The cast of Altar Boyz at the Greenwich Theatre, London. Picture: Claire Bilyard
Altar Boyz continues at the Greenwich Theatre, London until 18 October.
Having opened Off-Broadway in 2005 and run for five years, it may seem strange that this fairly simplistic musical has not made it to British shores sooner. Possibly the main factor for this is that Altar Boyz relies heavily on the popularity of Christian-themed music in contemporary American culture, whereas the concept has hardly broken ground in the UK. Set in real time, the Altar Boyz are a fictitious boy band currently undertaking the last leg of – in this adaptation – their UK Raise the Praise Tour.
The five-boy band include Matthew – the songwriter, Mark – the choreographer, Luke – the rigger, Juan – who chooses the costumes, and Abraham – a Jewish interloper who writes the lyrics. At face value it’s pretty much a one-joke show and the Christian church is a fairly easy target. The trick here is that Kevin Del Aguila’s book is undeniably up-beat and even the grouchiest of cynics can’t fail to be amused by both the lyrics, the catchy song styling and the subtle interplay between the characters (music and lyrics are by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker).
It also helps that each of the Altar Boyz is fairly easy on the eye and Ewan Jones’ lively choreography perfectly pastiches the posturing of every boy band from Take That to the New Kids On the Block. Thankfully, the communion wafer-thin libretto presents the characters with moments of genuine self-doubt, bags of enthusiasm and a genuine desire to both please and convert the crowd.
Gentle satire pokes fun at the Christian rock institution and corporate sponsorship, but issues such as Luke’s thinly veiled alcohol problem and Mark’s crush on fellow band member Matthew are glossed over in a zealous desire to worship through song. This production marks the shows premiere in the UK and producer Paul Taylor-Mills, the brains behind recent productions of Bare and In the Heights, proves himself a canny businessman who is willing to take risks on bringing over lesser-known shows to the London Fringe.
Steven Dexter directs the piece with a fairly light hand and while Jones’ choreography is worthy of note, it’s the boys themselves that make this show. Liam Doyle as Matthew has an undeniable boyish charm that turns the girls to mush, particularly during the hilarious ‘Something About You’ number, while Faisal Khodabukus’ knowing asides can only encourage a girl to live ‘La Vida Eternal’.
Jamie-Ray Hartshorne catches the tempered aggression of the ‘hip-hop-meets-choirboy’ Luke and raises the roof with dance moves that seriously defy explanation. Alex Jordan-Mills is an engaging Abraham in a slightly under-written role but threaded throughout, while it is Jonny Fines’ Mark that captures the tongue-in-cheek spirit of the piece. Fines’ has a keen eye for physical comedy and his timing is easily as accomplished as his falsetto belt.
On the downside, the Peter Dickson style voice-over (it’s actually Tony Blackburn, I believe) used to open the show seemed at odds with the US theme, and the opening night seemed plagued with sound issues, which hopefully will be sorted out for the rest of the run. Theatregoers seeking out serious musical theatre should probably steer clear, but as an amiable satire of youth culture, Altar Boyz is a genuine delight with an addictive score that articulately pastiches contemporary popular music genres.
Paul Vale
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