Bat Boy, the musical based on the 1992 Weekly World News cover story about a bat child who grew up living in a cave, premiered on Halloween in 1997 and played Off-Broadway in 2001. Deven May starred in the title role with Kerry Butler as Shelley Parker.
O’Keefe and book writers Brian Flemming and Keythe Farley are currently rewriting the material with dreams of a Broadway revival.
John Wayne Anderson: Aaron Tveit! He is wonderful and talented.
Erin Schudy: Aaron Tveit, OBVIOUSLY!
Nora Leslie: Aaron Tveit would be awesome!
Aaron Tveit was the number one choice from Playbill.com readers. After touring nationally with Rent and Hairspray, Tveit made his Broadway debut as Link Larkin in Hairspray. Further Broadway credits include Fiyero in Wicked, Gabe in Next to Normal and Frank Abagnale Jr. in Catch Me If You Can. He played Enjolras in the feature-film adaptation of Les Miserables in 2012 and stars as Mike Warren in the television series “Graceland.” Next month Tveit will be seen in the London production of the Stephen Sondheim musical Assassins.
Sandi Taraska: Deven May, of course.
Chris Worthington: Deven May should reprise the role. He was fantastic!
Amy Brown: Deven May should hands down be Bat Boy again
Becca Johnson-Spinos: Deven May!!! DUH!!
Several Playbill.com readers were keen to see Deven May reclaim the title role. May starred as the original Bat Boy in the 2001 Off-Broadway production, for which he won a Theatre World Award for Outstanding New York Debut, as well as Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award nominations. He then went on to play the famous half-bat, half-human boy in the London production. May kicked off the first national tour of Jersey Boys in the role of Tommy Devito and is currently playing Tommy in Las Vegas. His film credits include “Temptation” and “Fabled.”
Matthew Curtis: Lena Hall!!!
Michael A. Dendy: So…I love the idea of Lena Hall doing this. That girl is amazing.
Another Playbill.com reader favorite is singer-songwriter and actress Lena Hall. Earlier this year Hall was awarded the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Yitzhak in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Previously, she was cast as the original Nicola in the Tony-Award winning musical Kinky Boots. Hall made her Broadway debut in Cats in 2000, and her other Broadway credits include Dracula, the Musical and Tarzan. She is also the lead singer of the band The Deafening.
Christopher Zinovitch: Jeremy Jordan should play Bat Boy - he has the perfect voice - great energy, the acting chops and would bring to it a whole new life!
Mikayla Burridge: Jeremy Jordan, for sure!
Jesse Ellyn Zeidman: First of all that would be the greatest thing ever and secondly Jeremy M Jordan would be FIERCE
Jeremy Jordan is best known for his starring roles in Bonnie & Clyde and Newsies. His performances have earned him a Tony nomination and Theatre World Award. In 2011 he ventured from the stage and joined the cast of NBC’s hit series “Smash.” He was also recently seen in the out-of-town tryout of the Broadway-bound Finding Neverland directed by Tony winner Diane Paulus. He will also star alongside Anna Kendrick in the highly anticipated film adaptation of the cult musical “The Last 5 Years.”
Richard Patterson: I like the idea of Daniel Radcliffe
Could the famous young wizard also play a half-bat, half-human boy? Daniel Radcliffe is best known for his lead role in the “Harry Potter” films, the highest-grossing film series of all time. Other film credits include “Kill Your Darlings” and “The Woman in Black.” Radcliffe has also proved himself as a star of the stage, starring on Broadway in The Cripple of Inishmaan, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Equus.
Noneilsedaka: I think Aaron J. Albano would be great
L Swartzy: Yes! Aaron J. Albano!
Another popular choice was Newsies the Musical cast member Aaron J. Albano. Other Broadway credits include Mary Poppins, A Chorus Line and the Wicked first national tour. Albano currently stars in the Off-Broadway musical Here Lies Love at the Public Theater.
Maceo Torrance Cortezz: Andrew K. Bolger would be amazing.
To round us off, we have yet another Newsies favorite, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, who played the role of Crutchie in the award-winning musical on Broadway. Other Broadway roles include Robertson Ay in Mary Poppins, Jojo in Seussical and Young Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.
