A Bat Lands in Chaffey's Theatre

From the October 20, 2008 edition of The Breeze.

By Donel Williams

In the true spirit of Halloween, the Chaffey College Theater Department will be performing Bat Boy: The Musical.
But what is Bat Boy?

"It isn't Batman; it has nothing to do with Batman," director Christa Havenhill expressed with a smile.

Bat Boy's story was written by Keythe Farley and Brian Fleming with lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe. Based on the Weekly World News article, the plot surrounds half boy/half bat creature, played by Luis A. Rodriguez, who is discovered in a cave in a small West Virginia town.

The musical was an Off-Broadway success, and its lack of mainstream attention made it a wonderful addition to the Chaffey theater season.

"Our theater department just wanted to do something different to expose our students to not so mainstream productions," Havenhill said. "This is something a little bit different."

Shows such as Bat Boy and The Children's Hour are polar opposites in comparison to the more mainstream performances of the past, which included The Wiz and Grease.

Havenhill notes the performance of Rodriguez as the lead character as "endearing." Indeed, the the story does have a redeeming quality.

"It's a hugely entertaining production. Expect a lot of laughs, but at the heart of it, there's a deeper question."

Production quality will be top notch, featuring a professional four-person band, as well as an aimpressively designed stage.

Bat Boy: The Musical will open Thursday, Oct. 23, and play through Saturday, Nov. 1 at the Chaffey Theater. Tickets are on sale now for $10 with a student ID, $12 without. Seats may be reserved by calling the box office at (909) 652-6067.

On Halloween, a special showing will be held, complete with a costume contest. This showing will be held at 9 p.m.

Bat Boy is rated PG-13 for subject matter.