Story and Book by
Keythe Farley & Brian Flemming
Music & Lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe
Based on a True Story
March 5-28, 2026

BAT BOY

Buy Season Tickets here!

Praise for New Line's 2003 Production

“So weird. So smart. So shocking. So entertaining.”
– Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Profoundly theatrical. . . thrilling, scary, funny, and thought-provoking.”
– Deanna Jent, Riverfront Times

“One of the best musical theatre scores I’ve heard.” – Bob Wilcox, West End Word

Praise for New Line's 2006 Production

“This is musical theater for audiences who think that musical theater can’t be hip.
They’re in for a very smart surprise.”
– Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Part spoof, part fantasy, part plea for tolerance and understanding and love,
part rowdy and raucous musical comedy.”
– Joe Pollack, KWMU-FM

“A spectacular job with a silly comedy full of deep meanings.”
– Richard Green, KDHX-FM

“An energetic New Line Theatre production… campy comedy and genuine emotion.”
– Deanna Jent, The Riverfront Times

Don't Deny Your Beast Within!

New Line kicks off its 34th season with the return of one of the funniest, smartest musicals in recent years, BAT BOY. Created by Keythe Farley, Brian Flemming, and Laurence O'Keefe, this outrageously entertaining rock thriller is based on a bizarre and hilarious story ripped from the headlines of the satirical tabloid The Weekly World News. The musical tells the strange tale of a half-boy, half-bat discovered in a West Virginia cave, sparking a heartwarming yet freaky journey that defies expectations.

In 1992, the Weekly World News first described the bat child this way: "Discovered in a cave in Hope Falls, West Virginia, this half-bat has escaped from captivity and is currently at large. He can be identified by large, pointy ears and oversized eyes that make him profoundly sensitive to sound and light. The creature has reportedly attacked at least 3 people with his razor-sharp fangs and should be considered extremely dangerous." Since then he has become a national hero and he even went to Afghanistan, where his instincts were particularly useful in caves, to fight the Taliban. Now, finally, his real story can be told.

BAT BOY tackles a range of bold topics, like American prejudice, modern religion, genetic engineering, even inter-species sex. Think of it as Little Shop of Horrors meets Les Misérables meets Dracula, with its own unique blend of big-hearted comic horror that will have you checking under the bed at night and nibbling on your loved ones during the day.

The musical was first developed through workshops at the Directors Company in Los Angeles during 1999 and 2000, later premiering at L.A.’s Actor’s Gang Theatre before its New York debut in 2001 at the Union Square Theatre. BAT BOY won the 2001 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical, the 2001 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical, the 1999 and 2000 Richard Rodgers Awards, and a Theatre World Award for Deven May in the title role.

New Line's production will be directed by Scott Miller and Chris Moore, with music direction by Jason Eschhofen. The company previously produced the show in 2003 and 2006. BAT BOY is produced by arrangement with Broadway Licensing, New York.

Want to explore more?
We recommend:

The original off-Broadway cast album of Bat Boy the Musical

The official Bat Boy the Musical website

An analysis of Bat Boy from Artistic Director Scott Miller's book Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll, and Musicals.

The official Weekly World News website and the WWN's index of all the Bat Boy articles

The book Bat Boy Lives, a collection of the greatest hits of The Weekly World News, including all the Bat Boy stories

An excellent Washington Post article about the Weekly World News and the real Bat Boy

TICKET INFO

BAT BOY runs Oct. 2-25, 2025, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, all at 8:00 p.m., at the Marcelle Theater, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive, three blocks east of Grand, in the Grand Center Arts District. Oct. 2 is a preview.

To order season tickets for New Line's 34th season, click here.

Single tickets for all mainstage performances will be on sale in August, with prices at $35 for adults, $30 for seniors, and $25 for students. For the Oct. 2 preview performance, tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors, and $20 for students. To charge single tickets by phone, call MetroTix at 314-534-1111 or visit the Fox Theatre box office or the MetroTix website.

DISCOUNTS: HIGH SCHOOL DISCOUNT: Any high school student with a valid school ID can get a $10 ticket for any performance, with the code word, posted only on New Line's Facebook page. COLLEGE FREE SEATS: Ten free seats for every performance, open to any college student with a valid student ID. EDUCATORS DISCOUNT: New Line offers all currently employed educators half price tickets on any Thursday night, with work ID or other proof of employment. MILITARY DISCOUNT: New Line offers all active duty military personnel half price tickets on any Thursday night, with ID or other proof of active duty status.

All offers not valid in connection with other discounts or offers, available only at the door, and subject to availability. All programs subject to change. New Line Theatre receives funding from the Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council, with additional support from the Kranzberg Arts Foundation and the Grand Center Arts District.