I Saw Bat Boy Last Night

I saw Stars in the Park's Bat Boy last night. Wow! I have to admit, rock opera-style shows are not my cup of tea, but I couldn't help walking out being very impressed with this production. Diane, Gerry, and Lorraine Wargo have to be proud. Not only because they've produced a successful show, but because they've helped young Chelsea Wargo develop into an accomplished musical theatre talent. She did a wonderful job in the role of Shelley.

I last saw Chelsea play Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz two summers ago. Back then she was a young actress fighting off mosquitoes and a bad sound system at the park while struggling to command the stage in a production that I personally thought might have been a little too big for her to handle (at least on that night) . But last evening I saw an entirely different person. Her voice appears to have developed by leaps and bounds in the last two years. She's seems to have shaken the adolescent awkwardness we all deal with in youth and now has a more mature stage presence. She was a delight to watch. If she can tap dance as well as she can sing and act, I can only hope that she comes out to audition for our production of Singin' in the Rain.

The evening made me regret all the more my not seeing her perform the role of Eponine in Notre Dame High School's production of Le Miserables. I had every intention of going, but life just got in the way. Later, I heard good things about her performance. And I now have a better sense for what I missed. As a parent, I think I can speak for all Mom's and Dad's when I say that we don't want our kids to grow up. But sometimes it's a treat to watch when they do.

Another treat last night was watching Nicole Spadafino in the role of Meredith. It's always a pleasure to watch and work with Nicole, but this appeared to be a different kind of role for her. At least, different from what I've see her do. More serious, more emotionally real. I thought she brought a lot of gravitas to the role. And listening to her and Chelsea sing together was one of the highlights of the show for me. This may be overstating it, but I think Nicole made the whole production work. Meredith is a cornerstone role in the show. The stronger your Meredith, in my opinion, the stronger your show. Kudos to Diane for casting Nicole. I don't think she could have chosen a better rock on which to build her show.