The audience of the musical Bat Out of Hell in New York got a special treat this week when the inspiration for the musical appeared on stage during the encore. The rocker, Meat Loaf, went on stage for the first time since the musical launch in Toronto on May 2017 and sang You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night) with the musical’s cast.
A live appearance by the 70s-80s star is not a common thing as a series of health problems left him unable to tour. He was plagued by back problems and damage to his vocal cords. He even collapsed on stage one time in Canada in June 2016 during I’d Do Anything for Love (But I won’t Do That).
The musical, directed by Jay Scheib, is based on the singer’s album from 1977. The stage adaptation was written by Jim Steinman, who wrote the album’s songs. It follows a gang leader in a post-apocalyptic world named Strat who falls in love with the daughter of a tyrannical ruler of this world. The cast includes stars as Andrew Polec, Christina Bennington, and Tony winner Lena Hall.
