Wednesday, January 24, 2007
I was unfamiliar with Altar Boyz before attending the show last night at the Tucson Convention Center Music Hall. My only knowledge of it came from the previews in This Fine Newspaper and the Star. I knew that it starred five hot guys who play members of a Christian boy band, that one of the dudes was kinda gay, that one of them was kinda Jewish, and that it was a semi-parody, but supposedly a lighthearted, nonoffensive one.
*Gulp.* A lighthearted, nonoffensive semi-parody?
Well, thank goodness, my fears were unfounded. Yes, it is a lighthearted parody; I can't exactly say it was completely nonoffensive, however. (The older couple sitting next to me tensed up a bit during the second song, "Rhythm in Me," when Mark—the obviously gay Altar Boy—kept singing "PUT IT IN ME!" with no subtlety whatsoever. I could hardly contain my laughter.)
Heavy theater, this ain't. It's a fun, simple, airy, quick (90 minutes with no intermission!) show that breezes by. There are no set or costume changes of note; the entire show is the five Boyz singing their silly pop songs (including, God help us all, a rap), telling their stories and busting their moves, all in an effort to save the souls of the audience.
I enjoyed the show immensely. Will it make my Top 10 Theatrical Experiences list? Goodness, no. But it's fun, a nice escape that's worth the ticket price.
And, yes, the boys are hot. Especially the Jewish one, Abraham (Nick Blaemire).
For tickets, call Ticketmaster at 321-1000, go here or stop by the TCC box office.