Bat Out of Hell: The Musical (promoted as Jim Steinman's Bat Out of Hell: The Musical) is a rock musical with music, lyrics and book by Jim Steinman, based on the album of the same name by Meat Loaf. Steinman wrote all of the songs, most of which are from the Bat Out of Hell trilogy of albums, consisting of Bat Out of Hell, Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell, and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose. The musical is a loose retelling of Peter Pan, set in post-apocalyptic Manhattan (now named "Obsidian"), and follows Strat, the forever young leader of The Lost who has fallen in love with Raven, daughter of Falco, the tyrannical ruler of Obsidian.[1]
The musical premiered at the Manchester Opera House in Manchester, England, on February 17, 2017 and ran there until April 29, 2017. It opened in London on June 5, 2017 and ran there until August 22, 2017 before moving to Toronto, Canada, from October 14, to January 7, 2018. The musical returned to London at the Dominion Theatre in April 2, 2018.[3]
An original cast recording album was released by BOOH Label on October 20, 2017.
The musical is returning in 2020 in Australia and the UK.
Background
Bat Out Of Hell The Musical is Jim Steinman's lifelong masterwork.
In 1968 - during his years attending Amherst College - Steinman wrote a newspaper article about the contemporary issues of the time, then decided to turn that into a rock musical called "The Dream Engine", working with fellow student Barry Keating who became the show's director.[4] The Dream Engine starred Jim Steinman as Baal - the 19 year old charismatic leader of a tribe of semi-feral youths in California, and shows Baal's interactions with tribe members and recruits - inductions involving pain rituals - and various adult authority figures; the chief of police, draft board representative, psychiatrist, and killer nuns. The piece contained a lot of fire and violence, explicit / taboo language, sexual innuendo, cruelty and nudity. Staging was very much influenced by Bertolt Brecht and The Living Theatre. It also contained the song "Who Needs The Young" and the "Hot Summer Nights" speech which still remain in Bat Out Of Hell The Musical.
Rights to "The Dream Engine" were bought by Joseph Papp of the New York Shakespeare Festival in April 1969, and upon his graduation that summer, Steinman was recruited to refine his work for larger productions - but these productions never took shape.[5] By 1973, Papp moved Steinman on from The Dream Engine and put him to work on rock musical More Than You Deserve - where Steinman met the actor and singer Meat Loaf. In August 1974, Steinman wrote to Papp to say he had rewritten much of The Dream Engine and it was now a musical called "Neverland".[6] Throughout 1975, Meat Loaf, Jim Steinman, Ellen Foley and others worked on the National Lampoon Road Show, substituting for John Belushi and Gilda Radner who had left to work on Saturday Night Live.[7] During this time, Steinman wrote most of the songs for the album Bat Out of Hell and began to rehearse and record them with Meat Loaf and Ellen Foley.
In early 1977, when the album was recorded but they were still unable to find a record label that would accept it,[8] Jim Steinman went to Washington DC to work on a workshop production of his musical Neverland.[9] This musical still had many of the core elements of his previous work The Dream Engine, but was now a futuristic sci-fi interpretation of Peter Pan and Wendy. Ellen Foley starred as Wendy.[10] From The Dream Engine, The Historian's Speech, the main characters Baal, Max and Emily, interrogation and other scenes still remain as do the songs "Who Needs The Young" and "Kingdom Come" and the speech "Hot Summer Nights". But new to this version of Steinman's musical are several songs which still remain in today's "Bat Out Of Hell The Musical"; All Revved Up With No Place To Go, Bat Out Of Hell, Heaven Can Wait, and most of the spoken word piece "Love And Death And An American Guitar", as well as the character "Wendy" as a prototype for Bat Out Of Hell The Musical's "Raven" - an imprisoned young girl whose parents feed her dream suppressants and who recited the lines "The sea is whipping the sky, the sky is whipping the sea". As in Bat Out Of Hell The Musical, the setting for Steinman's Neverland was the city of Obsidian. The character "Tink" is also present but has a different personality.
In September 1977, the Meat Loaf album Bat Out Of Hell was released with the aforementioned songs and "You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth", "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad" and "For Crying Out Loud". On tour in 1978 to promote the album, Steinman would recite the spoken word piece now known as "Love And Death And An American Guitar". In 1979, a track by Jim Steinman "Shadows On The Freeway"[11] is released which is the first draft of a spoken word piece used in Bat Out Of Hell The Musical (see below for details).
