Feature: Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf's Greatest Hits Opens as Rock Opera BAT OUT OF HELL - The Musical at Paris Las Vegas

The mashup of forbidden love, Peter Pan, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and youthful hope brings together rock musical decades in the making.

By: Oct. 10, 2022
Feature: Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf's Greatest Hits Opens as Rock Opera BAT OUT OF HELL - The Musical at Paris Las Vegas
Get Access To Every Broadway Story

Unlock access to every one of the hundreds of articles published daily on BroadwayWorld by logging in with one click.




Existing user? Just click login.

Young love, forbidden by societal class, unrelenting parents, jealous friends, and unforeseen forces, is encapsulated in Bat Out of Hell - The Musical. The award-winning hit production features the music, lyrics, and book by Jim Steinman, based on the Bat Out of Hell albums immortalized by Meat Loaf. The rock musical debuted in the Paris Theatre at Paris Las Vegas with performances from Tuesday to Sunday.

The musical, set in post-apocalyptic Obsidian, the forever young leader of 'The Lost Strat has fallen in love with Raven, daughter of Falco, the tyrannical ruler of Obsidian. For the stage musical, hits are incorporated, including "Bat Out of Hell," "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)," "Paradise By the Dashboard Light," "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)," and "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad." "What Part of My Body Hurts the Most," A previously unreleased song, adds to the musical with Steinman's distinctive touch.

The epic tale of rebellious youth and romance is performed by a powerhouse cast, including Travis Cormier as Strat, Alize Cruz as Raven, Travis Cloer as Falco, and Anne Martinez as Sloane.

Cormier, who finished second place on Season Four of the Canadian version of The Voice, first received recognition for his viral audition performance of "Dream On." He would release his first studio album, "Dollars & Hearts," opened for Bon Jovi at the Bell Centre and collaborated with musicians such as Richie Sambora.

Cruz is known for her previous roles in the touring productions of Sound of Music, Six the Musical, and The Little Mermaid. Anne Martinez frequently performs off and on the Las Vegas Strip in roles in Jubilee!, Showstoppers, Fantasy, Zombie Burlesque, and 50 Shades the Musical.

Feature: Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf's Greatest Hits Opens as Rock Opera BAT OUT OF HELL - The Musical at Paris Las Vegas It is a homecoming for Cloer. He portrayed Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys on the same stage in Paris Las Vegas, setting a record as the longest-running actor to play Valli in the show's history, performing in over 2,200 performances. His stage persona in the role of Falco, the tyrannical ruler of Obsidian, husband to Sloane, and father of Raven, showcases his versatility in displaying his dark side.

"This is a totally different role than what people usually associate with me," says Cloer. "I am excited to be doing something different and show a different side of my artistry." As an adult, Cloer became a fan of both Steinman and Meat Loaf, especially his theatrical performances to really tell a story through music.

Feature: Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf's Greatest Hits Opens as Rock Opera BAT OUT OF HELL - The Musical at Paris Las Vegas Other cast members include Mecca Hicks as Zahara, Je'Shaun Jackson as Jagwire, Freddy Lealoukoula as Tink, Mikayla Agrella as Valkyrie (Anastasia: The Musical and Disney's Beauty and the Beast), and Jared Svoboda as Ledoux (Chicago, Newsies and The Little Mermaid). The supporting cast of singers, actors, and dancers feature Kyle Becker as O'Dessasuite, Matthew Ballestero as Markevitch, Kris Bona as Esquivel, Connor Crowley as Denym, Mitchell Gray as Hoffman, Joe Hebel as Hollander, Waverly Jade as Kwaidan, Kyle Kuhlman as Goddesilla, Drew Lake as Bessamy, Ally Mendoza as Leibeswoosh, Paige Anne Mills as Mordema, Justine Rafael as Lunarrow, Jeffery Ricca as Vanveeteren, James Simpson as Astrogranger, Rachel Wirtz as Vilmos and Laura Wright as Scherzzo.

The debut album by singer Meat Loaf and composer Steinman, Bat Out of Hell, was released in 1977, becoming one of the best-selling albums in history. The album was developed from a musical, Neverland, written by Steinman in 1974 as a futuristic rock version of Peter Pan and even performed in 1977.

Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell with Meat Loaf and written and produced by Steinman, was released in September 1993. The album reached No. 1 in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada and included the single, "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)," which reached No. 1 in 28 countries.

Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose by Meat Loaf and the third and final album in the Bat Out of Hell trilogy, released in 2006. It was the only Bat album not involving Steinman in its production and started a legal dispute between Meat Loaf and Steinman. However, Steinman's seven songs for various other projects were eventually included in the album. The two would remain interweaved musically, with the production dedicated to the memory of Steinman, who passed away on April 19, 2021, and Meat Loaf, who passed away on January 20, 2022.

Bat Out of Hell - The Musical debuted at the Manchester Opera House in Manchester, England, on February 17, 2017. It would then move to Toronto at the beginning of 2018 and return to London in the spring of 2018.

Bat Out of Hell - The Musical performs 7 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday at 7 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 7 p.m. on Sundays at 7 p.m. A special VIP upgrade is available. There are three hours of complimentary parking for residents of Nevada with a Nevada ID. For more information, visit BatOutOfHellVegas.com and follow @ Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tik Tok.




Comments

To post a comment, you must register and login.

Vote Sponsor


Videos