Tag Archives: Pat Towne

Musical Review: Bat Boy: The Musical

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A boy with pointy ears and fangs found in a cave, a seductive mother mourning her kids, and a disturbing case of sexual abuse by a colony of bats. Hey, the story comes from a supermarket tabloid, what can you expect?

If that’s not bizarre enough, the story has been turned into a musical. But do not expect a production with the vampiric and Gothic looks of Tim Burton’s style. Director Pat Towne chooses a more vanilla approach to present the story. The color palette leans more towards the pastel tones, moving away from the dark colors usually associated with horror or mystery themes. The choices in this case bring out the comedic aspect of the play. The hilarity is present even in the most dramatic scenes.

Ron (Isaac Council), Rick (Ethan Remez–Cott), and Ruthie (Sandra Kate Burck) are exploring a cave when they find Bat Boy (Ben Raanan), hiding in the shadows. Bat Boy bites Ruthie, who is taken to the hospital. Meanwhile, Ron and Rick take Bat Boy to Dr. Parker (Scott Mosenson), the local veterinarian. Moved by compassion, Meredith (Robyn Roth), Dr. Parker’s wife, takes Bat Boy under her wing and teaches him English, how to dress, and how to behave politely. She also gives him a name: Edgar. As for Shelley (Bethany Koulias), Dr. Parker’s teenage daughter, she feels disgusted by Edgar’s appearance and screams. But just like King Kong, Beauty and the Beast, and The Shape of Water, the pretty girl and the monster fall in love with each other. Shelley and Edgar let sexual instincts take over, without realizing the tragedies that lie ahead.

Even though the story might not be that compelling—all it’s a fantastical tale—the director and his actors make sure to deliver a visceral comedy with hints of humanism and compassion. At the end, the production proves to be a decadent display of dark humor, presenting themes of religion, discrimination, and ferality in humans.

The musical numbers lighten the darkness of the topics depicted in the play. The music is rather poppy, something similar to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, a pop song mocking the horror genre. In Bat Boy: The Musical, not only the horror genre is mocked, religion and society at large are also targeted.

For example, the gathering for the revival, a celebration to renew Christian devotion, is an opportunity for the residents of the small town to practice some good Christian heart and accept Edgar without any fear, ending his punishing ostracism. Encouraged by the benevolent Reverend Hightower (Chima Rok), the residents seem to finally accept Edgar into the community.

However, a jealous Dr. Parker turns the residents against Edgar, blaming him for the death of Ruthie. In a strange form of “baby envy”, Dr. Parker can’t stand the fact that his wife Meredith is now paying more attention to Edgar. In a fit of rage, Dr. Parker kills Ruthie with a lethal injection, blaming Edgar’s biting as the cause of her death. Long story short, the Christian revival turns into a fight, a renewed call to kill Edgar, and the killing of Rick by Dr. Parker. Yes, two and counting for him. Adding bizarreness to the scene is the dramatic, almost orgasmic mourning of Rick and Ruthie’s mom, Mrs. Taylor (Rebecca Larsen), who demands the immediate killing of Edgar. Revival of Christian values? Not so much. It’s so chaotic that even the Reverend takes flight, but not without his lectern.

The set. Minimalist. The attention here is the excellent acting and the sensationalist story. The lighting. The contrast and the hues add mood and intensity to the story, highlighting the emotional state of the characters. The special effects show the creativity of the team to impact the comedy of the play. Even the gang bang by the bats is hilarious.

Towne brings the absurdity of Weekly World News to the stage in mesmerizing fashion. His cast and creative team achieve a one-of-a-kind production, with excellent live music to energize the ambiance in every musical number. This musical is a testament that even tragedies can be highly entertaining. Add bats and fangs to the mixture and you have a hybrid of Batman and Dracula. And that’s a proven win.

Bat Boy: The Musical

Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039
• FREE parking in the ATX (Atwater Crossing) lot one block south of the theater.

• Performances: March 1 through April 6:
• Click here to view the performance schedule, which varies throughout the run.

Tickets: openfist.org

Book by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming. Music and Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe. Directed by Pat Towne. Amanda Weier and Christian Lebano co-produce for Open Fist Theatre Company. Presented by Open Fist Theatre Company, Martha Demson, artistic director.

