'Altar Boyz' bust divine, godly moves

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By Jayne Blanchard

Scripture-quoting homies are in the house in the pop revue "Altar Boyz," an oft-times divinely engaging parody of boy bands, the MTV sound and contemporary Christian music.

The show takes more than a few cues from "Nunsense" in its good-natured skewering of religion, and the harmonious crooning will remind you of an ecclesiastical "Forever Plaid." The cast of five young men, however, use more Gen-X inspirations in their spot-on sendups of 'N Sync, the Backstreet Boys and millennium divas Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera.

The 90-minute musical depicts the final stop of the Altar Boyz's Raise the Praise national tour. The band consists of Matthew (Jared Zirilli), the buff leader; Mark (Patrick Elliot), a sensitive and not-so-closeted soul; Luke (Travis Morin), who cites "exhaustion" as the reason for his troubles rather than a fondness for communion wine; and Juan (Michael Busillo), a Latino in search of his parents. In a nod to the Old Testament, there's also Abraham (David R. Gordon), who sports a yarmulke and a hoodie. Why exactly Abraham is extolling the virtues of Mass in the song "Church Rulez" is unclear.

You're probably not supposed to muse over such spiritual conundrums in "Altar Boyz" - simply enjoy the spoofy lyrics and the well-choreographed dance moves of the cast, who couple the toothy enthusiasm of rooters in a pep rally with the chaste pelvis thrusts of born-again Chippendales.

One of the on-high points includes an abstinence ballad, "Something About You," delivered by Mr. Zirilli with all the syrupy earnestness of Justin Timberlake before he brought sexy back. There's also Mr. Gordon's appealing performance skewering the vocal excesses of Mariah Carey and her ilk in the hilariously over-the-top number "Everybody Fits," in which the backup singers are a herd of adorable lamb puppets. Ricky Martin and Latin stereotypes are satirized on "La Vida Eternal," delivered by Mr. Busillo with goofy swagger.

Mr. Elliot has a heavenly voice, sweet and pure, which he uses to great effect in the songs "Epiphany" and "The Calling," which features the indelible lyric "Jesus called me on my cell phone./No roaming charges were incurred."

The communion-wafer-thin plot of "Altar Boyz" wears thin after a while, as do the jokes about choir boys who may not be so pure.

The saving grace of the show is the enthusiasm and talent of its cast members, who gain street cred busting a move for the man upstairs.

RATING: **1/2

WHAT: "Altar Boyz," conceived by Marc Kessler and Ken Davenport, book by Kevin Del Aguila, music and lyrics by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker; directed by Stafford Arima; choreographed by Christopher Gattelli

WHERE: Bethesda Theatre, 7719 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda

WHEN: 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Through Nov. 2.

TICKETS: $25 to $75

PHONE: 301/657-STAR (7827)

WEB SITE: www.bethesdatheatre.com

MAXIMUM RATING: FOUR STARS