[NEohioPAL]BERKO REVIEWS: BAT BOY and POINTE OF DEPARTURE

[Roy Berko]

A DYNAMIC DUO:  ‘BAT BOY’ AND POINT OF DEPARTURE AT
CAIN PARK

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	


BAT BOY, A FUN-FILLED FLIGHT OF FANTASY AT CAIN PARK

The headlines in the tabloids state:"Batboy Found In
W.Virginia Cave," 
"Batboy Escapes," "New Wave Of Batboy Sightings!," and
" Batboy Attacks Girl, 10!".

What is this all about?  According to the Weekly World
News, the Bat Boy saga began in 1992 when the 19-pound
mutant, described by scientists as half human and half
bat, was captured in a cave in Virginia's Shenandoah
Mountains.  Supposedly, the strange creature had
enormous amber eyes that enabled him to see in the
dark and oversized ears that worked like radar!  The
feisty creature was taken to a secret federal
laboratory near Wheeling, W.Va., where experts from
all over the world came to study him. In 1993 and
again in 1994, government officials denied rumors that
Bat Boy had escaped from the lab and was on the loose.
His present whereabouts are unknown.

And what does that have to do with the theatre? 
Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming decided to write the
story into a stage production.  Laurence O’Keefe added
the music and lyrics.  The results?  ‘BAT BOY: THE
MUSICAL’ made its Off Broadway debut in 2001.  It
developed an instant cult following and was selected
as the Best Off-Broadway musical that year.   

The musical ostensibly tells the tale of finding the
Bat Boy and his struggle to assimilate and gain
societal acceptance against great odds.  It takes on a
‘MY FAIR LADY’ meets sci-fi horror aura as Bat Boy is
taught how to behave like a respectable citizen and
finds out the "real" story of his conception.   The
moral?  Who cares!  It’s the over-all effect of the
production that matters.  You go to see ‘BAT BOY: THE
MUSICAL’ to be entertained.  It’s the National
Inquirer version of theatre.

Director Victoria Bussert, not only has the talent to
unearth wonderful unknown scripts, like ‘AVENUE X’ and
‘SIDE SHOW,’ but also todirect them with ingenuity. 
She has done it again.  Add the creative
bat-in-action/townsfolk-in-panic choreography by
Janiece Kelley-Kiteley, and the power-packed (but
often ear shattering) music by Leonard DiCosimo, and
you have a fun, fun show.

As for the music, you’ve never heard any of it.  And
that matters little.  You’ll laugh your way through
such ditties as "Another Dead Cow" and "Show You a
Thing or Two." "Inside Your Heart" is the strangest
love song every written.  "A Home For You" and ""Let
Me Walk Among You" are beautiful ballads.  "Children,
Children" is a hysterically funny, raunchy number
featuring stuffed animals. (You have to see it to
believe it.)

The cast is wonderful.  There is not a weak link in
the group. The ten actors/singers play about a zillion
different roles, changing wigs and costumes and
characters with lightning speed, while singing with
aplomb, displaying enough energy to set a rocket in
flight, while dancing like maniacs, and having one
heck of a good time.   

Gary Walker is Bat Boy incarnate.  He hangs from the
rafters, sings with gusto, textures the role with
pathos, and captivates the audience.  Adina Bloom is
wonderful as his ditzy "mother." She hits and holds
high notes that could shatter a glass.  Scott Plate is
obviously having a ball playing Dr. Parker, a true
melodrama character.   Emily Krieger is both funny and
tender as Bat Boy’s "sister" and lover...don’t ask me
to explain that combo!  Patrick Janson, Phillip
Carroll, Alana Simone Purvis, Hannah Laird, Fabio
Polanco and Mitch McCarrrell all are terrific in their
gender-bender switching and fast- change roles.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:   ‘BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL’ is the
kind of theatre that will  appeal to only certain
audience members.  You have to go to fun, realizing
that you are participating in a tabloid fantasy and be
willing to set aside all your traditional beliefs
about what theatre should be.  You need to just let
Bussert, Kelley-Kiteley, DiCosimo and the wonderful
cast take you on a fun-filled flight of fantasy.  If
some local theatre has any brains it will sign up the
cast and put the show in an open-ended run.   The cult
following will develop quickly.  Hey, Hanna Theatre or
Kennedy’s Down-Under, are you reading this?

