A decade and a half ago, “Altar Boyz” was a divinely inspired spoof of two inescapable institutions with massive followings: organized religion and boy bands.
The show had a long run off Broadway. Connecticut theatergoers may recall that the national tour began at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, and some might even remember the morning that its cast paid a special visit to United Church on the Green, performing a couple of God-tickling numbers before the minister preached on the subject of humor and religion.
The ways we laugh about both Christianity and teen pop stars have a changed a bit since 2004. Some of the jokes have gotten as old as the New Kids on the Block, while others barely relate to current concerns. Does the largely unaltered script of “Altar Boyz” still hold up?
In a pleasingly peppy new production at the fittingly named Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, “Altar Boyz” works both as nostalgia for a simpler time and a reminder that things haven’t really altered all that much. Some references have been updated to include Twitter and Justin Bieber, though somehow Britney Spears is still valid.
The title characters are a five-piece pop vocal group made up of Matthew (“The Leader”), Mark (“The Sensitive One”), Luke (“The Bad Boy”), Juan (“The Latin Lover”) and, inexplicably — until it’s explained in a long multipart playlet exploring the group’s origins — Abraham, who’s Jewish. The other four are Catholic, which doesn’t square with most acts in the very real and long-lived Christian contemporary music genre, which has more Pentecostal and evangelical origins. The Boyz appear to be Catholic only so the show’s authors can make easy jokes about communion wine. Unlike other Catholic comedy shows, from “Nunsense” to “Late Nite Catechism,” scripture and dogma are not liberally spouted. Also, there are no nuns. In case you’re worried, the topic of child molestation, in church or elsewhere, does not come up.
“Altar Boyz” is performed in a room full of sinners, and they have the data to prove it. A tacky electronic sign, as you might find in an old Jerry Lewis telethon, tallies the number of lost souls present at the final stop on the latest “Altar Boyz” tour. Each time the group sings an enlightening, uplifting phat-beated song like “Church Rulez” or “Body, Mind & Soul!,” the number on this patented “Soul Sensor” machine decreases a little.
The hits just keep on coming. The James Brown R&B squeal “Good God!!” takes on new meaning; other informalities include “Christ, How’d You Do That?,” “God says ‘Peace Out!’” and “Jesus Paged Me on My Beeper.” (“I’m losing your signal, Lord, can you try again?”) The moment when all the satire reaches its heavenly peak is in the tender abstinence ballad “Something About You,” with its chorus of “Girl, you make me want to wait.”
Seven Angels has assembled a solid cast of crooning, grinning, wide-eyed young men for this exercise in idol-toppling. The actors don’t seem all that young, but that becomes part of the joke. Jeff Jordan is chipper Matthew, Spiro Marcos a fiery Juan, Maclain Dassatti an adorable awkward Abraham, Louis Griffin in a suitably bewildered and brutish Luke. Andrew Poston, as the closeted Mark, beautifully telegraphs his crush on Matthew without doing much more than making moony eyes at him.
Lasting less than 90 minutes, with no intermission, “Altar Boyz” is shorter than many church services. It will leave you giggling. An onstage band, led by music director Brent C. Mauldin and anchored by Seven Angels mainstay drummer Mark Ryan, brings some heart and soul to tunes which would otherwise be dull dance grooves. Don’t expect to be converted to a new faith, but “Altar Boyz” is blessed fun for those seeking a change of pace from heavy dramas and overproduced spectacles. As its god-struck stars proclaim, “Get the Hell out. Look to us for guidance.” The Altar Boyz will see you through.
ALTAR BOYZ runs through Oct. 21 at Seven Angels Theatre, 1 Plank Road, Waterbury. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., with added 2 p.m. matinees on Oct. 6, 11 and 18. Tickets are $45 to $60. 203-757-4676, sevenangelstheatre.org.
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