''Altar Boyz'' is a

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

with music and lyrics by Gary Adler and

Michael Patrick Walker Michael Patrick Walker is a composer, lyricist, writer, and musician. Life Walker was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and raised in New Freedom, Pennsylvania. He lived in Pittsburgh for several years while earning his bachelor's degree from Car ...

and book by Kevin Del Aguila (based on an idea by Marc J. Kessler and

Ken Davenport Ken Davenport (born Kenneth Anjum Hasija, August 23, 1972) is a two-time Tony Award-winning theatre producer, blogger, and writer. He is best known for his production work on Broadway. Early life and career Davenport was born in Phoenix, Ariz ...

). Centering on a fictitious

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

boy band A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform love songs marketed towards girls and young women. Ma ...

from

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, the show satirizes, among other things, the phenomenon of boy bands and the popularity of Christian-themed music in contemporary

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

culture. It began an

Off Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

run on March 1, 2005, and closed on January 10, 2010, after sixteen previews and 2,032 regular performances, making it the 9th longest-running

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

musical of all time.

Plot

The musical is presented in real time as the final concert of the national "Raise the Praise" tour staged by the five-member group the Altar Boyz. Four of the group's members, Matthew, Mark, Luke and Juan, apparently are named after the authors of the four canonical Christian

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

s. The fifth member is Abraham, who, the group explains in the show's opening number, is

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

. The members of the group address the audience directly and refer to the venue and location in which the performance is taking place. The Altar Boyz perform their songs, with choreographed dancing in the style of boy bands, and present several scenes concerning the group and its origins, as well as each member's strengths and demons, as part of the concert. During the show, the Altar Boyz repeatedly turn to a machine on stage, the "Soul Sensor DX-12," which has a display that they explain shows the number of burdened souls in the theatre. Their goal is to reduce the number on the machine to zero by the end of the concert.

Synopsis

The Altar Boyz come out to introduce themselves. There is Matthew, the leader, Mark, the sensitive one, Luke, the bad boy, Juan, the Latin Lover, and Abraham the gefilte fish out of water. Abraham is Jewish (We Are The Altar Boyz). They go on to explain their love of God in song (Rhythm In Me). They use a gadget from

SONY , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

called the "Soul Sensor DX-12", which tells us how many souls that need to be saved. At this performance, 99 souls need to be saved. The first attempt of saving them comes from the Boyz singing about how to behave when at church (Church Rulez). This was a success. The five Boyz proceed to perform biased skits based on what they remember happened. Matthew's point of view is the first that is discovered. He was having trouble writing a song when Mark entered the church. This song was for the retirement party of Father Lucas, a priest at the church that he goes to. Mark does not offer much help. In Mark's point of view, Matthew notices and compliments his hair, as Mark gets flustered. In this skit, Matthew says that he is writing a love song for Jesus. In Luke's point of view, his friends are completely silent when he enters the church. In Juan's point of view, he runs in, meeting the Boyz for the first time. He dramatically explains that he was born on a church in

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, but found a way to Ohio, in search of his parents. Matthew, Mark, and Luke react very insensitively to this. In Abraham's point of view, he enters to give Luke his term paper, done for Luke by Abraham. Luke points out that Abraham is a writer, and Abraham agrees to help him write the song if he gives him a robe, and Matthew agrees. However, Abraham does not finish the song. Suddenly, they are encountered by God (Or, the voice of G.O.D), who demands for the Boyz to become a boy band. Abraham believes this is a mistake, but the Boyz obey. (The Calling). After the song, the Boyz explain their jobs in the group. Matthew is the leader, Mark is the choreographer, Juan picked out the clothes, Abraham is the songwriter, and Luke drives the tour van. According to Matthew, Luke has had to go to rehabilitation, and Luke swears he went there for exhaustion. The Boyz break out in a rap about three of Jesus's miracles. They manage to save a few souls (The Miracle Song). Then, Abraham sings his own song, claiming that it doesn't matter who you are, but that you belong in God's family nonetheless (Everybody Fits). Once the song is through, Matthew and the Boyz read scripted confessions, that were from the audience. The last of the confessions was from Larry, whose girlfriend has been pressuring him to lose his virginity. He'd like to do the same thing. Luke and Matthew are against it. Matthew sings a love song based on abstinence, bringing up a real audience member onstage, while Mark swoons, mistaking the song to be about him (Something About You). Matthew gives a souvenir to the audience member, a towelette, that was taken by Mark as she was led off the stage. Luke, fed up with Mark's jealousy, pleads for the Boyz, as well as the audience, to focus on their souls, as he has been working on his (Body, Mind, and Soul). The soul sensor goes down to thirty three. Matthew has declared a surprise party for Juan, and have a very special letter that is addressed to him. The letter states that they have finally found Juan's parents, but said parents are no longer alive, and were found at a cemetery. This has led to all of the souls needing to be saved again. The Boyz try to continue the set list like normal, but Juan begins to cry and grieves his family. Abraham takes his place in singing his big song, but gives up on the dance break and attempts to search for him, who has run away and is trying to leave the theater. When the Boyz get him back, he gains confidence and continues his song with pride (La Vida Eternal). There are ten people left whose souls still need to be saved. To save them, Mark shares his story with

