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Friday, May 1, 2009
Review: Carrollwood Players' Bat Boy The Musical
Posted by Denis Baldwin on Fri, May 1, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Bat Boy The Musical is a great show, and the current Carrollwood Players production does it justice. Read on for my review and more photos of the show.
Based on a story in the Weekly World News, Bay Boy is a musical comedy/horror show about a half boy/half bat creature who is discovered in a cave near Hope Falls, West Virginia. For lack of a better solution, the local sheriff brings Bat Boy to the home of the town veterinarian, Dr. Parker, where he is eventually accepted as a member of the family and taught to act like a "normal" boy by the veterinarian's wife, Meredith, and teenage daughter, Shelley.
Bat Boy is happy with his new life, but when he naively tries to fit in with the narrow-minded people of Hope Falls, they turn on him, prodded by the machinations of Dr. Parker, who secretly despises Bat Boy. Shelley and Bat Boy, who have fallen in love, run away together from the ignorant townsfolk and have a blissful coupling in the woods, but their happiness is shattered when Meredith arrives and reveals a secret. Soon the entire town arrives and hears the shocking story of Bat Boy's unholy origin.
The performances by the Carrollwood Players were great. Ryan Bintz plays Edgar, the Batboy, with accuracy and heart. The character requires a depth that can both scare and amuse, and Bintz takes a hearty bite out of the role.
Jessella Jaramillo takes on the part of Shelley, a spoiled and rebellious teenager who at first rejects the Bat Boy, calling him names and talking down to him. As their relationship grows, so does their love. The chemistry between Jaramillo and Bintz is palpable.
Wendy Starkand is convincing as Shelley's mother Meredith. Her match with Keir Walton's Dr. Parker reflects the give and take of any marriage on the rocks, divided further by the arrival of the Bat Boy. Dr. Parker's dark stare and stiff brow bring a hard edge to a character whose villainy ultimately comes to the surface.
The rest of the cast was exceptional as well. The songs are all creepily funny (Love me Bat Boy! Hold me Bat Boy!) and keep the action moving. Running around two hours with an intermission, the production moves quickly and the story is well told. While some points of the story involve adult themes (incest, rape, interspecies erotica), the scenes aren't graphic and this would be acceptable for most PG-13 audiences.
Bat Boy will run through May 16. Details can be found here:
http://www.carrollwoodplayers.com/0809_batboy.php
Denis Baldwin can be seen crashing dramatic performances and other events at his own website, MyTampaLife.com.
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