Bat Boy: The Musical
Bat Boy is an off -Broadway and West End musical. The history of the magazine " Weekly World News" about a figure half-man, half- bat found in a cave, Farley and Brian Flemming Keythe inspired to develop a stage implementation. Together with the American composer Laurence O'Keefe they wrote the play, which had its world premiere on Halloween 1997.
The Musical implementation differs greatly in the presentation of the Bat Boys of the message of the "Weekly World News". In the musical Bat Boy learns to speak by his family, accepted himself as the creature he is and tries to be a part of society. The presentation of the magazine is the bat boy, however, throughout as wild and bloodthirsty beast there.
The musical received several awards and great reviews from the New York Times and the New York Post, which spoke of a classic good and intelligent comedy.
History
In a cave, the children Rick, Ron and Ruthie Taylor of "Bat Boy" are incurred, a mix of bat and boy. Bat Boy is caught and the veterinarian Dr. Parker handed so he lulls him. Parkers wife Meredith, however, takes pity on the poor creatures and asks her husband to let him grow up in the family of Dr. Parker agrees -. hoping, in the abundant broken marriage may return the former harmony and passion.
So Bat Boy gets at the Parker home teaching and learning English from BBC tapes. Its first-class behavior is marred only occasionally hard-to -suppressive bouts of bloodlust. Last but not least Parkers daughter Shelley observed Bat Boys conversion of a creepy pet to a handsome young man with benevolence. However: is allowed to leave the house Bat Boy with his unusual appearance not. As in the village which is haunted by a mysterious cattle dying, a religious revival ceremony is to be celebrated, Bat Boy lusts. He does not want to be locked away longer and gestures to the crowd. The initial fear soon turns into a general festival of joy - until Dr. Parker appears and announces Bat Boys bite 've Ruthie Taylor killed. A chase begins. Bat Boy flees with Shelley in the woods, but finally asked. To save him, Meredith Parker reveals her terrible secret reluctant to Bat Boys origin - but it is too late to avert the bloody showdown.
Background
On June 23, 1992, the magazine Weekley World News reported on the discovery of a bat boy in a cave in West Virginia, the article published in the following week were persecuted by the American public with great attention. As it turned out later, was "Bat Boy" an invention of the magazine to stop the fall in circulation. In the summer of 1993 Keythe Farey and Brian Flemming acquired the stage rights to " Bat Boy" and wrote the book, which was provided by O'Keefe with songs in the style of rap, rock, ballad and revue.
The authors were from 1995, looking for a producer for the show, but all theaters rejected the piece from first, as it was regarded as too " flashy " for the general public. After a slight revision took place in autumn 1997, a first production at the Actors Gang Theatre in New York. After the great success in New York on Off- Broadway, a stage production was held in London, for whom the piece was further revised.
The German premiere was held in Munich in the German language, the staging was based heavily on the original American production, with critics deplored the partially successful translation. After a change of the German publishing house and a strong revision by the translator, the premiere of the new version in Wetzlar was held in 2008, for which the director further changes ( among other things, the order of the scenes and on the distribution of the text on the roles of producers), to the piece for the German audience to make it more accessible. In addition, two songs were sung in English in Wetzlar.