Cast members of the musical based on Meat Loaf’s legendary Bat Out Of Hell album have vowed to ‘keep the flame of rock and roll burning’ for him in a post-show tribute.
Following Meat Loaf’s death aged 74, Friday’s show at the New Wimbledon Theatre was performed in his memory, with lead actors Rob Fowler and Sharon Sexton leading a tribute to him.
Bat Out Of Hell: The Musical, a loose retelling of Peter Pan set in post-apocalyptic Manhattan, features many of the US rocker’s most notable songs and is currently on a UK tour.
Fans packed out the venue for the performance with audience members cheering and dancing through the final number, Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through.
In a joint speech after the performance, Rob, who plays the character of Falco, and Sharon, who plays the character Sloane, offered their heartfelt condolences to the legendary rocker.
They told the audience: ‘He was a man with a big heart, a bigger personality and the iconic voice that made Jim Steinman’s music fly.
‘He was a huge inspiration to Jim, a huge inspiration to this show and a huge inspiration to all of you and all of us.
‘We’ve dedicated this to his honour and we promise you, Meat, wherever you are, that we are going to keep the flame of rock and roll burning.
They finished by loudly declaring: ‘Meat Loaf, we love you, and may the beat be yours forever.’
Sharon had told the PA news agency before the show: ‘I think the music will never be the same again.’
‘When you’re a performer you might get one song in a show or maybe two songs in a show where you go “Oh yeah, that’s the one that is the pinnacle, that is the anthem”, but every single song (in the musical) is an anthem.
‘And so I think as soon as the music chords starts tonight, it’s going to be incredibly moving.’
Sexton said the rocker had been ‘warm, open and supportive’ of the cast members when he met them, adding she feels ‘shocked and very sad’ following his death.
A statement from the production said: ‘The company of Jim Steinman’s Bat Out Of Hell The Musical here in the UK is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of their great friend and producer, Meat Loaf.
‘He was with us when the show first launched in London at the Coliseum and in Manchester at the Opera House back in 2016 and then came to the show at the Dominion Theatre in London on July 25 2018.’
It added: ‘The beat is yours forever.’
The music icon’s death has shocked the entertainment world, having been a staple of classic rock stations for decades.
Tributes have been paid to the musician – real name Marvin Lee Aday – with everyone from Cher to Boy George and Andrew Lloyd-Webber sharing their shock.
The Bat Out Of Hell musical will be playing at the New Wimbledon Theatre until January 29, and will then continue its tour of the UK and Ireland.
It will next stop at Stockton, Edinburgh, Canterbury, Aberdeen, Stoke, Sheffield and Eastbourne.
Afterwards, it will be performed in Bradford, Milton Keynes, Southampton, Blackpool, Plymouth, Newcastle, and Bristol.
The musical will then move to Belfast, Dublin, Hull, Cardiff, and Liverpool, and finish in Woking in November, with rescheduled US dates also being worked on.
Tickets are available on the official Bat Out Of Hell musical website.
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