Bat out of Hell: The Musical-Las Vegas is the new
show playing nightly in the Paris Theater on the
Strip. Yesterday my friend gave me two tickets he had for this show because he was stuck at work. I am not
familiar with Meatloaf's music, apart from knowing
he was around my grandparents' age and sang "rd
do anything for love."
Anyway, my husband and I got to the show about
10 minutes before showtime. Actors were
moseying around the theater and on stage. They looked like they were just prepping and getting into place, but in front of the curtain. Suddenly the lights go up and it began. There was no narrator, no opening monologue, nothing to set the scene or give context. The story
is bizarre. It's giving me Terminator The Giver +
the Baz Luhrmann version of Romeo and Juliet
Peter Pan + Handmaid's Tale vibes. It's kind of a
mess.
-There is references to some corporation, Falco, that has taken over everything ala Terminator.
-For some reason the main female character,
Raven, has to take pills so she won't dream ala The
Giver.
-There's the star-crossed lovers trope with a helpful nurse and secret wedding (but wild) ala Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet.
-There is a male character named "Tink" who
wears a jacket emblazoned with "The Lost" (the
Lost boys) and is jealous of the main male
character's relationship with the main female
character and tries to sabotage their relationship.
The group of sewer kids also will never grow up or
older than 18. Strong Peter Pan & the Lost Boys
reference.
-The dad of the main female character is in charge of the town, very rich and powerful. His wife is forced to be with him. He even looks like Commander Frederick R. Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) ala The Handmaid's Tale.
There is a side love story between the main female character's nurse and one of the sewer kids. It's confusing because the guy is in a dress and acts very not into women, I am not sure what was even happening
While the production was well done, the story was extremely convoluted. During the musical I literally pulled out my phone and googled "bat out of hell musical synopsis
The synopsis being. "The musical is a loose retelling of Peter Pan, set in post-apocalyptic Manhattan (now named 'Obsidian), and follows Strat, the forever young leader of 'The Lost who has fallen in love with Raven, daughter of Falco, the tyrannical ruler of Obsidian.
I had really good seats, row GG in the orchestra. My friend who gave me the tickets said they sell for $150 a piece. The theater wasn't very full when I went so don't know how they're charging these prices for a show with such a bizarre plot that is not well explained.
Good costuming good sound mixing, good set design. Bad story.