Charles Yesenczki / Staff Photographer / cy333905@ohiou.edu

Neil Dingow portrays Bat Boy during the dress rehearsal yesterday for Lost Flamingo Company’s musical Bat Boy.

A blood guzzling, human loving, ballad singing, half bat and half boy rocks the stage tonight as The Lost Flamingo Company presents Bat Boy: The Musical.

Bat Boy is the story of a boy who is found deep in the caves of Hope Falls, W. Va. He has characteristics of a bat, including fangs and pointy ears, and has had little or no contact with other humans throughout his life.

“In the early ‘90’s the Weekly World News, which is a tabloid, released this story about a bat boy being found in a cave.

So two British guys were like ‘Why not turn it into a musical?’” said Kate Krushinski, an Ohio University senior playing Meredith, a character who becomes a surrogate mother to Bat Boy.

Those “two British guys,” Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming, turned the story into a full-length musical, which is now being made into a movie in the United Kingdom.

“It’s a mesh of Rocky Horror Picture Show and My Fair Lady. There is a lot of rock ‘n’ roll numbers, but it also has to do with Bat Boy’s transformation from a beast into a fine member of society,” said Tim Aranyos, the senior director.

Electric keyboard, guitar and bass accompany the musical.

“What’s great about this particular show is that it is not in the traditional musical format and its not lots of horns and strings like Rodgers and Hammerstein,” Aranyos said. “So it can appeal to people in a way that other musicals might not.”

Although the show is funny and primarily for entertainment, it also tries to bring some heavier issues to the table, said Neil Dingow, a fifth year senior who plays Bat Boy.

“The characters are really diverse and they bring a lot of messages about racism, intolerance and acceptance of others to the show,” he said. “So there are a lot of practical life lessons and morals you can learn as well.”

The Lost Flamingo Company will be providing a free shuttle to ARTS/West starting at 6:15 p.m. outside the fourth floor of Baker University Center on the night of each show. The shuttle will also transport people back afterward.

“People should come because musicals combine every aspect of the arts,” Aranyos said. “There is music, there is dance, there is theater and there is art. It is a whole package to see a musical.”

Bat Boy required a large collective effort from students, and as lead actor, Dingow said he wants to bring something extra to the performance.

“I tried to bring sincerity to the part and a seriousness that you don’t often find in musicals—oh, and a lisp, I guess,” he said, touching his fangs. “I wanted to be true to the character, make him endearing and show that just because you look differently, or were raised differently, doesn’t necessarily mean you are any less human.”