Bat Out of Hell–The Musical hit the Strip earlier this year, bringing the songs of Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman plus a Shakespearean love story to the Paris Theater six nights a week. Las Vegas native Alize Cruz shines bright as leading lady Raven, who navigates conflict between her love interest and her family ties.
Unlike other musicals, this production features the iconic music of Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman (along with a few other hits). Is there added pressure when performing this music?
There is a lot of pressure because these are songs that everybody knows. If you mess up those words, they’re going to know. … There’s added pressure especially when I sing “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” because people sing along with me, and I can hear it (onstage). But it’s a lot more fun. You have that sing-along aspect where people feel like they can join us and have a good time with (the cast).
Were you a fan of Meat Loaf and Steinman before joining the show?
This is all new music I’ve had to learn. I didn’t grow up listening to this style of music at all. I was raised on R&B and soul music as opposed to rock, so it’s been very new for me. But the journey of having to learn the history of it all has been the most fun for me.
What’s it like working with Las Vegas showbiz legends Travis Cloer and Anne Martinez who play your parents in the show?
They have become like my parents in real life, and it’s been quite incredible. They have helped me so much with my stage fright and confidence. Especially with “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” Anne has been the best at helping me channel my inner diva. … (She and Cloer have) become really close friends to me and amazing mentors in the performance industry.
As a Las Vegas native, did you ever envision yourself as being part of a Strip production?
Absolutely not, actually. Las Vegas is not really musical-based. There’s entertainment here but there aren’t a lot of musicals to do, so I thought I was going to end up in New York. … Musical theater is especially my thing, so being in a rock show is way different and very unexpected for me. But it has been a fun journey. ...
The Strip production is a shortened 85-minute version of a longer musical. What kinds of cuts had to be made?
We did cut a lot of story line, so I know for some people it’s a little hard to grasp everything that’s going on. There’s even a little Peter Pan reference that a lot of people don’t really catch. Little things like that are hard to pick up on … We also cut quite a few songs, “Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are” being one of the more popular ones that people (wish we hadn’t cut) … We tried to make it fit, but after a lot of trial and error we still couldn’t do it.
What choices are you making as an actor to make your version of Raven your own?
My version of Raven is very goofy and it’s because (that’s how) I am in real life. So I would say that I put a lot of my own personality into her and I don’t really let the role of Raven get in the way of my own personality, and I think it just makes it that much more fun.
What’s your favorite song to perform?
To perform, I always say, “For Crying Out Loud” because it’s the most challenging one since we’re jumping around the stage belting our faces off. But my favorite to sing is, “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” because there’s so much emotion and I’m a sucker for emotional songs.
What’s the most challenging part of this production for you?
At first it was the quick changes. I have about 10 seconds for a couple of my quick changes, and I was not making (them). I have three quick changes in just that first song—it’s definitely a marathon … But, I still think “For Crying Out Loud” has been and will always be the most challenging part because that breath support is nuts … Having to figure out when to breathe and how to breathe was difficult.
Do you think you’d like to be part of more Strip shows after this experience?
It depends. Through this experience I have tapped into my solo artist side. I’ve never been one to play my own music, but I’ve been inspired by my cast mates to become my own (artist). In musical theater you are always being told to be a character. You have to fit this character and mold yourself into them, but I want to start doing my own thing and working my way through the music industry. If another show like this one comes to Las Vegas I don’t see why I wouldn’t audition—but I really want to step into solo music. It’s very new for me, but I’m very inspired.
Paris, batoutofhellvegas.com
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