Episcopalian Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...

bullies, who have bullied him for his voice and his stylistic choices. Out of the blue, Matthew comes in to defend him from the bullies. Mark, smitten, calls him his guardian angel. This was his Catholic awakening (Epiphany). This has saved six souls, but there are still four left in the audience. The Altar Boyz try to save those four whose souls are still lost with a song that they have never performed before, and only perform it on extreme measures. In the song, they try desperately to help, in any way possible, to save the audience (Number 918). This does not work. As Luke tries for an encore, Matthew stops the Boyz, and shamefully admits that he has signed a solo deal, and will be leaving the band. One by one, each boy admits that they will also be leaving the band after this performance. All except Abraham. Although he was offered, he refused. Now, he understands why he's in the band. Abraham gives his finally complete song to the band. One by one, each boy enters the song, and they sing together for one last time, promising that they will always be friends, and there's a reason why they're here (I Believe).

Production history

Directed by Stafford Arima and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, ''Altar Boyz'' debuted at the 47th Street Theatre (The Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre) in New York City as part of the

New York Musical Theatre Festival The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) was an annual three-week summer festival that operated from 2004 to 2019. It presented more than 30 new musicals a year in New York City's midtown theater district. More than half were chosen by leading theate ...

in September 2004. The NYMF cast included Cheyenne Jackson as Matthew, Tyler Maynard as Mark, Andy Karl as Luke, Ryan Dunca as Juan, and David Josefsberg as Abraham.

Marc Kudisch Marc Kudisch (born September 22, 1966) is an American stage actor, who is best known for his musical theatre roles on Broadway. Early life and education Kudisch was born in Hackensack, New Jersey, the son of Florence and Raymond Kudisch. His fami ...

performed the pre-recorded role of "G.O.D." Due to the nature of the festival, the NYMF run was limited to eight performances on an irregular schedule over the course of a few weeks. After 16 preview performances, the show opened

at Stage 4 of Dodger Stages (now

New World Stages New World Stages is a five-theater, Off-Broadway performing arts complex in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It is between 49th and 50th Streets beneath the plaza of the Worldwide Plaza complex at Eighth Avenue. ...

) on March 1, 2005. The cast was the same as in the NYMF production, except

Scott Porter Scott may refer to: Places Canada * Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec * Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380 * Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Sask ...

played the part of Matthew and

Shadoe Stevens Shadoe Stevens (; ) is an American radio host, voiceover actor, and television personality. He was the host of ''American Top 40'' from 1988 to 1995. He currently hosts the internationally syndicated radio show ''Top of the World,'' and co-hosts ...

played the pre-recorded role of "G.O.D." The production closed on January 10, 2010, after 2,032 regular performances, making it the ninth longest-running Off-Broadway musical of all time. "Altar Boyz to close Off Broadway."
theatermania.com, December 4, 2009 The closing cast starred Michael Kadin Craig as Matthew, Travis Nesbitt as Mark, Lee Markham as Luke, Mauricio Pérez as Juan, and Ravi Roth as Abraham. There have been touring productions of ''Altar Boyz'' in the United States (in 2007, 2008 and 2009) and resident productions in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

(2007), and South Korea,

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, Australia, the

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and Japan as well as numerous regional and amateur productions. In 2013 it was performed as part of the

Adelaide Fringe The Adelaide Fringe, formerly Adelaide Fringe Festival, is the world's second-largest annual arts festival (after the Edinburgh Festival Fringe), held in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Between mid-February and mid-March each year, ...

