Altar Boyz

Finally getting around to reviewing the shows I saw in NYC...Altar Boyz was first. I saw the 8PM performance on Saturday, May 19.

I knew a lot about this show going into it, but had never seen it before. I own the soundtrack, have seen videos, and have auditioned for the show before. So I already knew all about the premise and a lot of the jokes that were coming my way.

I think I set the bar too high for the production, because I was a bit disappointed by what I saw. I suppose I was going to enjoy great performances, and it's not that the performances weren't great, they just didn't impress me as much as I wanted them to.

I saw an understudy for Mark, who I think is the funniest character out of the bunch, and I didn't think he was that great. He was really good considering he understudies half of the roles in the show (and with the choreography and vocals it's not even an easy feat to understudy ONE role), but I think I would have enjoyed the show much better if I saw the actor who plays him on a regular basis.

The actors who played Juan and Abraham had seemingly just joined the production from the national tour, since there were inserts in the program saying "The role of [Juan/Abraham] will now be played by ___" and the program still had the old actors listed. They were good in their own right (although I found Juan to be particularly hoaky), but Abraham stood out above most of the cast. His role is kind of cast in the shadows throughout most of the show, but then he "saves the day" at the end of the show, and begins the finale. I was quite impressed with the quality of his voice, and I wondered where it was the rest of the show!

I didn't like the guy who played Luke at all. Even though the role is supposed to be kind of dumber than the rest, and he is the kid in the boyband that does the rapping and breakdancing, I was not impressed by his acting, singing, or dancing talent. I guess I should give them all more credit than I am, however, because I thought they sounded fine as a group, just not solo.

The saving grace of this performance was Matthew, played by Kyle Dean Massey. Not only was he drop dead gorgeous and didn't appear to have one ounce of fat on his body, he was the most talented dancer out of the bunch, and definitely the best singer (which was especially evident in "I Believe," the finale). His acting was a bit cheesy, but so was everyone else's, so I dismissed it as the nature of the material. And I will also say he was also the most flamboyant one of the group, which is funny because Mark's character is all about being very out there and flaming! I was surprised to see the small credits he has to his name...lots of regional ensemble and supporting stuff. I'm glad he finally gets the opportunity to strut his stuff in a leading role. I did read that he is joining the Wicked touring company in June, though, so hopefully he will have more to do than just ensemble work.

All in all, I give the show a B-/C+. The cast was completely competent, but were unable to provide the Wow Factor for me. But with all of this said, the show itself is brilliant, and a lot of fun. I would definitely be interested in seeing the show again sometime and seeing how it compares.