Build Date: Thu Nov 6 22:20:42 2025 UTC
You can begin with good smart people and an unbound optimism and in no time at all, everything can disintegrate. Threats and blows can fly; men once tame and meek can bloody the faces of friend and stranger. It's pretty fucking cool.
-- Mr. Bad
Bat Boy -- The Musical
2006-11-06 10:55:06
The mountains are a horrible place to raise cows. No doubt about it. When people try, strange things happen. Like Bat Boy.
There's something sadistic about musicals in this town as of late. A case-in-point was the runaway raunchiness of "Debbie Does Dallas." It should come as no surprise that the latest oddity in the stage musical genre is being offered by several people responsible for bringing Debbie to her knees--er, I mean, dreams.
"Bat Boy--The Musical" could have taught Elton John and Bernie Taupin a few things about bringing the undead to the stage via sustained notes and a live orchestra. BB skips the self-important dramatics and relies heavily on camp. Presented in almost "Li'l Abner" fashion by James Iglehart, this lightly moralistic romp through a hillbilly town's hysteria when something odd is brought up from the local abandoned mine by a few intrepid slackers. Like a far more incestuous "Edward Sissorhands," Bat Boy becomes the focus of all life in this hickoid hellhole where a good year at the slaughterhouse is all the locals can ask for.
There are several standouts in the cast. DaRon Williams is absolutely hilarious in each of the roles he plays, with a deft sense of timing and delivery. Leanne Borghesi does a frightening job of channeling Faye Dunaway's channeling of Joan Crawford without getting as creepy as the latter. Eli Newsom manages well enough as Bay Boy, though some characterizations he presents could use a little more free-thinking and exploration. Nonetheless, he is enjoyable and fits well with his supporting cast.
BB--TM takes some odd chances and the payoff from them is variable. Sometimes poignant, sometimes tragic, and sometimes just the unvarnished truth about who and what we are as Americans. If the opening number starts to put you off, hang in there for the next scene and let the fun run away with you. This is a great show to go see and have your everyday world comically distanced from you. It's silly, it's bloody, it's goofy and light. Don't think of it as a musical; consider it a classic horror piece with a pulse.
Riding hard on the heels of All Hallow's, this show runs through November 12th at the Ray of Light Theater in San Francisco. For tickets and information, head for: roltheatre.com.
T O P S T O R I E S
California Glory Hole attracts huge crowds
A glory hole at Napa's Lake Berryessa is drawing huge crowds. According to Chris Lee, the general manager for the Solano County Water Agency, the glory hole hasn't been active since 2019, and only restarted operations on Feb 4. (More...)
Republican State Senator busted after soliciting a teenage girl
Republican State Senator Justin Eichorn of Minnesota was arrested for soliciting a teen girl on Monday just hours after he introduced a bill proposing "Trump derangement syndrome" (TDS) as a form of mental illness. (More...)
Parents claim measles is not that bad after having only one child die
The parents of a Texas girl who died from the measles are defending their decision not to vaccinate their daughter. "She says they would still say 'Don't do the shots,'" an unidentified translator for the parents said. "They think it’s not as bad as the media is making it out to be." (More...)
Delusional rich man tries to fire town staff
"I'm mayor now" said write-in mayoral candidate and founder of Pirate’s Booty Snacks Robert Ehrlich after losing the election for Mayor of Sea Cliff, NY. Then he tried to take over the Village Hall and fire everyone. (More...)
Musk claims Xitter security is staffed by idiots
Earlier this month Xitter experienced a massive outage. In an interview, Musk told Fox Business that he believes the attack came from "IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area." (More...)
The Future Ain't What It Used To Be
Ideas have taken horrifying shape and rooted into our modern reality. (More...)
C L A S S I C P I G D O G
A Blast from the Past! Pao Tzu goes over and under the crucial variables in the production and consumption of Salvia Divinorum. A must read for psychonauts of all stripes. (More...)
Our man Daemon Agent checks out the heavy heavy sounds of crazy space surf rockers Man or Astroman?. (More...)
Still Up For the Party? America's Dance Floors Are Graying
Raving over 30 doesn't have to be embarassing anymore. (More...)
Another Spocktail from the beverage researchers at SMRL: Home of The Deathwave Bar & Grill! (More...)
Vacationing from Somnambulant Narrow Realities
So about six months ago, I was chilling in Chang Mai, Thailand with ICBINJ, perursing the Bangkok Times over my banana pancake and Big Chang breakfast when I spotted this article reprinted from the LA Times. It was about some kooks from California (where else?) who were claiming to have been to the front lines in Afgahnistan in mid-December and had recorded the whole feat on their website. "Holy Fuck!" I thought, "Now That's web journalism. Who are these guys!?" (More...)
Body and Soul, a night of fucking in San Francisco
For the benefit of Pigdog readers, I took it upon myself to explore the deep frontiers of human behavior and attend a saucy festival of the flesh. This was no ordinary fete of carnal delights, dearie. (More...)
