Buffalo Theater: The sensationalized story takes flight at Shea’s Smith with a terrifyingly talented cast

By Nathan Andrew Miller

(Above: Poster for Second Generation Theatre’s ‘Bat Boy: The Musical.’ All images courtesy of secondgenerationtheatre.com.)

The “Note from the Producers” in the show program indicates that it’s spooky season in Buffalo, and Second Generation Theatre kicks off its season with the delightfully spooky Bat Boy: The Musical. This tongue-in-cheek parable, based on the Weekly World News character, drops us into Hope Falls, W. Va., where some local teens have discovered the “Bat Boy” in a cave. Bat Boy attacks one and is brought to the home of the town’s veterinarian, Dr. Parker, whose wife, Meredith, quickly forms a bond with the creature. She names him Edgar, and the Parkers work to “civilize” him, much to the town’s dismay.

I’ve always loved this quirky little show, and it’s the perfect one for SGT’s home in the Shea’s Smith Theatre. I was privileged to be part of the cast of Bat Boy at Niagara University in 2013, and at least 5 others who were in the NU rendition were either in the audience or on stage. It can be hard, when viewing a show you care so deeply about, to remain objective or remove the preconceptions you have surrounding its interpretation. Though this SGT production leans more heavily into the comedy than I might have initially wanted, the result is a consistent, clear directorial vision by Doug Weyand, executed extremely well by the cast.

Supported by the onstage environment created by Chris Cavanagh, Weyand and Directing Apprentice Jake Grear move their cast of characters through an exaggerated small-town West Virginia with ease. Weyand’s choreography is sharp but bouncy, buoyant and exuberant. The conceit of the show is that the ensemble doubles and triples characters, subverting gender identity throughout. This makes for some excellent individual characterizations — some more effective than others, but all at 100% commitment. This is Weyand’s best use of the script’s comedy. There is a particularly hilarious moment where Arin Lee Dandes, as the Sheriff, searches among the crowd for the character she’s looking for, who is changing from one character to another in full view. Dandes then “discovers” that character, and the scene continues. These moments have been fully utilized by Weyand and his excellent ensemble. Though there are individual performances to highlight below, the entire ensemble (Thomas Evans, Joe Greenan, Danielle B. Walker, Dan Urtz, Dave Spychalski, Karen Harty (particularly brilliant!), Kai Crumley, Arin Lee Dandes, Collin McKee-Jackson, and Sabrina Kahwaty Garcia) is working overtime and deserves accolades.

This show quickly collapses if the audience doesn’t immediately identify with the charming nature of the “bat-child,” and there aren’t many actors in Buffalo who would bring the physical comedy as brilliantly to the forefront as Ricky Needham. In addition to possessing one of Buffalo’s best voices — trust me, there’s nothing he can’t sing — Needham is digging deep into his extensive improv training with this role. You’ll see every single facial expression in this intimate space, and the audience is lucky for it. As Edgar grows in confidence and experience, only to have it all challenged, he will absolutely break your heart in the “Let Me Walk Among You” section of the gospel revival number, “Joyful Noise.” And then, of course, he absolutely wails in a delightful “riff-off” with Joe Greenan, also in excellent voice and characterization as Rev. Hightower. Needham is bringing honesty, charm and just the right amount of mystery to his portrayal, which pays off in spades in Act 2.

Audree Woods, crossing off yet another role she’s well-suited for, reaches another level in this production. The character of Shelley is, at times, a mere stereotype of a small-town teenage girl. Even in these moments, and especially in more complicated moments in Act 2, Woods is delightful. Known for playing characters with larger-than-life personalities, Woods unleashes a nuance here that is as natural to her as anything else I’ve seen. I’ll miss seeing her on stages in Buffalo when she eventually seeks her career elsewhere.

As Dr. Parker, Marc Sacco brings a much different take on the character than I’ve seen previously, and it absolutely benefits him. Dr. Parker has the theoretical remains of a “good man,” but he’s deeply flawed and scarred. It would be easy for an actor to play evil, menacing or frankly terrifying with this role. Instead, Sacco chooses to lean into the simple, clumsy and desperate. It’s the only way some of this material works in 2026.

Anchoring the familial unit as Edgar’s primary advocate is Michele Marie Roberts. She played Shelley in the 2007 MusicalFare production of Bat Boy at Studio Arena, and is stepping into the role of Meredith in this production with ease. Her maternal care for Edgar and Shelley is very different, yet we see the characters’ souls in both. Roberts, her voice still clear as a bell, uses the provided comedy terrifically. Strong, sweet and kind, Roberts makes it clear that Meredith has been in charge of her household for a long time — and that’s not changing. Still, she finds honesty and vulnerability in the second act, especially the finale.

If you’ve made it this far and you’re desperate to know what happens in Act 2 and why I keep alluding to it but not being specific … you wouldn’t believe me if I told you. But, you’ll be greatly rewarded if you go into the show blind with an open mind and expectation of dark comedy!

I will say that the only thing I missed in this production was the band. They’re there, and they’re excellent when audible, but for some reason, they have been almost entirely removed from the house mix, at times. This score ROCKS, and most of the performance I only felt like it rocked a little. Additionally, because the stage is extremely wide, much of the cast’s excellent harmonic work was lost due to a lack of ensemble mix in the house speakers. In other words, I was frequently hearing only the parts being sung directly in front of me. Again, it’s a small thing that only slightly affected my enjoyment, but the talented performers are not being broadcast at their greatest potential.

As we know, there are countless theatrical productions in Buffalo right now. If your interests lie in the spooky, or even if they don’t, I promise you’ll be thankful you saw this excellent production of Bat Boy: The Musical at Second Generation Theatre. It exceeded my high expectations given the talent involved, and it still has room to grow!