Thanks to Cain Park for continuing to allow Bussert to
use her creative genius to bring this type of theatre
to the area.   Few other local entertainment venues
would financially back and encourage this show.

‘BAT BOY THE MUSICAL’ runs through August 17 at the
Alma Theatre in Cain Park.  For tickets, which should
be in short-supply once the word gets out about this
show, call 216-371-3000. 

If you are interested in finding out more about the
"real" Bat Boy go on-line to
www.weeklyworldnews.com/batboy/index.cfm or
www.slumdance.com/batboy.


POINT OF DEPARTURE DESERVES STANDING "O"


Most local dance lovers know Karen Gabay as the
long-time premiere female dancer with the Cleveland
San Jose Ballet.  Few realize, however, that she is
also a very creative and talented choreographer.  As
her dance career comes to its climax  she has segued
into the role of dancer-choreographer.  She is
proficient in both roles.

She, along with her long-time talented partner,
Raymond Rodriquez, followed the local dancers to
California when financial problems, poor artistic
choices, and a changing economy forced the CSJ Ballet
to void its Cleveland ties.  The duo loves the
audiences in this area.  They wanted to return and
form their own company.  Entitled Point of Departure
the three year-old fledgling group is seeking
financial means to create the kind of company that
will again make Cleveland proud of its ballet
tradition.  

Point of Departure’s latest performance was staged at
Cain Park.  A near capacity audience was on it’s feet
at the conclusion, applauding and screaming.  The
standing O was deserved as they had just seen a fine
evening of dance.  

This is not to say the performances were flawless. 
The ensemble, because of financial constraints, had
only eight rehearsals to polish their dancing.  Even
making this more difficult was that Gabay had created
"The Other Side of the Road." a lengthy piece
specifically for Rodriquez.  It had its world premiere
at this appearance.  All of this led to some
uncertainty at times.  This did not, however, take
away from the over-all wonder of the program.

Gabay’s "Nouveau Flamenco" danced to the music of
Ottmar Liebert, found the cast in traditional flamenco
costumes.  Consisting of interesting couplings, often
each pair doing different moves at the same time, the
choreography showed creativity.  The dancers executed
stylized Spanish movements which nicely paralleled the
moods of the guitar music.  Gabay featured each of the
dancers as soloists.  The individual dancing and
partnering were fine, but they were slightly off-sync
when everyone was required to move as a unit.

"Meditation," was a pas de deux displaying the fine
partnering abilities of Rodriquez and Gabay.  This was
a selection using classical movements with modern
overtones.  The couple’s hand and arm use and their
synchronization was superb.  The dancers were
accompanied by the excellent live piano fingering by
Carolyn Warner and the fine bowmanship of violinist
Lev Polyakin.

Sayaka Tai and Ivan Bielik were featured in the Pas de
Deux from ‘DON QUIXOTE.’ After a mechanical start the
duo’s confidence increased and shined brightly in
their featured solo segments.  Tai’s toe work and
Bielik’s circle leaps were excellent. 

Danced to a series of musical selections from
Polyakin’s new jazz recording "The Other Side of the
Road," the ballet by the same name gave the youthful
forty-something Rodriquez a chance to display his
multi-talented abilities in classical ballet, modern
dance, soft shoe, swing-dance, and theatrical
movement.  Gaby’s talent as a creative choreographer
was showcased throughout.   "Feast or Famine" which
featured Rodriquez in a kick-line routine with four
women was cheered loudly by the audience.  He
partnered effectively with Christine Schwaner in a pas
de deux.  Gabay and Rodriquez delighted as an exercise
class duo in "Running out of Time." The program’s
highlight was the concluding segment.  The entire
company displayed fine style and message development
in a reenactment of dancers trying out for a
theatrical chorus line, portraying "Life is an
Audition."  

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: The Pointe of Departure company
deserves financial and audience support to keep giving
the area their high level of dance performance.  Their
recent Cain Park presentation showed again the quality
and talent of Gabay and Rodriquez, not only as
dancers, but as co-artistic directors.

To show support for the company send your financial
contributions to Gabrod, Inc., P.O. Box 719, lakewood,
OH 44107 or go on-line to www.pointeofdeparture.com 
and volunteer to assist them.


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