Altar Boyz is a 90-minute musical done in the style of a rock concert, complete with bright lights, a fog machine, and amplified sound.
So when the ushers offer you ear plugs at the door, you might want to grab them.
You will still be able to hear the near pitch-perfect voices of the five-member boy band, portrayed by local artists Mark Tyler Miller, CJ Conrad, Eric Hagreen, Bo Mellinger, and Jeff Orton. As the story goes, it’s the last night of their national “Raise the Praise” tour, and something seems to be wrong with their Sony-sponsored “soul meter.” Can everyone in the audience be saved by the end of the show?
Altar Boyz won a number of off-Broadway awards during its original New York run in 2005, but it starts off fairly slow. Sometimes, the pacing drags and the jokes fall flat. But the choreography is good and the songs—for 90s boy band music—are pretty catchy. Most of all, each actor puts in an earnest and fun performance.
Altar Boyz. Book by Kevin Del Aguila. Music and lyrics by Gary Adler & Michael Patrick Walker. Conceived by Marc Kressler & Ken Davenport. Directed and choreographed by Troy Wageman. Music Direction by Kim Dare. Seattle Musical Theatre at Magnuson Park, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, #101N, Seattle. February 15 – March 10. Tickets and information at www.seattlemusicaltheatre.org or 206-363-2809.