Moving along to 1981, in the book "Phenomenology Of Excess"[12], Jim Steinman spoke at length about his musical Neverland which he's still working on. Steinman also released the album Bad for Good - the title track of which depicts - both in lyrics and visually in its promotional video - the scene of Baal / Peter attempting to rescue / kidnap the girl - "the sea is whipping the sky, the sky is whipping the sea" features in this song too. This album also includes the song "Out Of The Frying Pan (Into The Fire)" and the song "Rock & Roll Dreams Come Through". Meat Loaf also released an album of Steinman-penned songs in 1981, and this is the origin of the song Dead Ringer for Love - a duet with Cher and Meat Loaf's first major hit single in the UK.
In 1983, Air Supply had a hit with Steinman's song Making Love Out of Nothing at All. It is unknown whether this song was originally intended to be part of Steinman's Neverland mythos, but it is notable that the original demo of the song had a few additional, darker verses which could indicate it was more a character song.[13]
In the mid 1980s, Steinman storyboarded the music video for the Bonnie Tyler song If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man) and it visually depicts Obsidian at the turn of the 21st century during the "chemical wars" and the location "The Deep End" which would return in Bat Out Of Hell The Musical.
In the late 1980s, Steinman conceived, recruited, composed for, produced and released the Pandora's Box (band) album which features his songs It's All Coming Back to Me Now, It Just Won't Quit, and Good Girls Go To Heaven (Bad Girls Go Everywhere).
During the 1990s, Steinman collaborated once more with Meat Loaf to record the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell, featuring the hit song I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That), and the songs Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are and Everything Louder Than Everything Else. This album also contains some recordings of previously released songs which appear in Bat Out Of Hell The Musical: Good Girls Go The Heaven, It Just Won't Quit, Out Of The Frying Pan (And Into The Fire) - and the spoken word piece "Love & Death & An American Guitar" with added sound effects, under the title "Wasted Youth". As this album was a huge hit, these new Meat Loaf recordings gave these re-recorded songs a much bigger audience than previous recordings. The same goes for Celine Dion's hit cover version of It's All Coming Back to Me Now.
In the late 1990s, Neverland was rewritten once more to become Bat Out Of Hell 2100[14], again featuring Who Needs The Young, All Revved Up With No Place To Go, the "Hot Summer Nights" spoken word piece and the song Bat Out Of Hell, but also It's All Coming Back To Me Now, Objects In The Rear View Mirror, and I'd Do Anything For Love. It is written as a film script rather than theatre, and draws more from the Peter Pan canon - characters are Peter, Wendy, Police Chief Captain Hook, Doctor Darling, and Mother Superior. It goes into depth about chemical experimentations on the youth of Obsidian, dream suppressants, and is generally very dark in nature.
According to manager / producer David Sonenberg, Steinman had to stop using the name Neverland and property Peter Pan because Sonenberg attempted to acquire the rights but was refused. "With Britain’s Great Ormond Street Hospital standing to benefit from the Barrie Estate, the British lawyer representing the author’s works refused, saying he was baffled by a musical which at that early stage featured killer nuns on motorcycles."[15]
In 2002, Steinman was to work on Batman: The Musical, but this production was canned and Steinman's songs returned to him. Among the demo songs were "In The Land Of The Pig, The Butcher Is King" and "Not Allowed To Love", which were polished / rewritten for Bat Out Of Hell The Musical.
In 2008, Bat Out Of Hell The Musical was announced[16], and in 2009, a website was parked to sign up for information[17]. In 2015 a developmental lab for the show took place in New York, and in late 2016 a cast was assembled for the first public production, in the UK.
Productions
Manchester
Bat Out of Hell began previews at the Manchester Opera House on February 17, 2017 ahead of an official opening on March 14. It closed on April 29.[18]
Dianne Bourne of the Manchester Evening News gave the show a 5-star review, calling it "a truly staggering piece of musical theatre, which breaks new boundaries in its staging, choreography and concept on an epic scale."[19] Paul Downham of North West End said, "this show has literally changed the way musicals are staged forever."[20]
West End
Bat Out of Hell began previews at the London Coliseum on June 5, 2017 ahead of an official opening on June 20, 2017 and ran until August 22, 2017.[1] On its final performance, the cast announced a return to London at the Dominion Theatre in 2018.[21]
After the production completed its run in Toronto, Bat Out Of Hell's return engagement in London began previews on April 2, 2018, before opening at the Dominion Theatre on April 19, 2018. After originally being scheduled to run until July 28, 2018, the Dominion production was first extended until October 27, 2018, and subsequently extended again to January 5, 2019.[22][23]
The London Coliseum production was nominated for a 2018 Olivier Award for Best Sound Design, by Gareth Owen.
