Bell plays Shelly Parker in the dark comedy about a boy—well, half-boy, half-bat—discovered to be living in a cave. Bat Boy comes to stay with Parker's parents, whose father is a veterinarian and tasked with teaching him to talk and read. Eventually young love blossoms. The story, a parody on a story from the Weekly World News tabloid, is satire at its best. But Bell knows an outrageous story line requires some emotional balance and a certain level of restraint from a cast.

In the early stages of rehearsal, Bell and Broadway veterans Justin Greer (Bat Boy), Heidi Blickenstaff (Bat Boy's surrogate mother) and David McDonald (Dr. Thomas Parker, Shelly's dad) are working to develop characters that are believable despite the unbelievable plot.

"The whole show is pretty heightened," said Bell of the over-the-top musical. "We want to keep it truthful, but it's still a comedy."

Rehearsal helps the actors strike an honest balance to such a dark show. Practice time also allows the actors to recognize each other's strengths and learn how best to play off one another.

"Many of the actors are coming from Broadway, and there's tremendous talent," said Bell. "It's great to work with people who have such a wide variety of styles."

And with a score that mixes rock, gospel, Broadway and country music, a wide range of singing talent is essential.

The story is clearly exaggerated, but writers Keythe Farley, Brian Flemming and Laurence O'Keefe managed to create smart, self-aware characters, precisely the type of role Bell says she can really sink her teeth into.

As a working actor in the Bay Area, Bell accepts her typecasting as a step closer to Broadway. Coveted roles like Shelly in Bat Boy or Frenchie in American Musical Theatre San Jose's Grease allow her to focus on her strengths as a comedic actor.

A day job teaching dance, theater and voice lessons pays the bills, so Bell has the flexibility to audition for roles in local theater, but she would eventually like to make her way back East for a turn on Broadway.

Acting having been her calling since the age of 10, Bell started on the youth theater stage and knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life. After graduating from college with a degree in theater, she returned home, accepting a position as artistic director at the Los Altos Youth Theatre, the place that gave her the first taste of the spotlight.

For now, she's content with her career path in musical theater and doesn't think much about pursuing the relatively limited film and television opportunities in the Bay Area.

Don't write her off as a theater snob, however. If a national commercial came her way she'd certainly consider paying the bills that way.

Whether she's hawking toothpaste or falling for a sweet boy with fangs, Molly Bell is crafting her own path from the Bay Area to Broadway.

TheatreWorks presents "Bat Boy" July 16 to Aug. 10 at the Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Tickets are $20 to $48. Call 650.903.6000 or go to www.theatreworks.org for more information.