Holy Camp, Bat Boy! It’s Bat Boy The Musical at Burlington County Footlighters!

by Evan Harris

This has been one hell of a week, huh? I’m grateful for theatre when times are hard. My favorite shows have always been sources of comfort. Rent teaches us that when life feels unfair, love and friendship give us strength. Into the Woods reminds us that no one is alone. And Hadestown shows us that true love exists and you should never let your soulmate go once you find them. 

I also like shows like Bat Boy The Musical because it reminds me that even when the world seems completely messed up and insane, things could be worse. That being said, while the story of Bat Boy The Musical is grim, my night of seeing the show at Burlington County Footlighters was anything but.

Director Tim Herman and Assistant Director Alex Keith seem to have approached this production with a clear vision in mind: the show had a bit of a “The Play that Goes Wrong” vibe as it leaned into the absurdity of the story. Certain actors played multiple characters, even going so far as to having costume changes occur onstage. But the humor from that came from its intentionally slapdash nature: Actors often had little time to change so wigs were messy and improperly placed, the mayor (played by the talented Alex Davis-Dell’Olio) wore loosely laced red hi-tops because she also played a snot-nosed little brother, and some men who played women, did so with full beards. One of my favorite gags was when a certain character was killed, the actor went offstage and returning in their place was a skeleton wearing their clothing. But this skeleton was propped up by another actor awkwardly holding it in their hand before tossing it to the ground. These details created a hilariously chaotic atmosphere. 

That being said, there were moments when the cast leaned into real sincerity. Usually, I like that; comedy often hits harder when it’s grounded. But one particular scene (potential spoilers ahead) pushed it too far. When a shocking revelation makes it clear that two characters unknowingly committed a heinous act, their reactions were raw and devastating, as if it were happening in real life. For me, that sincerity broke the campy tone—I stopped having fun and just felt awful for them. I get the hesitation around joking about something so dark, but this show has no problem making child-murder a punchline. So why draw the line here? In this case, perhaps a more disgusted, campy reaction (gagging, running offstage to puke) would have kept the energy intact. Playing it straight made the moment feel too real. Overall, I thought the direction was really strong, but this scene was a misstep, for me personally. 

Choreography by Jen Kaiser was a lot of fun and made excellent use of the space. BC Footlighters doesn’t have the largest stage but the group numbers never felt too crowded. The choreography in the opening number was a particular standout. It was very fun, energetic, and dynamic to watch. Expertly carried out by our entire cast, especially the ensemble which included members Lizi Baldwin, Finn Hutchinson, Lisa Krier, Gianna Leonen, Maria Leonen Whittle, and Nick Williams. The ensemble danced in many numbers and maintained haunted, deadpan expressions as they watched the events of the story unfold. We also got a good taste of their humor during the opening number of Act 2 when they played a church choir. This whole cast was damn funny!

Music Director Elyse Viana deserves a lot of credit. A show like Bat Boy is easy to overlook, but it contains some big, challenging, impressive harmonies. I was blown away by the cast’s collective sound and harmonic unity. There were multiple harmonies where I audibly said “wow” as I was listening. This show sounded amazing and credit is also owed to Sound Designer Heidi Kleber. A live pit and a cast without microphones is a tough combo but I didn’t miss anything due to music competing with itself. Everything sounded great! The live pit, conducted by Peg Smith, was incredible. Pit members Talia Fisher, Mark Petti Jr., Andre Vermuelen, and Joe Stellwag brought power and energy, as well as impeccable musicianship, to every number. The ultimate highlight was when guitarist Mark Petti Jr…. actually, just see the show. I don’t want to spoil this one and you will want to see this.