Toronto
Bat Out of Hell made its North American premiere at the Ed Mirvish Theatre on October 14, 2017 and ran until January 7, 2018.[24][25]
North American Tour
The North American tour of Bat Out of Hell was originally scheduled to run from October 2018 through Summer 2019. The tour opened October 16, 2018 in Toronto at the Ed Mirvish Theatre, and was first scheduled to end July 7, 2019 in Dallas at the AT&T Performing Arts Center,[26] then - after the Toronto run had begun - further dates were announced in Las Vegas[27] and an 8-week run in New York (off-Broadway) from July 30, 2019 to September 22, 2019.[28]
On November 1, 2018, the North American tour was postponed by producers[29] and concluded with the scheduled end of the Toronto run on November 3, 2018.[30] No reason for the postponing was given, and this decision was criticized by many of the tour's cast, who voiced their displeasure with the news on social media.[31]
On November 5, 2018, an official announcement was made on social media and the show's website to say that the tour will relaunch in 2019, "ahead of a previously announced season at New York City Center." [32] - no explanation was given for the postponement. Several cast members contacted prominent theatre news website "BroadwayWorld" to say that their contracts have been terminated and they have not been approached about the 2019 tour.[33]
Germany
Bat Out Of Hell began previews in Oberhausen at the Metronom Theater on November 2, 2018[34] ahead of an official opening on November 8, 2018.[35] It closed on September 19, 2019, and was replaced by Tanz Der Vampire in October 2019.[36]
New York
Bat Out Of Hell made its US debut off-Broadway at the New York City Center theater - August 1, 2019 to September 8, 2019. Tickets went on sale on 15th May, 2019 and large billboards were seen on Times Square to promote the show.[37] The cast announced for this run include Andrew Polec, Christina Bennington and Danielle Steers - who originated their characters for the UK productions of the show - and Bradley Dean, Avionce Hoyles, Tyrick Wiltez Jones, Harper Miles and several ensemble actors rejoin the show from the previously-aborted 2018 "US tour". There are changes to the creative team - Randy Lennox is no longer listed as one of the producers, with Bob Broderick and Lorne Gertner joining the list of producers. Choreography is now credited to both Emma Portner and Xena Gusthart. Ryan Cantwell is named as Musical Director. [38] On 4th June 2019, they announced Lena Hall for the role of Sloane.[39]
On 17th July 2019 (a mere 15 days before opening), Billy Lewis Jr. announced that he was joining the New York cast as Ledoux.[40] He had previously played the role of Jagwire during various runs in US, UK and Canada. Until 19th August 2019, Will Branner played Ledoux and cover Strat - and is the name listed as Ledoux in the show's printed playbill - a faux newspaper called The Obsidian Times. Will left the cast to join the tour of Mean Girls (musical)[41], so Billy takes over the role of Ledoux for the remainder of the run.
Australian Arena Tour
On 25th November 2019, announcements were made of an Arena Tour version of the show for June 2020, stopping at Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth.[42] The show has been rebranded "Jim Steinman's Bat Out Of Hell The Rock Musical" and an "Arena Experience".[43] Venues and promotion are being run by Australian entertainment company TEG Dainty[44] with the long-time promoter and company CEO Paul Dainty being quoted on press releases.[45]
UK Tour
On 5th December 2019, a UK tour in Q3-Q4 2020 was announced[46] alongside an updated website[47], listing 6 theatres in 6 UK locations: Manchester, Birmingham, Wimbledon, Oxford, Glasgow, Liverpool. All of these venues are ATG managed theatres.
Major characters
Strat: The forever eighteen-year-old eccentric leader of 'The Lost', a group of teenagers whose DNA froze at eighteen causing them to remain young forever. He falls in love with Falco's daughter, Raven. He and 'The Lost' live in abandoned subway tunnels below the city of Obsidian.
Raven: Falco's only daughter, who turns eighteen during the course of the story. She lives with her parents in a skyscraper in Obsidian called Falco Towers. She is an heiress to Falco's fortune but resents her family, particularly her father for forbidding her from ever going outside. She falls in love with Strat. However, since her DNA is not frozen, she will age normally.
