April 13, and Wednesday, April 16, through Sunday, April 20. Curtain time will be 7:30 p.m. for all performances except for Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.
Written by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming with lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe, “Bat Boy: The Musical” is currently one of the most widely staged musicals on college campuses, following successful runs off-Broadway and in London’s West End.
The show is based on an article in the Weekly World News — the tongue-in-cheek tabloid that labeled itself “the world’s only reliable newspaper” — that announced the discovery of a freakish, feral “bat boy” in a West Virginia cave. The musical expands upon this story, placing the boy in a highly conservative town, where inhabitants are too closed-minded to allow him to assimilate and become part of the community.
The hero, Bat Boy, is discovered in a cave by a group of teenagers. They capture him and turn him over to the local veterinarian, who takes a special interest in the half-boy, half-bat. Bat Boy’s struggle to fit in is set to music and song.
For all of its quirkiness, “Bat Boy: The Musical” provides a glimpse into the frightening results of intolerance, according to director Edmund Lingan, UT assistant professor of theatre. He said Bat Boy, who is severely ostracized and mistreated for his differences, can be viewed as an allegory for people who have suffered physical and emotional abuse in their attempts to find places in society.
“Bat Boy: The Musical” was produced in Los Angeles in 1997 and then moved to New York City's Union Square Theatre in 2001. It was developed through the assistance of the Richard Rodgers Development and Production Awards. In its NYC run, it received the 2001 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical and also a Best Off-Broadway Musical Award from the Outer Critics Circle, as well as dozens of other awards.
Tickets are $14; $12 for faculty, staff, alumni and seniors; and $10 for students. They can be purchased online at www.utoledo.edu/boxoffice, at the box office prior to the shows or by calling 419.530.2375.
For tickets or more information, visit the UT Department of Theatre and Film at www.utoledo.edu/as/theatrefilm.
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