Characters

*Matthew: The leader of the band, who believes in sexual abstinence. First

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...

of the group. *Mark: The sensitive choreographer of the band, who has a crush on Matthew, but is

closeted ''Closeted'' and ''in the closet'' are metaphors for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and other (LGBTQ+) people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and huma ...

Countertenor A countertenor (also contra tenor) is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of the female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types, generally extending from around G3 to D5 or E5, although a sopranist ...

of the group. *Luke: The bad boy of the band that drives the tour bus, who has had problems with communion wine and dropped out of school.

Bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

of the group. *Juan: The Latin lover of the band that picks out the clothes, who is searching for his parents. Second

of the group. *Abraham: The gefilte fish out of water who is also the songwriter. He is Jewish and isn't exactly sure why he's in a Catholic band.

Baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the ...

of the group.

Songs

*We Are the Altar Boyz - Altar Boyz *Rhythm In Me - Altar Boyz *Church Rulez - Altar Boyz *The Calling - Altar Boyz *The Miracle Song - Altar Boyz *Everybody Fits - Abraham & Altar Boyz *Something About You - Matthew & Altar Boyz *Body, Mind & Soul - Luke & Altar Boyz *La Vida Eternal - Juan & Altar Boyz *Epiphany - Mark & Altar Boyz *Number 918 - Altar Boyz *Finale: I Believe - Altar Boyz *Bows & Altar Boyz Remix - Altar Boyz

Awards and nominations

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newsp ...

Best Off Broadway Musical (winner) *

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...

Outstanding Musical (nominee) *Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical ( Tyler Maynard, nominee) *Drama Desk Award Outstanding Choreography ( Christopher Gattelli, nominee) *Drama Desk Award Outstanding Music ( Gary Adler &

, nominees) *Drama Desk Award Outstanding Lyrics ( Gary Adler &

, nominees) *Drama Desk Award Outstanding Book of a Musical ( Kevin Del Aguila, nominee) *Drama Desk Award Outstanding Orchestrations ( Doug Katsaros & Lynne Shankel, nominees) *

Lucille Lortel Award The Lucille Lortel Awards recognize excellence in New York Off-Broadway theatre. The Awards are named for Lucille Lortel, an actress and theater producer, and have been awarded since 1986. They are produced by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres ...

Outstanding Musical (nominee) *Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Choreography ( Christopher Gattelli, winner) *Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Featured Actor ( Tyler Maynard, nominee) *Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Sound Design ( Simon Matthews, nominee) *

Drama League Award The Drama League Awards, created in 1922, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing. Each May, the awards ...

Distinguished Production of a Musical (nominee) *Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Award (

Ryan Duncan Ryan Duncan (born July 14, 1985) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He is currently an unrestricted free agent having last played for EC Red Bull Salzburg of the Austrian Hockey League (EBEL). Playing career Duncan played four sea ...

, David Josefsberg, Andy Karl, Tyler Maynard,

, nominees) *

Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or Off-Broadway. It was first awarded for the 1945–1946 theatre se ...

( Tyler Maynard, winner)

Cast recording

''Altar Boyz'' was recorded in March 2005 and was released on May 17, 2005, by Ghostlight Records (an imprint of Sh-K-Boom Records).

References

External links

{{Commons category, Altar Boyz
MichaelPatrickWalker.com
Official site for Composer/Lyricist

DelAguila.info
Official site for Book Writer Kevin Del Aguila
StaffordArima.com
Official site for Off Broadway Director Stafford Arima
Robyn Goodman (producer)
- ''Downstage Center'' interview at

American Theatre Wing The American Theatre Wing (the Wing for short) is a New York City–based non-profit organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre", according to its mission statement. Originally known as the Stage Women's War Relief ...

.org, August 2005
AltarHolics.com
Official Fan Site
TheProducersPerspective.com
Blog for one of the producers of the Off Broadway production 2005 musicals Off-Broadway musicals One-act musicals LGBT-related musicals Criticism of the Catholic Church Plays set in New York City