Falco: A powerful tyrant and CEO of Falco Industries, and the father of Raven. He has his own private militia, which he often sends out to battle 'The Lost'. He is very protective of Raven to the extent where he forbids her from ever going outside. He particularly despises Strat, seeing him as a threat for wanting to approach his daughter.
Sloane: Falco's wife and the mother of Raven. She is a hilarious drunk, but also harbors a lot of regret in her life and spends much of the story pushing herself to break free from Falco as he becomes increasingly tyrannical and violent. Projecting her feelings about her own situation towards her daughter, she wants Raven to be free and to be able to fall in love.
Tink: Strat's best friend and a fellow member of 'The Lost'. He is romantically in love with Strat, but cannot act upon this because his DNA is frozen at a younger developmental age than the rest of 'The Lost' and as such is considered a child by his peers. He resents Raven; the romance between Strat and Raven is interpreted by Tink as Raven taking Strat away from himself and 'The Lost', rather than as Strat taking Raven from her family.
Zahara: Strat's friend and Jagwire's love interest who leads a double life; working as a nurse at Falco Towers and being part of 'The Lost'. She resents Falco but feels protective towards Raven and Sloane. In the song Two Out of Three Ain't Bad, it is revealed that Zahara cannot forget her first boyfriend who left her years ago before her DNA froze. It is implied at the end that she finally gets together with Jagwire.
Jagwire: Strat's friend and a fellow member of 'The Lost' who is in love with Zahara. In the song Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are, it is revealed that he once had a best friend named Kenny who died in a car accident before his DNA froze. It is implied at the end that he finally gets together with Zahara.
Ledoux: Strat's friend and a fellow member of 'The Lost' who is a close friend of Tink. He also appears to be in a relationship with a female Lost member named Liebeswooosh. In the song Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are, it is revealed that he once had a sexual relationship with a girl which ended with her disappearance before his DNA froze.
Blake: Strat's friend and a fellow member of 'The Lost' who is a close friend of Ledoux. He is also in a relationship with a female Lost member named Valkyrie[48]. In the song Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are, it is revealed that he grew up with his alcoholic and abusive father before his DNA froze. In the 2018 North American Tour, an altered version of Valkyrie replaces Blake in the show.
Act One begins with Strat recalling his first encounter with rock and roll ('Love and Death and an American Guitar (Strat's Soliloquy)') before his DNA froze causing him to remain eighteen forever. The story is set in the dystopian city of Obsidian, once known as Manhattan. Strat and his friends who are also frozen like him: Tink, Blake, Ledoux, Jagwire, Zahara and other teens call themselves 'The Lost' protest in Falco Square outside Falco Towers ('All Revved Up with No Place to Go / Wasted Youth'), the residence of the tyrannical leader of Obsidian, Falco. During the scuffle, Strat's shirt is torn from his back and thrown to the ground. Falco's only teenage daughter, Raven, sneaks outside and is drawn to the discarded shirt. Picking it up, her eyes meet with Strat, but she is immediately rushed back inside by her mother and Falco's wife, Sloane. Falco himself joins the fight, throwing Tink to the ground as he was spraying graffiti on the wall of Falco Towers, so Ledoux breaks a bottle over Falco's head, giving him a facial injury.
Falco eventually drives 'The Lost' away, and returns home to Falco Towers, where Raven expresses her resentment towards him for forbidding her from ever going outside. After sending Raven to bed, Falco discusses with Sloane about how he wants to make Obsidian great again with his planned house project. However, this involves: destroying disused tunnels and subways which have become residential areas for the homeless community and 'The Lost'. They then talk about the teenagers today while lamenting their long gone youths ('Who Needs the Young?'). In her room, Raven is trying on Strat's shirt when Strat briefly climbs in and he quickly steals a magazine with her image on it. His presence startles her, but he disappears quickly just as Sloane arrives. Raven eagerly asks Sloane about 'The Lost', so her mother tells her: a chemical warfare and an earthquake occurred in this city 25 years ago. Those teenagers were trapped in a tunnel filled with poison which didn't kill them, but froze their genes causing them to remain eighteen forever. Sloane then gives Raven an early eighteenth birthday present; Falco's old biker jacket. She also encourages her to not make the mistakes she made and that she wants her to be free and to be able to fall in love.
