Taylor Trensch and Cast Photo by Joan Marcus

Bat Boy: The Musical, with a story and book by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming and music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe (who, along with Kevin Murphy, also did the honors for Heathers: The Musical, currently on view at New World Stages) had its initial Off-Broadway run a quarter century ago and has shown up with some regularity in community and college productions ever since. The fan base has expanded through the years, even among those who have never seen a production, thanks to the original Off-Broadway cast album that remains in print.

Bat Boy falls into the general category of pop musicals with protagonists we root for despite (or because of) their exceedingly outsider status. For the record, my personal favorite is The Toxic Avenger, but Bat Boy it is, at least until November 9. And a quirky offering it is, with ambitions that far exceed those dealing with your typical bullied central character striving to be accepted, ambitions that bring in elements of Jacobean tragedy, Greek mythology, and hypocrisy among the self-proclaimed religious. Not to mention a meandering plot that is barely tamed into its two-and-a-quarter-hour (including intermission) running time.

Plot-wise, Act I follows a reasonably conventional structure. Can't get much more straightforward than the opening lines to the introductory song: "In a cave many miles to the south/Lives a boy born with fangs in his mouth." That's our protagonist, the title character portrayed by Taylor Trensch, a mesmerizing marvel who appropriately sinks his teeth into the role and makes it his own.

Discovered by members of the nasty-ass Taylor family (Andrew Durand, John-Michael Lyles, and Olivia Puckett), Bat Boy (who will later be named "Edgar") is hauled off to the home of the town's veterinarian Dr. Parker (Christopher Sieber). There he is caged up and left to be euthanized, until Parker's wife Meredith intercedes on his behalf. (Meredith is played here by a crowd-pleasing Kerry Butler, who returns to the show after having played the role of the Parkers' daughter Shelley in the original Off-Broadway production).

Before you can say "the rain in Spain," Edgar's speech patterns change from grunts and growls to those of a refined and well-educated Brit. In short order, he whips through a home-schooled education and dons dressing gowns à la Henry Higgins. He also develops a friendship with Shelley Parker (Gabi Carrubba), a friendship that will turn into something more as time passes. What is missing, however, is his launch into the local community. And what better occasion for his entrée than the forthcoming revival meeting and dance, the social event of the year. What could possibly go wrong?

That question is answered in spades in Act II, during which the plot gets so convoluted as to defy summarizing. Let's just say it involves a pregnant cow, a genial preacher (a splendid Jacob Ming-Trent), an appearance by the God Pan (Alex Newell, looking resplendent and singing up a storm), a psycho-killing rampage, and a pause to explain Bat Boy/Edgar's bizarre back story, cleverly related through shadow puppetry. (That Edgar's genetic makeup includes vampire bats is a rather significant plot point).

Depending on your tolerance for the undeniable ick factor that threads its way through the show, you will either come away perplexed and confused, caught up in the heart-felt aspects, thrilled by the all-around terrific performances, or all of the above. There is something here for believers and non-believers alike, kind of like the tabloid stories that initiated all of this.