Offbeat ‘Bat Boy: The Musical’ is campy fun with a message

Oh what creative minds can cook up in a laboratory. Start with a riff on 1950s cheesy horror B-movies and add characters blended together from "The Dukes of Hazzard," "Mama's Family," "Father Knows Best" and "All My Children," — the result is the serio-comic cult classic "Bat Boy: The Musical."

This Bat Boy is not in any way related to Bruce Wayne or part of the DC Comics Universe. Rather, the title character was inspired by a lurid tabloid headline: "Bat Child Found in Cave!," from a June 23, 1992, Weekly World News edition, complete with freaky photograph of a screeching younger Eddie Munster look-a-like, with bat-like features.

Writers Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming took this "What If?" premise and expanded it into a goofy comedy-drama, emphasizing a theme of prejudice and tolerance.

Music and lyrics are by Laurence O'Keefe, who later composed "Legally Blonde: The Musical" and 'Heathers: The Musical." Originally performed in 1997, the show made it to off-Broadway in 2001.

Appealing to those who like offbeat, audacious live theater, "Bat Boy" is both campy and surreal. For instance, the outrageous opening number is "Hold Me, Bat Boy" and another company number, "Children, Children" features a Ram-horned Pan leading all the creatures of the jungle/forest in song.

Stray Dog Theatre's spirited production maximized a versatile cast of 10, with six portraying 22 supporting roles.

Anchored by the bravura performance of Corey Fraine as the humanoid creature, now dubbed "Edgar," the intrepid ensemble embraced this weird hybrid with much enthusiasm.

In Hope Falls, W. Va., three teenage spelunkers — Rick, Ron and Ruthie Taylor, find a deformed bat-like creature in a cave and capture it like an animal. The sheriff drops it off at the local veterinarian's home.

Dr. Parker's stay-at-home wife Meredith takes a shine to the Bat Boy, and begs to keep him. Similar to George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion," she transforms him into a learned man, who works hard on his social graces and now speaks in a British accent.

But the fearful townsfolk are furious the creature wasn't euthanized, blaming him for Ruthie Taylor's long hospitalization from a bite. He's their scapegoat now for their underfed, under-producing cows that keep dying.

A lynch mob mentality grows and it looks like vigilante justice will seize the day. But oh, the deceptions and secrets that lie ahead.

Fraine is a marvel of motion, his lithe frame contorted as the wild-child, who then must subvert his animal instincts as a boy yearning for acceptance. His eager-to-please renditions of "Let Me Walk Among You" and "Apology to a Cow" are standouts.

As unhappily married couple Dr. and Mrs. Parker, Patrick Kelly and Dawn Schmid excel at playing their melodramatic roles straight, infusing them with feeling.

Both superb vocalists, they are strong in several numbers — Schmid with Fraine in "A Home for You" and with Angela Bubash in "Three Bedroom House," and Kelly in "Dance with Me, Darling" with the company.

Bubash conveys the right tone for moody schoolgirl Shelley Parker, also delivering feisty vocals, from "Ugly Boy" to the romantic duet "Inside Your Heart" with Fraine.

The supporting cast has fun with multiple roles, mostly broad caricatures of rednecks, racists, hypocrites and self-righteous religious zealots.

Colin Dowd, of Glen Carbo,n disappears into the persnickety busybody Mrs. Taylor, and is amusing as the character grows more judgmental. He delivers a strong "Mrs. Taylor's Lullaby," and plays the grieving mother with genuine feeling.

It's common for roles to be gender-swapped in this show, and both Sara Rae Womack, as Ron Taylor, and Lindsey Jones, as Ned and Clem, transition with ease.

Womack is impressive as the town's female mayor Maggie, while Jones has a couple hilarious hospital scenes as the stricken Ruthie Taylor.

Mike Wells, of Belleville, plays five characters, showcasing his powerful vocal and comedic talents. He is the bully Rick Taylor in "Whatcha Wanna Do?" with Bubash and is fleet-footed as the evangelist Rev. Billy Hightower in "A Joyful Noise."

Josh Douglas, of Troy, captured the local lawman well, Sheriff Reynolds, sturdy in "Christian Charity." He also has a drag part, as Delilah, as does a very funny Tim Kaniecki as Daisy. His agility helps convey the trippy Pan and the slow-witted Bud.

Justin Been, always a passionate director, worked both the playful nature of the script and the underlying pathos, striking the right tone throughout.

Rob Lippert's scenic design smartly built up the cave crevices so that there could be movement above and below. Lippert, of O'Fallon, has been designing for the Tower Grove Abbey space for several years now, and knows how to effectively get the most from a minimum amount of space.

Tyler Duenow's lighting design worked well with the set, amplifying the moods and times of day.

Music director Chris Petersen's four-piece band, perched above the cave, capably handled the variety of music styles featured in the score. — solid with rock, rap and the ballads, but sometimes the band overpowered the singers, and it was hard to discern the lyrics.

Mike Hodges' vibrant choreography was a highlight, especially in the opening number. Cara Hoppes McCulley's costume designs nailed the characters, particularly Meredith's June Cleaver-esque ensembles.

Passionate performances make "Bat Boy" a fun experience, with plenty of feeling. The show is dedicated to their late production manager, Jay V. Hall. He would be proud, beaming his ever-present sunny smile. His presence, while not physically there at the box office to greet everyone, was palpable in spirit.

The admiration that Stray Dog had for Hall comes through in this production. Bravo for carrying on under difficult, tragic circumstances.

This story was originally published August 9, 2016 at 12:24 PM with the headline "Offbeat ‘Bat Boy: The Musical’ is campy fun with a message."