Fresh Face - Andy Karl of Altar Boyz

Age: "Let's just say that I'm a few years younger than Christ was when he died."

Currently: Busting some sweet boy band moves as Luke, the resident tough guy of off-Broadway's Altar Boyz.

Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland. "Growing up I was kind of the last of the flower children," Karl recalls. "I was born on a hippie commune when hippies were going out of style." Karl's family then moved into urban Baltimore, before settling in the suburbs. "I liked the fact that we moved around," he recalls. "It was fun for me then."

From Boys' Room To Broadway: "I was never into theater until my senior year of high school," Karl says. "I wasn't a smoker at all, but I got caught smoking in the boys' room. And so, my mother freaks out, and my teachers freak out, and everyone's like, 'You need to do something with yourself! We know you can sing. You should be in the high school musical, or just do something after school to stop hanging out with the bad crowds.'" Karl auditioned for the school's production of Oklahoma! and landed the meaty part of meanie Jud Fry: "It just instantly clicked-the lights, the audience, the music, singing, acting. And they applaud for me? Are you crazy? This is exactly what I want to do."

Chasing Luke: Karl first became aware of Altar Boyz through his long-time friend, Altar Boyz composer and lyricist Michael Patrick Walker. "I've known him for years," Karl says. "We were both on a tour of Cats. He was playing in the pit, and I was playing Rum Tum Tugger." Three years of readings for the show followed, with Karl attached at every step, even before the role of Luke arrived at its current form. Part of what makes Luke such an appealing Altar Boy is his delicious ghetto inflections and mannerisms. "Through revisions and readings, they came up with this thuggish way for him to act, and it totally clicked," he says. "He's this rapper, he's street-wise but he's from the suburbs, you know? And it's almost identical to my life. It's very funny, because I was an altar boy-I'm the only guy in the show who was an altar boy-and at the same time, I was totally into break dancing. [Luke] totally mirrors my life. He's just trying to be as cool as possible. Basically, Luke is the Donnie Wahlberg of the Altar Boyz."

Love & Leisure Suits: Prior to his current gig, Karl made his Broadway debut in Saturday Night Fever, covering the role of Tony Manero. It was during the run of this show that Karl fell under the spell of his wife, the Broadway diva Orfeh. "It was an intense experience, and the most fun I've ever had in my life. [Orfeh and I] met, we instantly clicked, and we fell in love. Six months later we were engaged. We got married like a month after the show ended. My first time on as Tony Manero, she was playing Annette. We had just started dating at that point, and it was like, 'I'm dating this girl, and I have to play opposite her now!' It was so weird, but she kept me focused-and covered for me when I flubbed on some words!" Four years later, the former disco duo's marriage is still going strong. "We're very, very happy," he beams.

I Want It That Way: The creators of Altar Boyz, Michael Patrick Walker and Gary Adler, lovingly skew the conventions of the kinds of boy bands that have become so maddeningly ubiquitous over the past few years. "People have heard those songs enough that they're part of musical history," Karl says. "You can't hear those songs on the radio without singing along, or realizing that they're part of your musical make up." Karl also points to director Stafford Arima as the man behind the group's authentic boy band flavor. "Stafford is actually the biggest boy band fan. He has every DVD of O-Town and *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys. He lent them to us to watch, and we were like, 'What are you doing with all of these?' And he just shrugged his shoulders." When asked if he is enjoying the boy band treatment, Karl responds explosively, saying, "I kind of love it! Are you kidding with the screams and the yells and everything?" Of his own musical influences, Karl points out that he was "one of those rocker kids from the wrong side of the tracks, listening to Van Halen," and that even though he starred in Saturday Night Fever, disco was never really part of his life. "Being a child of the late-70's, it was definitely a part of the music you can't help but listen to," he says. "But I wasn't a Bee Gee's fan by any stretch. Let's just say that."

A Benevolent Brotherhood: "It was ordained, I think," Karl says of the kinship he has with his fellow Altar Boyz. "We all just understand each other so well. One of us might come in with gripes one day, but we all understand, and we can talk to each other. It's the brotherhood of the five guys in the band that makes the show work, and leads to our camaraderie both on and offstage. We're on stage the entire time. We never stop for an hour and a half. It's difficult and it's exhausting, but we support each other. These are the four most talented guys I've ever worked with."