The following day, 'The Lost' are gathered in an area of Obsidian which they call the Deep End. It is their hideaway, which is located in a disused subway tunnel nearby the 81st Street–Museum of Natural History station. Strat's best friend, Tink crashes his bicycle, then acts aggressively towards Jagwire - but the fight is stopped from escalating by Strat, who takes Tink aside, tends his wounds and tussles with him. Unbeknownst to Strat, Tink secretly has a crush on him and attempts to kiss him, but Strat pulls back. Zahara discusses Falco's house project and she also attempts to make a move on Strat which he pulls back on as well. He asks Zahara: "on a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?", but this falls flat, and both Zahara and Strat are a little alienated by each other.
As Zahara leaves, she tells Strat that he needs to give up and forget about Raven, but Strat refuses. As he expresses his desire to see Raven; Blake, Ledoux, Tink and 'The Lost' briefly discuss kidnapping her in exchange for ransom. They then encourage him to pursue her romantically ('Out of the Frying Pan And Into the Fire').
Meanwhile, Jagwire pulls up on his motorbike outside of Falco Towers, after seeing Zahara there. It is briefly established that they have an ongoing unromantic relationship which is going sour. Zahara accuses Jagwire of following her and attempts to drive him away, but Jagwire persists to get his feelings through to her. Although she is aware of Jagwire's love for her, Zahara gently rejects him as she still cannot get over her first love ('Two Out of Three Ain't Bad').
Within Falco Towers, Falco and Sloane throw a party for Raven to celebrate her eighteenth birthday, much to her chagrin. Raven once again asks her father to let her explore the subways and to hang out with 'The Lost' which he bluntly and firmly refuses. Sloane attempts to brighten up the atmosphere by reminding everyone that it is Raven's birthday, but it quickly devolves into Falco and Sloane making out while reminiscing about how they got together during their wild-and-free youth ('Paradise by the Dashboard Light'). This causes Raven to leave in frustration and disgust.
In her room, Raven tearfully rips up her family photos until Falco and Sloane enter. They apologize for embarrassing her on her birthday and Zahara appears in a nurse outfit. Zahara gives Raven "dream suppressant" medication, while Falco and Sloane tuck her into bed. Once they leave the room, Strat sneaks in through the window, and his presence soon awakens Raven, who is initially startled. Strat asks her: "on a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?", but she's too busy expressing other feelings to notice the question, which disappoints Strat - who begins to leave, but she stops him. They have a heart-to-heart talk; Strat tells Raven what life is like being a 'Lost', and Raven reveals that she can never dream due to Falco making her take "dream suppressant" medication. This leads them to serenade each other ('Making Love Out of Nothing at All') and Strat invites her to go out with him for one night. Raven agrees to go with him and just as they are about to make love, a frantic Zahara interrupts by entering the bedroom to warn them that Falco is coming, and has already invaded the Deep End. Strat then grabs Raven and they escape via her bedroom window. Outside, they are met up with Jagwire who appears with Strat's motorbike and he urges them to go just as he gets apprehended by Falco's militia. Strat takes Raven on his motorbike and they begin their escape, but Raven has second thoughts about going with him ('Bat Out of Hell'). Halfway through the ride, Raven starts fearing about what her father would do to Strat, prompting her to jump off his motorbike and run away, leaving Strat to grab the handlebars, brake and stop. Devastated and hurt, he gets back on his motorbike and zooms ahead. Strat ends up driving his motorbike at full speed, off the Atlantic Ocean cliffs when he "misses" a sudden curve. His motorbike shatters and crushes him, severely injuring and seemingly killing him.
Act One ends with Zahara and Tink discovering his body. Zahara climbs down from the top of the cliffs and she calls the paramedics who arrive to help her carry Strat away.
