Did Altar Boyz Answer the Prayers of New York Drama Critics?

You may have thought boy bands were gone for the time being, but, you can see one eight times a week off-Broadway. The new musical Altar Boyz, a spoof of a Christian boy band, opened at Dodger Stages' Stage 4 on March 1 after a successful run at the New York Musical Theater Festival. Did critics give praise to the tuner?

Here is a sampling of what they had to say:

William Stevenson in his Broadway.com Review: "If you think boy bands deserve to be parodied-and you know they do, even if they no longer rule MTV-then you'll want to see the divinely droll spoof Altar Boyz… The five young co-stars all sing well, and their dancing is as precise as the best-rehearsed boy bands. They work hard performing [Christopher] Gattelli's energetic choreography, but it's clear that they're having fun doing it. And in numbers like the uptempo 'Number 918,' Gattelli manages to simultaneously replicate and mock boy-band moves. That's what the show as a whole, smoothly staged by director Stafford Arima, does so well. It convincingly approximates the style of boy bands while good-naturedly spoofing them. It's a righteous, often hilarious parody."

Charles Isherwood of The New York Times: "Is the musical theater where pop music goes to die? Let's table that one for now, actually. The talented actors impersonating the honey-voiced, swivel-hipped believers in Altar Boyz would certainly be able to convince you otherwise, for one thing. Their ebullient performances ensure that this smoothly executed show, which might have been a quick-fizzling joke, is an enjoyably silly diversion... it makes a nice sound, looks pretty if you like pretty boys and sends you home with a smile… All the guys have terrific voices and nimble limbs… But it's Mr. [Tyler] Maynard who stops the show. His Mark combines the aggressive pep of an overgrown Mouseketeer with the mincing officiousness of Queer Eye's Carson Kressley."

Howard Kissel of The New York Daily News: "Any show that contains a reference to a teenage outcast threatened by 'Episcopalian thugs' automatically wins my heart. I have a weakness for silliness, and Altar Boyz, a new musical about an evangelical boy band, overflows with it… If laughter is a form of salvation, my soul is clean. I can't imagine it's easy to find a hunk with a sense of humor, but Scott Porter fits the bill perfectly as Matthew. Andy Karl manages to make Luke, a doltish lug, oddly charming. Ryan Duncan is poignant as Juan, and David Josefsberg gets laughs from the 'straightest' part, Abraham. The prize role is the rather swishy Mark, which Tyler Maynard plays with a doe-like gift for provocative eye-batting."

David Rooney of Variety: "Bummed that the Backstreet Boys are no more? Feeling sunk that 'N Sync came 'nstuck? Taken ill since Take That took their leave? Then give thanks to the Lord because the Altar Boyz are here, saving souls and spreading the word while adhering religiously to the sacred commandments of the boy-band creed. Never mind that the one-joke show is as disposable as the innocuous pop phenomenon it apes to perfection. This breezy entertainment makes no claims to enter the musical theater pantheon, but is an energetic crowdpleaser that should stick around Off Broadway for some time."

Michael Kuchwara of The Associated Press: "Spreading ecumenical good cheer, Altar Boyz has arrived at off-Broadway's Dodger Stages where it should be preaching to enthusiastic crowds for some time to come. This nifty little spoof of Christian boy bands is delightful entertainment, a genial send-up of young performers who sing, dance and praise the Lord, all done in a fast-paced 90 minutes… OK, so the score, written by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker, is not exactly Stephen Sondheim. No matter. The lyrics and music are fun in a pop-rock way. Direct. Slightly cheeky. And often hypnotic in their repetition."

Gordon Cox of Newsday: "It's probably a little late to be poking fun at the boy-band phenomenon, and sometimes you can feel the show's creators straining to stretch their clever idea for a skit into a full 90 minutes. The lamb puppets--as in Lamb of God--seem a little desperate. The show, which chronicles the final New York City concert of the Boyz' 'Raise the Praise' tour, is only as funny as its songs. Thank the Lord, then, that many of those songs are very funny indeed… Under the direction of Stafford Arima, the roof-raising cast works up a sweat on a Rent-chic spare set by Anna Louizos. Bathed in garish rock-show lights by Natasha Katz, these Boyz pound out Christopher Gattelli's arch choreography in the devout service of rousing silliness. Amen to that."