But Petti isn’t the only heartthrob on stage! Nick Olszewski plays the titular character, the one and only Bat Boy, but more affectionately known as Edgar. It takes a courageous actor to be willing to run around a stage wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and fake pointy ears while painted head-to-toe to look sickly pale (unless those were your actual ears and that actually is your complexion, in which case: Nick, I am deeply sorry) but our lead actor does so with vigor! He had a great singing voice but it was his acting where he really shone. He had an almost cartoon-esque exuberance that was perfectly befitting of the character and comedic style of the show. Rounding out Edgar’s adoptive family was mom Meredith Parker, played by Liz Deal, father Dr. Thomas Parker, played by Mark Rebilas, and their daughter Shelley, played by Jamie Sheffer. All three actors had strengths that complimented each other as well as the production. Deal had some of the best comedic timing of the night; this is an actor that understands humor and turned several lines that could have been innocuous into big laughs. Rebilas played our antagonist and did so with Shakespearean gravitas. The melodrama he brought to every scene was delightful and I was always pleased to see him return to the stage for his scenes. And Sheffer’s lovely singing voice was matched only by the heart she brought to her character. Her chemistry with Edgar was just wonderful. Not an easy feat considering the unnerving, fanged face she was acting opposite (Nick, please just send us an email if I’m tragically misjudging this whole situation).

My favorite part of the show was the townsfolk, hands down. Actors Will Reid, Alex Davis-Dell'Olio, Moe Copeland, Jordan Debes, and Jesse Panico had me in tears. Watching them furiously switch costumes (expertly designed by Dot Berenbrok), and occasionally “refuse” to do so, just cracked me up. Every character played their characters as over-the-top caricatures but in a manner that enhanced the show while not distracting from it. I could write a dozen paragraphs about all the funny choices these actors made but I have a tendency to be verbose in these reviews. I would like to draw special attention to Will Reid for his hilariously psychotic portrayal of jock Rick Taylor; his performance reminded me of Starkid’s Nerdy Prudes Must Die so I thoroughly enjoyed him. Another shoutout for Jordan Debes. My goodness. Get this actor on SNL. A true comedienne. Everything out of Debes mouth had me belly laughing. And she made the most of every moment she was onstage; her reactions to other lines and her ad-libs were just so funny. Brava! In addition to our townsfolk, there was the hapless Sheriff Reynolds who was played by Abia Johnson. Watching this sheriff try and fail to keep things peaceful was so funny. He would deliver lines with a sense of preemptive defeat that really tickled me. His pre-show speech was also a delightfully whimsical way to get the boring stuff out of the way in a much more fun manner.

It wouldn’t be a Footlighters’ show if we didn’t talk about the irreplaceable Jim Frazier. This absolute legend builds some of the most stunning and technically impressive sets I’ve ever seen at the community theatre level. This show was no exception! The stage was set with cavern-esque detail and different locations were identifiable by the set pieces onstage and suspended above in the background. During the first transition, I enjoyed seeing three little bats fly down. But my jaw was on the floor when I realized the bats were cables hooked onto a collapsible, floating house backdrop that hid behind the set. Just ingenious. And we cannot forget the Lighting Design by Jim Frazier and Heidi Kleber which tied the set together. Overall, our scene transitions were done smoothly and efficiently. There were a few transitions that dragged a little longer than I would have preferred or were just a bit too chaotic, but I am confident these transitions will be just as tight as the rest by the time this review is published. Stage Manager Heidi Kleber and Assistant Stage Manager Anna Egan should be very proud of the stage crew and cast for keeping the show moving at a good pace for the vast majority of the show.

Bat Boy The Musical and this review have been a very nice distraction during a very challenging week for us all. Look, I’m not going to sit here and act as though a show about an anemic cave-dweller that eats bunnies has a strong ethos and a powerful message. But, I do believe there is something to be said about the townsfolk judging poor Edgar for his appearance and perceived threat to the community. All Edgar wants to do is live a normal life. Get a job. Get married. Contribute to the world and make something of himself. At the end of the day, that should be what everyone wants: to lead an honest, productive life while surrounded by people we love. So maybe what everyone really needs to do is learn how to, you know, shut up and mind your business? Let people live how they want and if it doesn't bother you, shut up? To me, that’s the true American Dream. Everyone just shutting the f*** up.

Bat Boy runs now through Saturday, September 27 and you can purchase tickets by clicking here: https://tickets.bcfootlighters.com/show/batboy