A Review by an Uninformed Reviewer

The "Stage" part of our Page to Stage class began on Thursday with the insanely creative and incredibly stimulating musical, Bat Out of Hell, at the Coliseum Theatre. Here, find a review of the production from someone who only knew one Meat Loaf song before arriving at the theatre (and yes, that's how you spell it - we're in Britain). 

The production began before the music did as a few cast members made their way to the motorcycle on stage and began to quietly chat. On the projected screen behind them, background information about the setting appeared as a digital text, detailing the city's troubles. Meanwhile, the audience takes in the stage: the foreground appears to form a sharp drop-off into which one could easily fall. 

A crash!

A spotlight!

A silence... 

The audience is already captured by the eerie darkness surrounding the one youth on stage as he begins to recite what sounds like spoken word poetry. The creepy vibe continues as the actor becomes more passionate and enraged, speaking in sweeping, confusing verses about the city's plight. The orchestra jumps in as the projected screen falls away and a fight scene ensues, and now the musical has truly begin. 

From then on, the audience is continually overwhelmed with abundant visual and auditory stimulation, from strobe lights and smoke, to revving motorcycles and screeching bats. A camerawoman follows the upper-class characters, and her feed is projected onto the walls of the set. A booming microphone amplifies the passionate voices of the Lost - children who are incapable of growing up, and against whom the elites fight for power. 

The star-crossed love stories of seven main characters intersect throughout the drama, revealing the deeper truths and intentions of each one involved. At moments, the audience feels uncertain where the next turn will lead, but at others, everyone is on the same page, especially for the most iconic songs - some audience members even chime in to sing along when they know the words. 

"It's All Coming Back to Me Now" surprised many because of the Celine Dion reference in a Meat Loaf musical, but a deeper search reveals that Mr. Loaf wanted to sing the song when his producer initially wrote it. The songwriter believed the ballad was meant for a woman's voice, though, so it was given to Ms. Dion. Several years later, Mr. Loaf was given his own chance at the song, so it is truly relevant to a Meat Loaf musical. 

The finale, and the song that stole the show, though was, of course, "I Would Do Anything for Love." The song not only brought resolution to the tensions of the play, but it provided an opportunity for all of the main characters to serenade their beloveds, giving a feel-good ending to a show that started in the opposite register. 

After the performance, we were lucky enough to meet the lead, Andrew Polec, the student of our Page to Stage professor. Andrew was a gracious host, and he brought us backstage to see the inner workings of the show. We were able to see the dressing rooms, furnishings, vehicles, and lights for the play, and Andrew, along with the stage manager, explained the technical details of the workings of the stage. Witnessing the complexity of the production made viewing the seamless show all the more magical.