Category | Arts & Living

Musical production sells out in campus theater

Published on February 2, 2010 by Karen Rooker

The Department of Theatre and Performance Studies’ production of “Bat Boy: The Musical” as it took KSU’s Black Box Theater by storm from Jan. 26 to 31.  With sold-out performances, “Bat Boy” started the spring 2010 season with a bang, incorporating multimedia elements not often seen in traditional musicals.       However, “Bat Boy” is not your traditional musical.

The story was spawned from the tabloid of the Weekly World News depicting a half-man, half-bat creature. “Bat Boy” is a fusion of tragedy and comedy, juxtaposing stories of rape, violence, incest, murder and revenge with the comical ignorance of the townsfolk.  Despite all these elements, this contemporary rock musical tells the story of acceptance.

“Bat Boy” is set in the rural town of Hope Falls, W.Va.  From the very first moment, audience members become a part of the story, taking their seats in an old drive-in movie theatre.  The specificity and versatility of the set created a believable world in which scenes flowed seamlessly from one to the other. The element that contributed to the set’s believability may have been the car seat sofa, table created from the hood of a car, run-down drive-in theater metal railings or it could have been the fully climbable telephone pole. Regardless, Scenic Designer James Maloof should be commended for his creations. The pre-show video montage of classic sci-fi and horror films added to the dark and satirical mood of the production.

Another highlight was the black-and-white flashback video during the “Revelations” scene. Creating the world of “Bat Boy” inside a black box theater was also fully realized with talents of Costume Designer Jamie Bullins and Lighting Designer Ben Tilly.  However elaborate the technical elements of the production were, they only forward the overall story of the musical told by the characters. The protagonist, played by Chase Todd, was both endearing and foreboding.  Todd’s physicality and vocal talent allowed him to transform effortlessly from a feral creature to a British-accented scholar.

When asked about his specific preparation for the role, Todd said “For the role of Batboy, I began working on my music in late October…I worked every day to be completely memorized and solid by the time we continued rehearsal at the beginning of 2010…You know the saying, ‘practice makes perfect,’ well I might not be perfect, but I do strive for it every day. It was a true challenge to find the balance between Edgar’s animal instincts and his human mannerisms. From an acting stand point, I have never been challenged in this way.”

Senior Nicholas Morrett, freshman Sarah Peavy, senior Natalie Barrow and the energetic ensemble also assisted the story telling, with demanding stage presences matched with their exceptional vocal talent.

The production’s success could not be acclaimed without acknowledging the director, Dean Adams.  The author’s note prefacing the script, written by Kethe Farley, Brian Flemming and Laurence O’Keefe, states that, “[T]here is only one sure way to play this material-truthfully…If you play these characters sincerely and truthfully and to the hilt, you’ll get plenty of laughs and you’ll get much more.”  KSU’s production of “Bat Boy” does justice to those directions.

“Bat Boy” the musical was an incredibly challenging production that achieved standing ovations and sold-out houses. Todd sums up the experience by saying, “If you take away the lights, sound, set, costumes and everything extra-this is an amazing show. Laurence O’Keefe wrote a show about being different and the search for acceptance. I think every single person that sees this show can relate to that in some way. They may not have bat ears or a British accent in West Virginia, but everyone faces those challenges.”