Thursday March 28, 2024
Altar Boyz
Review

Altar Boyz

June 19 2008

Altar Boyz Everest Theatre, Seymour Centre; June 11-2 August 2, 2008; ph: (61 2) 9351 7940 or www.seymourcentre.com.au or www.ticketmaster.com.au. Cast and creatives Director: Kate Gaul; Set Design Andy McDowell; Lighting design Luiz Pampolha; Choreography Atony Ginandjar, Sound Michael Waters. Cast: Kevin Del Aguila, Dion Bilios, Jeremy Brennan, Cameron MacDonald, Tim Maddren.

CONCOCTED in the US by Marc Kessler and Ken Davenport, with book by Kevin Del Aguila, music and lyrics by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker, Altar Boyz arrives – in the form of an Australian production – laden with off-Broadway plaudits, nominations and awards and with touring productions either on the road or successfully completed across the USA and overseas. It falls into the category of “much-anticipated” and seems aimed at the kind of theatregoer who longs to dress up in character and a show to return to once a week. Why is this so?

When considering the impact and deeper meaning of Altar Boyz it is tempting to make comments such as, a concept as thin as a communion wafer, or, a show in need of Mary McKillop’s urgent intervention. And sadly, temptation being what it is ...

At the same time, however, it has to be said that the five “boys” sing like angels, harmonise as tightly as their jeans, even with tongues firmly in cheeks, and apply themselves to the choreographic drills unique to boy bands with precision and high energy.

Like Village People, the grand-daddy of white bread boy groups, the lads have each been assigned a stereotype. In this instance we have dizzy queen, rehab toughie, clean-cut goodie, Latino spunk and Jew. Yes, that’s right – Jew. They answer to Matthew, Mark, Luke and Juan (nyuk nyuk), then there’s Abraham who prays in that funny, bobbing back and forth way you see in footage of the Wailing Wall – you know – that weird Jewish schtick.

Altar Boyz

There’s also a lot of weird Christian schtick too, as well as boy band stuff like pelvic thrusting and inordinate amounts of crotch grabbing (each to his own, mind you, no funny business). It all makes for a mind-boggling panoply of mixed messages, given the absence of real satire and any bite in the humour.

The guys are likeable, make the most of the non-stop songs from all genres and of varying degrees of instant forget-ability, and the four-piece band – highly digitalised and effective, led by Robert Gavin – make for an entertaining hour and a bit. Kate Gaul’s direction keeps them more or less on track although rap idioms and chatty bits like “y’all” in broad Cronulla are probably more than anyone could corral.

The novelty value of a Christian boy band spoof wears out in about 10 minutes and it’s to the credit of all involved that they manage to sustain interest as well as they do. That the show has been such a huge hit across the US and in New York says heaps about the bizarre state of the American psyche. And if this show was good enough to win the swag of awards and nominations listed, it’s blood curdling to think about what else was on offer. Ye gods and little fishes.

 

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