The story about a boy who looked like a bat went viral in 1996, even though there was no social media. People read about him in The Weekly World News, a tabloid found at many grocery store checkout counters until it ceased publication in 2007. According to an article on The Atlantic magazine website, many people believed Bat Boy was real and very dangerous. However, this fabricated story was just one of thousands The Weekly World News regularly published. In addition to stories on Bat Boy, they also had pictures of him, and described him as a creature who was “half human and half bat.”
Weekly World News also had a TV show which featured a story on Bat Boy, which originally aired in 1996.
The Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre is currently performing Bat Boy: The Musical until May 18.
The musical is based on a book by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming,
the music and lyrics are by Laurence O’Keefe and it is directed by Rob LeGood.
The play is a musical comedy/horror show about a half boy/half bat creature who is discovered in a cave near Hope Falls, West Virginia. Taken to the family of the local veterinarian, Bat Boy is lovingly raised as one of their own, but when the townsfolk learn of his dark secret, will they embrace him or destroy him? Bat Boy: The Musical originally opened off-Broadway and quickly became a cult hit.
LeGood said, “When I lost my original music director, two weeks before auditions, it was challenging. We only had 10 weeks to get the show together. I reached out to Rachel Lewis and she became our musical director for the show coming in with about eight weeks left to go and she’s great.”
The play is emotional but also filled with humour, entertainment and a shocking storyline.
It is advertised for audiences 16 years of age and older. Tickets cost $15 to $20 plus fees.
LeGood said the whole point of the musical was to have the audience really embrace themselves and their inner child.
“The whole theme of the show is really about people who judge other people based on the way they look and just making judgment calls on them solely based on that. I encourage everyone just to really embrace their inner bat child and interests that make you different from everyone else.”
The Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre has been operating since 1931 and is located at 9 Princess St. E. in Waterloo. To help continue the delivery of quality community theatre, they accept donations online at
CanadaHelps.org
Photo by Manija Hamidullah.
