Altar Boyz

A while back a regular reader of Mid Atlantic Art News, who I think is also a producer for the show Altar Boyz, sent me a couple of complimentary tickets for one of the show's performance in our area at the Hippo in Baltimore.

I didn't know this at the time, but Altar Boyz is an award winning play, and somewhat (if we're to judge by the screaming girls in the audience) some kind of a "under the radar" cult hit, that somehow takes the phenomenom of pop boys groups, seriously athletic dancing, catchy tunes, and religion, and puts it all together in an unexpected, sort of fun musical show.

At first I thought that the show was an effort to poke fun at religion, Christian religion of course, but as the musical got going, I realized that this was an effort to well... bring some harmless pop into religion, while delivering a positive, and 100% harmless, religious message.

The "boyz" are Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan, and Abraham; sort of a pop Christian Mod Squad, that is ethnically diverse ("Juan" (Spanish for John) is Mexican, and "Luke" plays an Italian street toughie stereotype (I think); and even includes a Semite ("Abraham" is Jewish), and one of the boyz (Mark) is gay.

The characters played by the boyz, especially the gay, the Mexican and the Jew, are little more than cliché Hollywood cartoonish stereotypes, but this is somewhat overcome by their interaction and the whole "fun" attitude of the show.

This Christian boy band, mike-in-cheek (I think) hopes to save souls in their travels with a power-packed ninety minutes of diverse music (rap, Latin, rock, gospel, etc.), well-choreographed and sweat-producing dancing, and a ton of laughs - in fact many more that one would expect... from (ahem) this kind of musical play.

And this is a show, that if someone would have described it to me ahead of time, I would have skipped it; and yet I will admit that I actually quite enjoyed the songs (includes "Girl, You Make Me Wanna Wait" and "Jesus Called Me On My Cell Phone"), the dancing, and even the post-modern Christian message of acceptance.

The show is based on a book by Kevin Del Aguila, and it is choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, who deserves a "well done" for the dancing and moves on this show.

More on the Altar Boyz website here (be prepared for annoying musical effects).