Batette Follies of 1939 is an original song and dance theatrical experience created by Aussie writer, director, producer, Russel S. Beattie who created the previous fan-favorite burlesque show and ode to Star Wars, titled, The Empire Strips Back!
The Batette experience (depending on ticket price) begins with a free drink or cocktail upstairs in the Montalban Theater bar with a choice of Batette-themed alcoholic concoctions strong enough to make The Joker go on a giddy rampage! The lobby and upstairs walls and hallways are adorned with Batette character headshots and show posters which helps the audience already start to get a feel for the show.
The show opens with a powerful and soulful performance by the female lead, in an elegant, black gown. This character will reappear throughout the show and help bring home the big, splashy tap-dancing finale along with a special appearance by the dynamic duo, Batman and Robin. Overall, the production is energetic, eye-popping and humorous with audience participation highly encouraged. Harley Quinn evens kidnaps a victim from the audience to add to the merriment and mayhem.
Present is a cavalcade of familiar Batman villains including The Penguin, The Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, The Joker, Catwoman and The Scarecrow with an incredible piano solo by Harvey Dent aka Two-Face. What’s strangely missing from the show is Batman who we don’t see until the very end of the show, which is fine, as there is enough going on to keep the audience distracted and entertained. The set, lighting and production design is gorgeous, and is a character all its own with an art deco feel and style, which is perfect for a 30’s period piece.
Catwoman has several numbers, one as a sexy burlesque dancer with a whip and an arial act where she dangles above the stage on a wire, which is pretty sexy too. The Riddler sings a hilarious song talking about his girlfriends private parts which gets the whole audienceIto join in on the raunchiness. Note: This show is not for kids, its strictly a 21+ experience. And it should be. Not everything has to be for kids.
One of the most memorable numbers is a ballad from Mr. Freeze who sings the Simon and Garfunkel song The Sound of Silence. His powerful voice, (one of the best in the show), sings about losing the love of his life. Off to the right side of the stage is a beautiful woman standing in a glass case, who seems to be frozen in a state of suspended animation. That would seem logical if her lover is Mr. Freeze. *Spoiler Alert: At one point in the song, Mr. Freeze presses a button on her enclosure and a red light comes on and I thought, this is great, she’s going to thaw out and then join Mr. Freeze for the rest of the song as a romantic duet. But no, nothing happens and the red light just fades out and the song is over. Huh? What happened? I’m not sure, but it seemed like a real missed opportunity. Oh well, I’m not the writer.
Batette is currently playing at the Montalban Theater near famous Hollywood and Vine in the very heart of Hollywood. This beautiful and historic760-seat theater was re-named in 2004 after the actor, Ricardo Montalban who is best known for the hit TV series, Fantasy Island where the character Tattoo would exclaim every episode, “The Plane, The Plane!” For this show, it should be, “The Bat, The Bat!” When the theater was re-named the Montalban Theater, the original concept was to help promote and showcase Latino productions and talent.
The biggest takeaway from the show, (literally) is a gorgeous Unauthorized detailed account of GOTHAM 1919-1939, a beautifully produced hard cover book chronicling all the characters and their origin stories. This incredibly detailed book is chock full of amazing period pictures and well thought out stories and biographies that could easily sell at a book store for over $100. The book is worth the ticket price by itself.
Batette Follies of 1939 is aptly named as the Batman character created by Bob Kane first appeared in Detective Comics No. 27 on March 30th, 1939 and has since appeared in numerous comic books, comic strips, and graphic novels; on television in a camp live-action series and a critically acclaimed animated program; in electronic games; and in brooding, atmospheric films and now as a musical production.
You can still catch this dazzling and fun song and dance review through August 11th, as the show run has been extended. Recommendation: Take the Batplane and fly as fast as you can while you can still see it.
Photo Credit: Lionel F. Garcia
Jeff Rector is an award-winning writer, director, producer and best-selling author.
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