Have you ever wished you had seen a Backstreet Boys or 'NSync concert before the bands spun into oblivion?
The Broadway San Diego production "Altar Boyz" gives you a chance to experience the boy-band craze first hand, with the addition of a hilarious religious twist.
The musical comedy is a mock-up concert of a struggling Catholic boy band. The band performs each of the faith-based songs with pop-powered energy and a pro-God message.
The five boys exemplify the boy-band stereotype to a tee, and it's no coincidence that they all have biblical names.
Matthew (Matthew Buckner) is the magnetic leader, Luke (Jesse J.P. Johnson) is the rapper-wanna-be tough guy, Juan (Jay Garcia) is the hip-shaking Latino, Mark (Ryan J. Ratcliff) is the sexually ambiguous blonde and Abraham (Nick Blaemire) is the token Jewish guy.
Together, the "Altar Boyz" transmit cheesy religious messages through songs with lyrics such as "God put the rhythm in me / He put it in me!" This latter lyric is repeated while the five Boyz thrust their hips and pump their fists, bringing out the homoeroticism inherently present in pop-male performances.
That's the thing about "Altar Boyz:" it's a cheesy production with ridiculous lyrics trying to pass as serious Catholic conversion messages. The choreography is over the top, the hair and costumes are stereotypical and the jokes are cliché. But the Boyz's delivery of the comedy is endearing, not annoying.
Like any other parody, the exaggeration of the concept under criticism is what makes the humor explosively funny.
The "Altar Boyz" experience is like watching an hour-and-a-half-long skit of the best "Saturday Night Live" episode you could ever imagine - but with much better music. Each boy has a routine song about his experience with the Catholic faith, even Abraham, the Jewish guy.
Every song is a three-minute, laugh-inducing mix of infectious lyrics and outrageous choreography. In between songs, the Boyz count the number of souls they've saved with their inspirational tunes about God's love.
And it's true, the "Altar Boyz" do inspire the crowd with their performances. With lyrics such as "It doesn't matter / If you're wrinkled and old and gray / It doesn't matter / If you face Mecca when you pray," in a song meant to speak of God's inclusive nature and mock some religion's opposite practice, it's easy to be inspired and burst into laughter at the same time.
Probably the best part about "Altar Boyz" is that it's not self-righteous in its criticism of religion. It does mock certain aspects of the Catholic faith (such as church rituals where you have to "stand up, kneel, sit down"), but it's not a political parody; it doesn't ask the audience to take sides.
Anyone from any faith and background can understand and relate to the humor that is never offensive or aggressive.
And, if nothing else, the boy band is a dying breed and even if they are a farce, "Altar Boyz" is a holy fun time.
-'Altar Boyz' will be playing March 6 through 11 at the Civic Theatre. For more information, visit www.broadwaysd.com.
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