Cast: Ben Raanan, Sandra Kate Burck, Isaac Council, Hutchins Foster, Carmella Jenkins, Bethany Koulias, Michael Lanahan, Rebecca Larsen, Amir Levi, Scott Mosenson, Ethan Remez–Cott,  Ziare Rene, Beth Robbins, Chima Rok, Robyn Roth and Grace Soens.

Creative team: Scenic designer Brad Bentz; lighting designer Brandon Baruch; sound designer Christopher Moscatiello and mixer Alex Hix; costume designer Michael Mullen; and graphic designer D. Morris. The production stage manager is John Dimitri.

THE BAND:
Mike Flick – Bass
Jim Miller -Drums
Sean Paxton – Keyboards
Kevin Tiernan – Guitar

Theatre Review: A Froggy Becomes

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The World Premiere of A Froggy Becomes is presented by Open Fist Theatre Company. Written by Becky Wahlstrom. Directed by Pat Towne. Produced by Martha Demson.

Bumpy Diggs (Sandra Kate Burck, A Midsummer Night’s Dream) needs to complete her middle school project, but she can’t find anyone to help her with the assignment. She is somehow dating her classmate Pat (Kyle Tomlin), but she also develops a crush on her classmate Allen (Tom Sys), who is dating Karen (Kyra Grace). Bumpy’s father is a violent ogre (Peter Breitmayer) who spends the day drinking and smoking. And her mother (Johanna McKay) is having an affair with a priest, Father Angelo (Michael Lanahan). Yes, a lot of drama in the life of such a young girl.

Playwright Becky Wahlstrom incorporates elements of magical realism to symbolize the perspective of a girl going through the challenging years of puberty. Some of the fantastical elements are visual, like the large puppet in the form of an ogre. Some are psychological. Fantasies that only happen in Bumpy’s head, like her idealistic love for Allen or the idea that she and her mother could pursue a happier life with Father Angelo. Maybe the blending of fantasy and reality is a survival strategy for someone like Bumpy, a girl coming from a dysfunctional family.

Navigating through puberty proves to be exciting, frightening, and painful. Wahlstrom presents a character dealing with a teenager’s rite of passage: First love, first kiss, the pressure of school assignments, and the ups and downs of romantic relationships, including the dreadful heartbreak. How can Bumpy survive this rollercoaster of emotions? Maybe Madonna’s music can help a little bit. After all, this is the 80s, colorful clothes and all.

Director Pat Towne focuses on the performances of the actors and highlights the comedic aspects of the script, creating a play with a minimalistic set design and strong performances. Sandra Kate Burck does a fantastic job, carrying most of the play on her shoulders. She has excellent comedic timing and delivers a convincing performance throughout the play. The ogre adds much of the magical realism to the play, stressing both the comedy and the uneasiness of the story.

The play features the transition between the naiveness of childhood and the brutality of life, including intrafamily violence. Broken dreams seem to welcome Bumpy into adulthood, but also open up her eyes into the possibilities beyond the horizon, exploring adventure, growth, and new beginnings. Not bad for a story that starts with a simple seventh grade project, an ogre in underwear, a horny priest, and a self-determined teenage girl.

A Froggy Becomes

Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039
• FREE parking in the ATX (Atwater Crossing) lot one block south of the theater.

Performances: March 9–April 13
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: March 15; March 22; March 29; April 5; April 12
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: March 9 (Opening Night); March 16; March 23; March 30; April 6;
April 13
• Sundays at 7 p.m.: March 10; March 17; March 24; March 31; April 7

Tickets: openfist.org

Written by Becky Wahlstrom. Directed by Pat Towne. Starring Deandra Bernardo, Peter Breitmayer, Sandra Kate Burck, Kyra Grace, Jeremy Guskin, Ana Id, Carmella Jenkins, Michael Lanahan, Johanna McKay, Bradley Sharper, Tom Sys, Kyle Tomlin. Presented by Open Fist Theatre Company, Martha Demson, artistic director. Creative team: Scenic designer Jan Munroe, costume designer Mylette Nora, lighting designer Matt Richter, sound designer Marc Antonio Pritchett, prop masters Bruce Dickinson and Ina Shumaker, and puppet designer Joe Seely. The production stage manager is John Dimitri, and the assistant director is CJ Merriman.