‘Bat Boy’ opens at Growing Stage July 25

Two points need to be clarified about “Bat Boy: The Musical.” It has nothing to do with costumed crime-fighters in Gotham City, nor does it in any way involve baseball.

“Bat Boy: The Musical” centers on Edgar, a half-human/half-bat creature found in a cave in West Virginia. Edgar tries to find acceptance and even love in a town that fears him - a struggle complicated by his appearance and his penchant for drinking blood.

The musical’s book by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming was inspired by a lurid cover story that appeared in a 1992 issue of Weekly World News, the tabloid newspaper.

Not exactly Rogers and Hammerstein, is it? Nonetheless, “Bat Boy: The Musical” has won a cult following since its debut in 1997. Fans praise its quirky mix of horror and comedy, as well as its score by Laurence O’Keefe.

“It’s a little bit dark and very funny,” says Nikole Rizzo of Highlands, who is directing and choreographing the show for The Growing Stage – The Children’s Theatre of New Jersey in Netcong.

The musical is part of the theater’s Studio Series Production program. Rizzo and musical director Melinda Bass O’Neill are overseeing a cast composed of high school and college students. The production opens Saturday, July 25.

Rizzo observes that the idiosyncratic “Bat Boy” is an unusual choice for The Growing Stage, which normally presents more family-friendly fare.

“You could approach this show a couple of ways,” she says. “You can make it serious or make it silly. We’re pushing the comedic part.”

Nonetheless, Rizzo adds that the show is not recommended for very young audiences. “We purposely made our poster for the show a little scary,” she says.

Despite the horror elements, “Bat Boy” actually has a sweet message. “It’s a show about taking responsibility for your actions,” Rizzo says.

She also points out the variety in the score. “You have songs that are Broadway, but you also have country, rock, ballads, and other styles,” Rizzo says. “I like that.”

Mikey Miller of Florham Park, who will don pointed ears when he plays Edgar in the Growing Stage production, agrees that the show speaks to audiences. “This is a story about trying to find the good in everything and everyone,” he says.

Despite his appearance and some of his actions, Edgar (not unlike the Frankenstein monster) is more misunderstood than malevolent, according to Miller. The distrust of the townspeople of Hope Falls, WV, represents the true evil.

“I believe Bat Boy is good, but the townspeople turn him into the monster they think he is,” says Miller.

Edgar’s changing moods and outré make-up will be a challenge for Miller, a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania who is making his Growing Stage debut. “I’ve never played a role as difficult as this one, and I’m really enjoying it,” he says.

Rizzo – an Equity actor who has been a teaching artist at The Growing Stage for seven seasons - says she has been impressed by Miller and the rest of the “Bat Boy” cast. “They’re very talented. Everyone has been working hard,” she says.

“The great thing about The Growing Stage is that these people, at this age, are getting a taste of the professional side of the theater,” Rizzo says. “There’s always a learning opportunity in rehearsals.”

Rizzo and Miller both hope that audiences will come to “Bat Boy: The Musical” with an open mind. “It’s not a show that’s done often,” Rizzo says. “But I think it will surprise people.”

BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL

WHAT: This quirky show mixes horror and comedy to tell the story of a part-bat/part-human and his efforts to find acceptance in a society that hates and fears him. The plot was inspired by a lurid story that ran in the Weekly World News tabloid newspaper.

Not recommended for very young children.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, July 25 and Aug. 1; 4 p.m. Sundays, July 26 and Aug. 2

WHERE: The Growing Stage – The Children’s Theatre of New Jersey, Route 183,

7 Ledgewood Ave., Netcong

TICKETS: $12 (discount for groups)

INFORMATION: 973-347-4946 or www.growingstage.com