Act Two
As Zahara briefly mentioned before Strat and Raven escaped, Falco was invading the Deep End. At the start of Act Two, Falco has captured many members of 'The Lost' and has confined them in "The Vaults Of Punishment"; a cage barely big enough to hold them all, in the prison basement of Falco Towers. Falco gleefully tortures Jagwire by electrocution and Zahara appears in her nurse outfit while holding Strat's bloodied shirt. She grimly informs 'The Lost' that Strat has died just as Raven and Sloane arrive. Raven breaks down upon hearing this and is dragged away by Zahara and Sloane, leaving Falco and his militia to torture 'The Lost' ('In the Land of the Pig, the Butcher Is King'). Up in her room, Raven mourns over Strat's death while constantly blaming herself for running away from him ('Heaven Can Wait'). Below, 'The Lost' are still shocked to have lost their leader and they all admit that their lives are a mess - but then, their lives have always been a mess - prompting Jagwire, Blake and Ledoux to share their pasts ('Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are'). Sloane, having had enough of Falco's tyrannical behavior enters the basement accompanied by several Lost members who evaded getting captured. With their assistance, she frees 'The Lost' from the cage, allowing them to escape. Meanwhile, Zahara takes a pint of blood from Raven and wakes her up. She tells Raven to come with her and they leave. Unbeknownst to them, Tink has been hiding in the room behind the door, and in a fit of jealousy, he violently rips into the pillows on Raven's bed - sending feathers flying everywhere - before throwing his knife at her photo. Zahara takes Raven to the safe area (script says: the attic of the Natural History Museum, but this is depicted on stage as an area filled with rocks), where she and Tink have been secretly looking after Strat who had miraculously survived his accident. She transfuses Raven's blood into Strat, enabling him to become mobile again, and he stumbles down from the rocks reciting poetry. Raven is shocked and overjoyed to see Strat and attempts to thank Tink for helping him recover, but he rudely rebuffs her. Zahara forcibly makes Tink leave with her while Strat and Raven have a heartfelt reunion ('For Crying Out Loud').
The following day, Zahara returns to Falco Towers to prepare a bag for Raven and is confronted by Falco who violently demands her to reveal Raven's location. She denies knowing where Raven is and Falco reveals that he knows that she is actually part of 'The Lost'. Sloane enters the room and she defends Zahara from Falco. She attempts to talk some sense into Falco, but he pushes her away prompting her to yell that she is leaving him and she rushes to attack him. Falco is about to strike Sloane until Zahara fires two warning shots with her gun before leaving while beckoning Sloane to come with her - so they can both leave in safety.
At the museum, Strat once again asks Raven: "on a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?". Raven responds to his words and happily agrees to become his, just as 'The Lost' show up. 'The Lost' become shocked and overwhelmed to see Strat alive. They joyously welcome him "back from the dead" while serenading him with Raven ('You Took the Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)'). A "wedding" is held - 'The Lost' dress Strat in a ruffled shirt with a sparkly silver jacket, and they dress Raven in a white dress, accompanied by a bouquet. Sloane joins in the celebration and she accepts Strat as Raven's partner. Raven throws the bouquet over her shoulder - this is caught by Zahara, who is simultaneously overjoyed and freaked out to catch it, so she throws it again - where it is caught by a female Lost member - Scherzzo - who gets down on one knee and proposes to Sloane.
After the "wedding", Strat and Raven go to the Dunes where they talk - Raven reveals she is now able to dream for the first time - and they attempt to consummate their relationship, only to be interrupted by a jealous Tink who urges Strat to send Raven back to Falco. Strat refuses, leading into a heated argument and Tink vows to get rid of Raven while lamenting his unrequited love for Strat ('Not Allowed to Love'). At Falco Towers, Falco unsuccessfully tries to dissuade Sloane from leaving him after losing Raven ('What Part of My Body Hurts the Most'), and he is left all alone to reflect on his actions. He is later visited by Tink who offers him a deal: he will take him to where Raven is, in exchange that no one gets hurt and that he will leave 'The Lost' alone after he gets Raven back. Falco becomes convinced and he agrees to the deal while amused by Tink's betrayal.
In the Deep End, 'The Lost' are gathered at the bar continuing to celebrate the union between Strat and Raven while Jagwire serenades Zahara ('Dead Ringer For Love'). Their celebration is interrupted when Falco bursts in through the wall with his militia and Tink. He reveals the deal he and Tink made and orders 'The Lost' to return Raven to him if they want him to leave them alone. Everyone resists and a scuffle ensues, which abruptly ends when Falco accidentally and unintentionally shoots Tink. Tink collapses from the gunshot wound while Falco is dragged away. Overwhelmed with shock and anger, Strat orders Raven to get away from him, prompting her to run off - heartbroken. Weak from blood loss, Tink apologizes for what he did because he only wanted to remain as they always were and Strat forgives him, telling him that he will always be his best friend and his soulmate. Tink dies in Strat's arms and 'The Lost' hold a funeral for him ('Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through'). Meanwhile, Raven is left with no choice but to return home to Falco Towers where she furiously blames her father for ruining everything.
