“Bat Out of Hell” is a frequently enjoyable jukebox musical running at New York City Center through September 8, using the muscular rock opera anthems from singer Meat Loaf’s trilogy of best-selling albums of the same name to tell a tale of impossible young love in a dystopian future Manhattan. Yes, it feels like an MTV glam metal music video circa 1980 stretched out to nearly three hours. Yes, it’s an adolescent’s fantasy of rebellion, or more precisely a boomer’s fond recollection of adolescent rebellion, featuring both a roaring motorcycle and a 60s convertible, as well as tight black leather pants, black eyeliner, bare chests and red bandanna headbands. Yes, it’s loud, long, messy, and, largely, ludicrously self-serious.
But what makes “Bat Out of Hell” so watchable, at least for the first two hours, is the magnetism of the cast. The performers are talented, charismatic….and, let’s be frank, rock star sexy. They go a long way towards helping us get through all that is clunky and cheesy about the show, especially a confusing plot jerry-rigged out of a mix of B-movie genres…
