LYNN — Poor Bat Boy. Just because he looks different from everyone else in the appropriately named Hope Falls, WVa., he’s treated like a pariah and blamed for every catastrophe that befalls the dying town. Sure, his ears are ginormous and his canine teeth could rip apart a small dog, but a plastic surgeon and orthodontist could correct that, no prob.
The production of “Bat Boy the Musical” presented by Arts After Hours through Sunday at LynnArts’ Black Box theater starts promisingly, as the three doped-up white trash Taylor teens explore a pitch black cave and are scared out of their wits by the half-bat/half-boy creature living there.
The spelunkheads capture it and bring it home. The sheriff delivers Bat Boy (Matthew Corr) to the home of Dr. Parker (Eric Rehm), the alcoholic town veterinarian, who, it’s expected, will put him down.
But the doctor’s wife, Meredith (Kerrin Mullen), and daughter, Shelley (Abby Seidel), take a liking to Bat Boy and house him in a large pet crate. Despite his constant shrieking, they decide to keep him and rename him Edgar. Dr. Parker is ready to euthanize Bat Boy, until the promise of sex by his indifferent wife earns Edgar a reprieve.
Turns out music soothes the savage Edgar and, thanks to Meredith’s mothering and BBC language tapes, he is soon speaking with a British accent, dressing like golfer Nick Faldo and brewing tea. The misunderstood boy even earns his GED.
So far, so good. This show might not measure up to Arts After Hours’ previous Halloween productions, including last year’s delicious “Silence of the Lambs” parody, but there’s a lot to like — and laugh at — here.
Most of my concerns have to do with the book’s writers, Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming, who were inspired by fake news in the Weekly World News tabloid about a bat child escaping from a cave. They can’t seem to decide whether this should be an outrageous campy hoot or a satirical, sentimental tale that draws parallels to how prejudiced, holier-than-thou humans treat their fellow man. It’s a bit of both, which dilutes its impact.
Having said that, the audience at last Saturday’s matinee appeared to be having a bloody good time.
My concerns were true, as well, of the 2003 SpeakEasy Stage production that left me unimpressed. It won an Elliot Norton award, which shows you what I know. Critics raved, in part because at the time there weren’t many, if any, shows like “Bat Boy the Musical.” Today, with “Avenue Q,” “Urinetown,” “Young Frankenstein” and similar musicals pushing boundaries and winning Tonys, this is tame indeed.
Director James Tallach gets fine performances from his talented hard-working Arts After Hours cast.
Corr, as Bat Boy/Edgar, is especially good. He’s funny during the transformation scene, heartfelt trying to convince the townies he’s not an animal during the lively revival meeting scene that opens Act Two, and in the “Inside Your Heart” duet with Seidel, who is fine throughout.
Mullen, a graduate of the Salem State University theater program, shines as Edgar’s biggest supporter. She is a lovely singer; her “Three Bedroom House” duet with Seidel is one of the highlights here.
Rehm might ham it up a bit too much as the mad doctor, but he shows real acting chops in his quieter moments when he wishes his Meredith showed him more affection. His strong voice also rings true.
Kudos, too, to the ensemble cast that plays multiple roles each: Shane Smith, Cara Guappone, Craig Fox, Elizabeth Jelinek, Samantha Gambaccini and Brit Christopher. (Be sure to read Gambaccini and Christopher’s humorous bios in the program book.)
“Bat Boy The Musical” could use a bit more bite, and it could bare its teeth a bit more often, but it’s definitely a fun evening of live entertainment.
“Bat Boy the Musical,” Arts After Hours, at Lynn Arts, 25 Exchange St., Lynn, through Sunday. Tickets at 781-205-4010 or artsafterhours.com.