Six months later, Sloane is still wandering through the city, delivering a beautiful monologue about how she's tried and failed to recapture her youth. In Falco Towers, Raven has become a recluse by secluding herself in her bedroom until Strat slips in through the window. He apologizes for spurning her six months ago when he knew it wasn't her fault Tink died and that he still loves her. Realizing she is still in love with Strat, Raven rekindles her feelings for him, and so does Sloane when she returns to Falco to rekindle their marriage ('It's All Coming Back to Me Now'). Raven suddenly has second thoughts about their relationship, because after being apart for so long, she's realized that they cannot be together. When Strat asks her why, she reveals that unlike him, she is not frozen. Thus, she will age normally while he remains young forever. Strat tells Raven that he doesn't care if she gets old, because she will always be eighteen in his eyes and he will always love her no matter what.
Finale: Strat and Raven, Falco and Sloane, and Zahara and Jagwire make vows to their respective partners ('I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)'). During this song, Falco is forced at gunpoint into a lake by Zahara, where he emerges several seconds later dressed in a different outfit (a baptism/redemption). [US Tour: During the song 'The Lost' surround Falco and when they disperse, he's wearing a rock style outfit.]
Musical numbers
Act I
"Love and Death and an American Guitar" – Strat
"All Revved Up with No Place to Go/Wasted Youth" – Strat, Falco, Ledoux, Jagwire and Company
"Who Needs the Young?" – Falco and Sloane
"Out of the Frying Pan And Into the Fire" – Strat, Ledoux, Blake, Tink and Company
An excerpt from the Meat Loaf recording of "Life Is A Lemon And I Want My Money Back" can be heard at the beginning of the scene in Raven's bedroom between "Who Needs the Young?" and "Out of the Frying Pan (And Into the Fire)". Lines from "Bad for Good"'s title track are used frequently in dialogue spoken by Raven, with one line also being sung as part of Sloane's monologue towards the end of act two.
"Teenager In Love" is the name of the monologue Strat recites immediately before he and Raven sing "For Crying Out Loud". Performed by Jim Steinman, a shorter version of this piece was first released as "Shadows On The Freeway" in 1979, then as "Nocturnal Pleasure" in 1981 on the album "Dead Ringer". This full length version - titled "Teenager In Love" - was initially only the prologue to the music video for It's All Coming Back to Me Now by Pandora's Box (1989), but was later released as a standalone audio track on the digital-only special 19-track version of the album which includes promotional tracks and single edits.
"Good Girls Go to Heaven (Bad Girls Go Everywhere)" (sung by Zahara, Sloane, Raven and Company) was included in the first few nights of previews in Manchester, but was cut and replaced with "Out of the Frying Pan (And Into the Fire). It was, however, included on the original cast recording.
"It Just Won't Quit" (sung by Raven, Strat and Company) was in the show until near the end of the London Coliseum run. As with "Good Girls Go to Heaven", it was still included on the original cast recording.
"In the Land of the Pig, the Butcher Is King" (sung by Falco and Company) and the scene it's included in, was omitted from the US Tour.
Meat Loaf is an American singer and actor. He is noted for his powerful, wide-ranging operatic voice and for his theatrical live shows.
James Richard Steinman is an American composer, lyricist, record producer, and playwright. He has also worked as an arranger, pianist and singer. His work has included songs in the adult contemporary, rock and roll, dance, pop, musical theater and film score genres. Beginning his career in musical theater, Steinman's most notable work in the area includes lyrics for Whistle Down the Wind and music for Tanz der Vampire.
Bat Out of Hell is the debut studio album by American rock singer Meat Loaf, as well as his first collaboration with composer Jim Steinman and producer Todd Rundgren. The album was released on October 21, 1977 on Cleveland International/Epic Records. Its musical style is influenced by Steinman's appreciation of Richard Wagner, Phil Spector, Bruce Springsteen and The Who. Bat Out of Hell has spawned two Meat Loaf sequel albums: Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose.
"Paradise by the Dashboard Light" is a song written by Jim Steinman. It was first released in 1977 on the album Bat Out of Hell, with vocals by the American musician Meat Loaf alongside Ellen Foley. The song is most notable for its unique structure and length, and has become a staple of classic rock radio. Brotherhood of Man also recorded the song under the title "Let Me Sleep on It".
Bad for Good is a 1981 album by American songwriter Jim Steinman. Steinman wrote all of the songs and performed on most, although Rory Dodd contributed lead vocals on some tracks.
Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell is the sixth studio album by American rock singer Meat Loaf and was written and produced by Jim Steinman. It was released in September 1993, sixteen years after Meat Loaf's first solo album Bat Out of Hell. The album reached number 1 in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. Five tracks were released as singles, including "I'd Do Anything for Love ", which reached number 1 in 28 countries.
"I'd Do Anything for Love " is a song written by Jim Steinman, and recorded by Meat Loaf with Lorraine Crosby. The song was released in 1993 as the first single from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell. The last six verses feature a female singer who was credited only as "Mrs. Loud" in the album notes. She was later identified as Lorraine Crosby. However, she does not appear in the video, in which her vocals are lip-synched by Dana Patrick. Meat Loaf promoted the single with US vocalist Patti Russo.
Lorraine Crosby, better known as "Mrs. Loud", is an English singer and songwriter. Her most well-known work, especially in the United States, is as the female vocalist in Meat Loaf's 1993 hit single "I'd Do Anything for Love ". Her debut album Mrs Loud was released in 2008.
The Very Best of Meat Loaf is a 1998 album spanning the first 21 years of Meat Loaf's recording career. Although not reaching the top ten in the United Kingdom, it was certified double platinum there in 2013. The album features many of Meat Loaf's best-known songs as well as a few from his lesser known albums of the 1980s.
Midnight at the Lost and Found is a 1983 album by Meat Loaf. This would be the final Meat Loaf release under Epic Records until The Very Best of Meat Loaf (1998).
Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose is the ninth studio album by Meat Loaf, and the third and final album in the Bat Out of Hell trilogy. It was released in Ireland on October 20 2006, 29 years after Bat Out of Hell (1977), and 13 years after Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993). It was released in the UK on October 23, 2006, and in the US on October 31, 2006.
"It's All Coming Back to Me Now" is a power ballad written by Jim Steinman. According to Steinman, the song was inspired by Wuthering Heights, and was an attempt to write "the most passionate, romantic song" he could ever create. The Sunday Times posits that "Steinman protects his songs as if they were his children". Meat Loaf had wanted to record the song for years, but Steinman saw it as a "woman's song". Steinman won a court movement preventing Meat Loaf from recording it. Girl group Pandora's Box went on to record it and it was subsequently made famous through a cover by Celine Dion, which upset Meat Loaf because he was going to use it for a planned album with the working title Bat Out of Hell III. Alternately, Meat Loaf has said the song was intended for Bat Out of Hell II and given to the singer in 1986, but that they both decided to use "I'd Do Anything for Love " for Bat II, and save this song for Bat III.
Hits Out of Hell is a 1984 compilation album by Meat Loaf. It comprises seven Jim Steinman songs. The original release also contained the hit "Modern Girl" from Bad Attitude, which came out at about the same time.
VH1: Storytellers was a live concert tour by Meat Loaf, of which one concert was played on the channel VH1. Meat Loaf told humorous stories of his career as a singer and how he unfolded into rock stardom. The DVD version has two additional songs. Some songs on the CD are taken from Meat Loaf's Hard Rock Live performance. Others were taken from the pre-show soundcheck. The album peaked at #129 on the Billboard 200, making it his lowest charting album in the United States.
"Bat Out of Hell" is a song written by Jim Steinman, for the 1977 album Bat Out of Hell and performed by Meat Loaf. It was released as a single in 1979, and again in 1993.
"Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are" is a song composed and written by Jim Steinman, and recorded by Meat Loaf. The song was released in 1994 as the third single from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell and it reached number 38 on US's Billboard Hot 100, and number 26 in the UK Top 40. With its chart success, this song became the hit with the longest un-bracketed title as of 2007. The title is derived from the safety warning on car side mirrors in the US, "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear".
"You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" is the first solo single by the American singer Meat Loaf, released in 1977. It is a track from his album Bat Out of Hell, written by Jim Steinman.
"Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" is a song composed and written by Jim Steinman. It was first featured on Steinman's 1981 solo album Bad for Good, with lead vocals by an uncredited Rory Dodd. It was later recorded by Meat Loaf and released in January 1994 as the third single from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell.
"Dead Ringer for Love" is a song performed by American rock singer Meat Loaf and American singer-actress Cher from Meat Loaf's third studio album, Dead Ringer. The song was written by Jim Steinman and one of only two tracks on the album produced by Steinman and Jimmy Iovine.
"Good Girls Go to Heaven " is a song written by Jim Steinman. It was first performed by Pandora's Box on their album Original Sin (1989). Group member Holly Sherwood performed lead vocals.
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