Sunday, April 06, 2008
Jesus thought it was awesome (and so did I)
Originally supposed to be entitled "Jesus wants to hump this musical (and so do I)," but, hmm. Too blasphemous?
I don't even know where to begin with this. Altar Boyz was awesomecakes slathered in awesomesauce, deep fried in awesome and topped with awesomecream. With a side of awesome.
I was already giddy as the lights dimmed and the stage was covered in smoke. Nostalgia hit, with the opening number "We are the Altar Boyz" bringing me back to my Grade 2 days when I was a rabid NSYNC fangirl -- JC was my favorite, he was the best singer and songwriter -- the kind crazy enough to go online to engage in word wars with Backstreet Boys fangirls (
you bitches). Good times.
The format of
Altar Boyz makes it a concert (more specifically, the final leg of their Raise the Praise tour) with a story behind it that is unraveled bit by bit in between songs. It's a comedy and parody, and as someone who is easily amused and highly excitable, I loved it from start to finish. There was never a moment where I wasn't grinning. Even the significantly less excitable Castro was laughing quite often.
Bright spots among the musical numbers include "Rhythm in Me," for the Mark solo that just about killed me, "The Calling," which perfectly embodies the schmoopiness of some early 2000's boyband hits, and "Something About You," which is
pure lyrical genius:
So I hope you’ll understand my love
When I sing you this refrain
I believe in God, and so I must abstainMore than the songs and plot, though, what truly makes this musical work are the Boyz themselves. I could not have imagined a better cast for this show:
- There's more to band leader Matthew than good looks and charisma, and PJ Valerio captures it perfectly. He's sweet when addressing the audience, but then there's a Tracy Flick brand of cold ambition that registers on his face when he gets down to the dance numbers; a true Justin Timberlake if I ever saw one. PJ was born for this role, I tell you.
- Red Concepcion was the obvious crowd favorite, but with good reason -- he absolutely sparkles in this role. In less talented hands, the "sensitive" Mark would be little more than a walking punchline, and a harsh stereotype to boot. But with Red, Mark was pretty much the star of the show, stealing every scene he was in. One memorable instance was the "Something About You" number: Matthew turns up the charm as he serenades a lucky lady, but all eyes are on Mark and the downright dreeeamy way he gazes at Matthew. After the show, AJ and I were discussing Red, and we both agreed, "That boy is gonna go far."
- I now totally get why they were saying that Reuben Uy is Luke. Those hirits, man! He definitely got some of the best lines. We laughed our hardest at Luke and the hilariously sabog way Reuben delivered those lines, and we will never look at "exhaustion" the same way again. "So, like, I went to this bar with my co-workers last night and we got totally exhausted." "No, I don't know why the word 'n00b' is scribbled in Magic Marker on my ass. I must have been really exhausted last night."
- Reb Atadero was a delightful surprise as Juan, the Fez of the Altar Boyz. In person, he's all Mr. Nice Guy, a sweet, unassuming boy-next-door type, so the unbridled energy and fantastic comic timing he brought to the role was unexpected, but very much welcomed. Reb is extremely comitted to the role, and I can't wait to see how he does in future projects. Repertory Philippines, this one's a keeper! (A godsend, if you will. :P)
- It could be a challenge to play "Abraham-he's-Jewish," since, as the heart of the Altar Boyz, he's the guy most prominently featured in the serious moments in the show, making it difficult to compete for laughs and audience attention with more comedic characters like Mark and Juan in a show that is a comedy more than anything. Still, Chevy Mercado rose to the occasion, creating an Abe that was likeable and sympathetic without being too schmaltzy or Hallmark-y. Chevy also gets the "Best Overall Performance" award from both Castro and me. From our seats in the front row, we could see that while everybody else was perspiring from the challenging dance moves, he didn't even break a sweat! His mad singing and dancing skillz make him so papable that even the usually impervious Castro was won over: "If I were a girl, I'd hit on him."
At the end of the musical, I left the theater completely thrilled that
Altar Boyz had more than exceeded my already high expectations. My only regret was not getting to congratulate the five of them (and okay, I wanted my program signed XD) by squealing "That was
awesomeee" in my Zach Braff voice. But anyway, you all knocked it out of the ballpark, boys, so congratulations and I'll see you next week. :) And the week after that. And the...
[More detailed version on my Multiply, including a recap of the rest of my day, but you have to be in my network to read. :P]
