A comedy with little humor

People of all ages, from 50 years old to the very young, lined the lobby of the Wells-Metz Theatre a half-hour before admission to see the sold out performance of "Bat Boy: the Musical." Yet, if they were waiting for a comedy, that was not what they got. \nThe performance opened with a spotlight at the top of the theater. As he bounced and screeched down the stairs, the gorilla-like half-bat, half-boy revealed himself to the crowd. The fanged and pointy-eared beast looked like something out of a horror novel; just human enough to be scary. The pathetic, almost animal-like figure that is later transformed into a British-accented boy was played believably by Tom Hershner.\nIn the musical, Bat Boy is taken in by the town veterinarian, Dr. Parker, an insane and murderous man whose moments of anguish are memorable. Mrs. Parker, the doctor's wife, and her daughter dedicate themselves to making the creature into a civilized human being, and Bat Boy is embraced by the family - partly because the wife is willing to be on "good" terms with her husband if he doesn't kill the animal. The rest of the community wants Bat Boy to be the scapegoat for the town's recent economic hardships. They jeer and show their prejudices by ostracizing Bat Boy after his long struggle to fit in. \nAs with all musicals, the actors broke into songs to share their feelings. A series of catchy tunes and one-liners lightened the normally tension-filled air. The beer-bellied sheriff and men playing women gave a comedic feel to the group numbers and added an ironic contrast to the somber theme. Athletic and beautifully choreographed dance routines incorporated moves from 1930s swing to gospel revival style. \nAs the musical progressed, the ridiculousness came out in the far-fetched story of how Bat Boy was conceived. The ending has a shocking twist that is the opposite of funny. The idea might be to have an element of black comedy, but upon a deeper look the theme of prejudice is blatant.\nThe musical is played out in a cave set made of reddish-brown rock formations with a backdrop of the Weekly Work News, a fictitious supermarket tabloid. Though many of the scenes do not take place in a cave, the set was in tune with the playful theme. Spotlights and red-accent lighting added to the set, giving an eerie tone to the performance. A fire scene was beautifully done with a flame-like lighting technique behind a translucent screen. As lighting helped to give an ominous tone, costuming made for the most comedic part of the play. The costuming was complete with an Adam and Eve scene that included adult-sized animal costumes. The town stereotypes were revealed with costumes, including a mullet haircut and cowgirl jeans. Overall, the musical was entertaining, yet it had a sadness that did not leave room for laughter, but rather pondering prejudice. See it if you are looking for a dark drama with comedic parts, but not for a good laugh. "Bat Boy" will be playing at 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday at the Wells-Metz Theatre.