Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...But "Bat Boy" (which is not unlike "Urinetown") mostly is intended as tongue-in-cheek - or tongue-in-wing - fun, replete with a plethora of insider theater gags. Many of those are funny in this production, too. Nothing is dull nor half-measured; Weinstein clearly was determined to raise the stakes, which was the right impulse, even if the show didn't land as truthfully as it should."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Barely a week after Scott Weinstein picked up the Non-Equity Jeff Award for best direction of a musical (the terrific storefront edition of "Rent" at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, which also was named best musical production of the past season), he has sent Griffin Theatre's Chicago premiere of "Bat Boy: The Musical" flying with all the force of the proverbial bat out of Hell. This show is nothing short of sensational; from the moment you enter its cave-like environment you ll be caught up in its giant webbed wings."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...I don't know why it's taken so long for this oddball, engaging if macabre cult item to make its way here, but it was worth the wait. With its perverse sense of humor and driving but varied pop-rock score, Bat Boy is a smart, darkly comic fable that resonates both as a campy spoof of grade-Z horror flicks and a thoughtful, if irreverent, consideration of an age-old theme: What separates us human beings from our animal ancestors? Can education, language skills, love, and faith tame the bloodthirsty beast inside each of us?"
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...Batboy veers wildly between burlesque of the horror genre and fidelity to its cliches, and the show's authors and director Scott Weinstein strike just the right balance between the shifting tones. There's a surprise twist, too, deep in Act II which I didn't expect. Of course, things rarely end well for the monsters in those classic horror movies, so be prepared. But on the way you'll have a helluva lot of fun."
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Weinstein's physical staging can be a little busy-there's a lot of furniture-moving going on-and his supporting cast can edge too broad. Much of the baked-in comedy in the script involves a too-small cast doubling or tripling characters on the fly, yes. But part of what made the Weekly World News work so well was its commitment to the utter veracity of its stories. Griffin's Bat Boy generally stops short-but just short-of veering too far into loud and silly. If the cast keeps to a steady flight path, all should be clear."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...As someone who is not often partial to comedies or musicals, Bat Boy: The Musical found a willing and entertained viewer in me. Though I imagine its humor is especially suited to Millennials and younger generations, I think fans of musical theatre in general could find something to enjoy in this show, provided they are amenable to camp humor."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Somewhat Recommended
"...The performance of the music-in contrast to the music itself-was almost always on point. Male singers (especially Ron King and Jordan Dell Harris) hit their highs each time, not a single musician (singer or pit) skipped a beat. Which is probably to be expected of a musical that had its opening over a week ago at this point, but that's still a formidable task for a two-hour show. The mics, fickle as ever, worked for about 30 seconds throughout the entire two hours, which led, with some noticeable frequency, to moments where the band overpowered a singers' efforts. The pit themselves were sadly hidden out of sight from the audience; which goes to show how much effort was put into the production, once you consider the musicians and actors were able to perform without any direct visual cues. Still, it would've been nice to see the actual musicians; my compadre, who had never seen a musical before, didn't even realize there were live musicians until we saw them once the show ended!"
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...This is an impressive, imposing, very funny and thoroughly professional production that could compete with any Off-Broadway musical in New York. Superb stage and musical direction, excellent, balanced accompaniment, polished, witty choreography all executed by a top rate ensemble cast— this is an absolute must-see show. In spite of the fact that the musical touches on themes of religion, hypocrisy, revenge, forgiveness and acceptance, with a large dose of irony thrown in, it’s the perfect light, summer entertainment. It’s a brilliant satire of the horror film genre for adult audiences and it deserves a long, successful run."
Dueling Critics - Highly Recommended
"...This spooky-funny musical based on a tabloid headline about a half-boy half-bat gets a rousing production from Griffin Theater, and though Chicago theater doesn't "do" stars Henry McGinniss as the Bat Boy is extraordinary, having mastered the moves of a bat while conveying the emotions of a human. At the Den Theater. Two thumbs up!"
Third Coast Review - Highly Recommended
"...Bat Boy: The Musical presents one of the stranger stories to ever be staged, riffing on and subverting a wide range of archetypes and tropes while remaining wholly original. Weinstein's production pulls out all the stops-fake blood, shadow puppetry, audience interaction-in staging the musical oddity, while his talented ensemble performs the material within an inch of its life. The resulting experience is part camp, part allegory, all fun."
PlaylistHQ - Highly Recommended
"...BatBoy
It's one of the best starts to a musical ever seen at The Den Theatre. The cast completely becomes their characters. Many of them play two characters of different genders. In some scenes, they simply take off a wig and become the other character. The crowd eats it up. Also, a live band is playing out of sight to accompany the fantastic singing on stage. It all comes together very well to make a very professional production."
Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended
"...This is multi-layered satire that keeps you laughing out loud as it drills down deeper and deeper into absurdity, lubricated with wonderful songs, from rap, to a touch of torch, to belt-it-out Broadway style. "
BroadwayWorld - Recommended
"...Scott Weinstein's direction focuses a bit too much on the more absurd aspects of the work. Some of the scenes are painted with too broad of a comedic acting stroke and as a result the heart of the piece sometimes gets lost amidst all the zaniness. For the most part, the show's heart is in the right place"
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...What took "Bat Boy: The Musical" so long to get to Chicago? Potentially contentious battles for performance rights aside, this is a town that lives for new work. You could argue that that attitude is not as prevalent within the musical theater community but the number of companies able to move effortlessly between musicals and non-musicals (to say nothing of companies dedicated exclusively to new musicals such as Underscore Theatre Company or Kokandy Productions) seems to suggest otherwise. Regardless, "Bat Boy" has at long last arrived in Chicago and he is not soon to be forgotten."
