A promotional photograph showing A promotional photo for 'Bat Boy: The Musical' happening at Carrollwood Cultural Center in Tampa, Florida on Oct. 16-25. Captured in a flat-lay view, three printed promotional flyers for the musical rest on a textured granite counter surface. The left and right flyers feature a black-and-white tabloid newspaper cover styled after Weekly World News, showing a dramatic wide-eyed Bat Boy with pointed ears and fangs opening his mouth in a scream, while the center flyer displays a yellow-and-black show poster titled "BAT BOY THE MUSICAL" detailing event dates and showtimes under bright indoor overhead lighting.
A promotional photo for ‘Bat Boy: The Musical’ happening at Carrollwood Cultural Center in Tampa, Florida on Oct. 16-25. Credit: carrollwoodculturalcenter / Facebook

Since appearing in the Weekly World News in 1992, Bat Boy has been a part of pop culture.

The tabloid has placed the half-bat-half-boy in places all over the world, but this musical comedy written by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming, explores how the child—named Edgar, mind you—was discovered in West Virginia. Not meant for anyone under 14 years old, the production that premiered off-Broadway in 2001 is a statement on belonging and fearing people who don’t look like us.

Simon DuPriest plays lead at Carrollwood Cultural Center and is part of a cast and crew of nearly two dozen people putting on the show opening Friday, Oct. 16 and running on select nights through Oct. 25.

Tickets to see “Bat Boy: The Musical” at Carrollwood Cultural Center are $30-$35, and more information is at carrollwoodcenter.org. See more theater happenings across the Tampa Bay area (Oct. 16-22) below.

Bat Boy: The Musical

Time Fri., Oct. 16, 8-10 p.m. 2026

Location Carrollwood Cultural Center, 4537 Lowell Rd., Tampa

View More

“Halfway There” by Norm Foster Select times and dates through Saturday, Oct. 17. $60. Early Bird Dinner Theater, Clearwater

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder Select times and dates Friday-Sunday, Oct. 9-18. $19.70 & up. Gem Theater, Mulberry

MAD Theatre of Tampa: Spring Awakening Select times and dates Friday-Sunday, Oct. 9-18. $33.64. Tropical Home Fine Art Gallery, Ybor City

Jobsite Theater: Misery Select times and dates Wednesday-Sunday, Oct. 14-Nov. 8. $47.40 & up. Jaeb Theater at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa

Sophisticated Ladies Select times and dates Wednesday-Sunday, Oct. 14-Nov. 22. $21 & up. Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Sarasota

Carrie: The Musical Select times and dates Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 15-Nov. 1. $32.50. Bradenton Kiwanis Theater at Manatee Performing Arts Center, Bradenton

The Woman in Black Select times Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 15–18. $48. Murray Theatre at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater

The Rocky Horror Picture Show Select times and dates Friday-Sunday, Oct. 16-25. $13.75 & up. Richey Suncoast Theatre, New Port Richey

Constellations Select times and dates Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 15-25. $21 & up. The Off-Central Players, St. Petersburg

New Tampa Players: Come From Away Select times and dates Friday-Sunday, Oct. 16-25. $22 & up. New Tampa Performing Arts Center, Tampa

Wesley Chapel Theater Group: The Odd Couple (Female Version) Saturday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m. & Sunday, Oct. 18, 2 p.m. $20. Zephyrhills Lions Club, Zephyrhills

Constellations Wednesday, Oct. 21. 7:30 p.m. $10 & up; pay-what-you-can. The Off-Central Players, St. Petersburg

Dear Evan Hansen Select times and dates Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 22-Nov. 1. $35 & up. Stone Hall at Manatee Performing Arts Center, Bradenton

Pitch in to help make the Tampa Bay Journalism Project a success.

Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.

Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | BlueSky

This article appears in Oct. 15 – 21, 2026.

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...

Josh Bradley is Creative Loafing Tampa Bay's calendar editor. He started as a freelance music writer in 2020 at the age of 18, and after spending years covering, announcing, and previewing concerts in...