Written by orange• October 13, 2026• 4:44 pm• Garden Grove, Gem Theater, Musical, Theater, Uncategorized

Bat Boy the musical @ The Gem Theatre – Review

Photo credit: Ron Lyons Photography

Written by Patrick Chavis

One More Productions: Bat Boy: The Musical at the Gem Theatre, October 9-25, 2026.

Story:

One More Productions brings a revival of the quirky off-Broadway rock musical about a half-man, half-bat who finds his humanity in the small, made-up town of Hope Fall, West Virginia. Will Edgar, aka Bat Boy (Jack Janowicz), be able to coexist in the town, or is he too different to be accepted? All this and more will be answered in Bat Boy the Musical!

The play shares similarities with the musical Toxic Avenger. It’s about an outcast trying to prove himself to the outside world, but he also has a dangerous side. It’s campy, and there’s a good amount of absurd humor. But I’d argue this one goes a lot darker.

I was taken with a bite of a surprise, where this story went, oh my! Scandalous, but all in good fun.

I appreciated that the book’s writers, Key the Farley & Brian Flemming, wrote Edgar with no dialogue for a good portion of the musical, only the off-kilter squeals of someone living alone in a cave, with nothing but bats as friends and family. When Bat Boy finally begins to talk, and even more so, gleefully sing, we’ve already accepted him through his interactions with the family.

Acting:

Phenomenal commitment to the role. Jack Janowicz (Bat Boy) is fully transformed for this production: at first I thought it was makeup, but it’s actually a mask. Janowicz has frantic, animalistic movements that at times make him unnerving and dangerous, and at other times, quite goofy and out of place.

Peter Crisafulli plays Dr. Thomas Parker, the most awkward veterinarian ever seen on stage. The scenes are so cringeworthy in the best possible way. It’s terribly funny, and his take on the character is inspired.

A live band of about 5 members was there. Hidden but still in view near the back, the band was led by music conductor Nick Bravo. The songs ranged from alternative rock to country and gospel, venturing into quite a few diverse places that matched the out-of-the-box concept.

Sasha Baker (Shelley Parker) takes you from bratty to caring to in love. Baker’s vocals are on point, and even better, her actions in these scenes feel very authentic.

Fantastic ensemble work from this group: Sydney J. Park, Riley Blackwell, Jason Galvan, Jonathan Alexis Garcia. They all seemed to have a movement or thought process. I never felt like they were just taking up space.

Trevin Stephenson had one of the funniest musical moments I’ve had in a while with the opening tune of the 2nd act, A Joyful Noise. The stage becomes, for a few minutes, a small revival meeting. Stephenson performance as Billie Hightower was infectious.

Okay, the show is a little risqué, but it’s all in good fun and very well produced.