BAT BOY: The Musical at NYCC Encores! — Page 2

David Gordon of Theatremania is negative on the material, but admires the execution.

It definitely helps that this is one of the rare musicals where act 2 is way more exciting than act 1. I think dexter3 is on the money that if this were to be revised, it would have made more sense to tighten it up to a killer 90 minutes.

The Times is a rave.

MemorableUserName said: "NY Stage Review

Bat Boy: Musical: Bloodsucker Tale Is Way Too Batty

ByDavid Finkle

★★☆☆☆ At City Center, this allegedly true story, musicalized a nearly decade ago, tells a too-dull tale

https://nystagereview.com/2025/10/30/bat-boy-musical-bloodsucker-tale-is-way-too-batty"

Finkle is really such a terrible reviewer.

They use "Mine, All Mine"

Jordan Catalano said: "Well that was one of the best Encores productions I’ve ever seen."

So glad to see you say that. I've loved this show since I saw it during the Original Off Broadway run at Union Square, starring Deven May.

Saw it last night and loved it. I saw the original run decades ago, and while I missed some of the original material, I liked the changes for the most part. The sound was not the best, but it's City Center, and I'm used to it.

Incredible performances from Taylor Trensch (his physicality, warmth, and intensity) and Kerry Butler (WOWOWOW. Knocked Three Bedroom House out of the park). Christopher Sieber and Marissa Jaret Winokur are comedic geniuses.

My main highlight: Gabi Carrubba. I wasn't too familiar with her, but what a BRILLIANT performance. Crystal clear voice with incredible range. Sarcastic and witty sense of humor. And just so charming and moving throughout. I imagine it's difficult to play a role opposite the original actor, but she took on the challenge and crushed it. Casting directors should pay attention to her! What a star turn!

I thought this was excellent even if I found myself looking at my watch a few times.

If it moved to Broadway it would die a loud financial death.

See it if you can there were plenty of seats tonight!

I was there this afternoon and concur with the positive consensus. Butler is giving a career high performance, with Siebert establishing the needed grounding to make the story have stakes and plot credibility within the absurdity. Everyone is solid and it’s surprisingly comfortable in the huge space. I loved the original and enjoyed this better focused iteration. But a transfer to Broadway seems unwise, alas.

Updated On: 11/1/25 at 05:55 PM

I believe Deamboy3 nailed the problem in remounting a commercial production: the origin story of the material (if not the titular character) has a negative retro feel, tabloids a quaint part of pop culture in a pre-internet world. That wouldn't matter if the show had a more specific prism on a by-gone era, i.e., if this self-presented as the America of the early 80s. But treating it as a timeless tale of the outsider being bullied/worse hits a few walls with the actual plot. This outsider really does bite people and thirst for blood.

In the talkback yesterday, several people really hit on the misfit angle in the story as a universal. O'Keefe sidestepped it while recognizing that it's in the material's DNA for those who find it.

But at a certain point, allegory fails the Pygmalion story with the gnarly circumstantial stuff: how do we make room for a marginalized human whose hunger makes him predatory to survive?? I'll be accused of overthinking this, but it's the gap between this show and Little Shop. Little Shop is a story of an innocent corrupted, Seymour and Audrey are worthy of audience investment because they stumble into externals-dictated troubles rather than cause it. Bat Boy - and I won't give away its complex reveal - is harder sell as a cautionary tale, despite its Sweeney like entreaty to the audience about the beast within. (Doesn't the end satirize Sweeney? I'll answer: totally.)

The more obvious parallel is Carrie, another story of an outsider with a skill slash liability. But Carrie is pressed into violence; Bat Boy needs ... to eat. (Carrie, created in the pre-bullying focused America, actually grew into its theme: it had more gravitas post 2000 than in the 80s). In plan old musical theater terms, one asks: "What are we rooting for here?" For Edgar to curb his appetite if not his enthusiasm enough to find love? For a 2.5 hour show, do we need a more satisfying answer? Bad things happen to bad people in the end, but can we apply the take-away easily in 2025? That said, what a swell score, still.

Updated On: 11/2/25 at 09:02 AM

Auggie27 said: "I believe Deamboy3 nailed the problem in remounting a commercial production: the origin story of the material (if not the titular character) has a negative retro feel, tabloids a quaint part of pop culture in a pre-internet world. That wouldn't matter if the show had a more specific prism on a by-gone era, i.e., if this self-presented as the America of the early 80s. But treating it as a timeless tale of the outsider being bullied/worsehits a few walls with the actual plot. This outsider really does bite people and thirst for blood.

In the talkback yesterday, several people really hit on the misfit angle in the story as a universal. O'Keefe sidestepped it while recognizing that it's in the material's DNA for those who find it.

But at a certain point, allegory fails the Pygmalion story with the gnarly circumstantial stuff: how do we make room for a marginalized human whose hunger makes him predatory to survive??I'll be accused of overthinking this, but it's the gap between this show and Little Shop. Little Shop is a story of an innocent corrupted, Seymour and Audrey are worthy of audience investment because they stumble into externals-dictated troubles rather than cause it. Bat Boy - and I won't give away its complex reveal - is harder sell as a cautionary tale, despite its Sweeney like entreaty to the audience about the beast within. (Doesn't the end satirize Sweeney? I'll answer: totally.)

The more obvious parallel is Carrie, another story of an outsider with a skill slash liability. But Carrie is pressed into violence; Bat Boy needs ... to eat. (Carrie, created in the pre-bullying focused America, actually grew into its theme: it had more gravitas post 2000 than in the 80s). In plan old musical theater terms, one asks: "What are we rooting for here?" For Edgar to curbhis appetite if not his enthusiasm enoughto findlove?For a 2.5 hour show, do we need a more satisfyinganswer? Bad things happen to bad people in the end, but can we apply the take-away easily in 2025? That said, what a swell score, still."


It’s the classic “misunderstood monster” back from Hollywood Creature films. He’s kinda Frankenstein.

It’s a fantasy.
Not every high concept fantasy tale has a direct real world connection.