• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Event Calendar
    • Submit Event
  • About Us
    • Our Contributors
    • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Arts & Entertainment
    • Comedy
    • On Screen Dayton
    • On Screen Dayton Reviews
    • Road Trippin’
      • Cincinnati
      • Columbus
      • Indianapolis
    • Spectator Sports
    • Street-Level Art
    • Visual Arts
  • Dayton Dining
    • DMM’s Brunch Guide
    • Restaurants with Private Dining Rooms
    • Dayton Food Trucks
    • Quest
    • Ten Questions
  • Dayton Music
    • Music Calendar
  • On Stage Dayton
    • On Stage Dayton Reviews
  • Active Living
    • Canoeing/Kayaking
    • Cycling
    • Hiking/Backpacking
    • Runners
  • How to Support Dayton Businesses, Nonprofits During COVID-19

Dayton Most Metro

Things to do in Dayton | Restaurants, Theatre, Music and More

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Let’s Hear It for the ‘Boyz’

June 18, 2011 By Russell Florence, Jr. Leave a Comment

Let’s Hear It for the ‘Boyz’

By Russell Florence, Jr.

Encore Theater Company supplies a thoroughly enjoyable production of Kevin Del Aguila, Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker’s critically acclaimed, long-running 2005 off-Broadway musical “Altar Boyz,” a breezy, funny, high spirited and occasionally touching pop parody conceived by Marc Kessler and Ken Davenport.

Staged at Sinclair Community College’s Blair Hall Theatre, “Altar Boyz” is presented as a final concert engagement for a contemporary Christian quintet (four Catholics, one Jewish) committed to “praising the Lord with funk and rhyme” while delivering their “Raise the Praise Tour” across the country. In the hands of a less sensitive creative team, this good-natured, witty tale might have uncomfortably resorted to the relentless backhanded spoofing associated with “The Book of Mormon,” but the material doesn’t offend. In fact, it deliciously satirizes religion and the boy band concept with equal punch. Some of the best jokes actually derive from the stereotypical nature of the band members, who are sharply written and easily relatable in their varying circumstances.

Drew Bowen, a standout Roger in Encore’s production of “Rent” last season, is incredibly credibly charming as lead singer Matthew, specifically wooing the ladies with the lovely ballad “Something About You.” As the fiery Juan, Zack Steele offers impressive diction and a confident aura of brooding machismo. Zach King effectively portrays Abraham with understated humor. Andrew J. Koslow, a Muse Machine alumnus returning home to offer one of his best performances, is simply excellent as the effeminate Mark, who pines for Matthew and was once confronted by “Episcopalian thugs.” As the rather dense Luke, Korey Harlow doesn’t possess a vocal range on par with his fellow actors, but his terrific dancing and bad boy persona are great assets.

Director-choreographer Lauren Morgan’s contributions are energetic and fluid, particularly her staging of “Rhythm in Me” and “The Miracle Song.” Music director Mark Barnhill leads a balanced on-stage band. Assistant director-choreographer Rodney Veal offers spooky, surreal projection design.

If you’re in the mood for lighthearted fun, “Altar Boyz” fits the bill.

Altar Boyz, which opened Thursday, June 16, concludes tonight at 8 p.m. in Blair Hall Theatre, Building 2, at Sinclair Community College, 444 W. Third St. The musical, featuring Encore co-founder/artistic director David Brush as the voice of God, is presented in 70 minutes without intermission. Tickets are $15. For tickets or more information, call (937) 512-2808, visit www.encoretheatercompany.com or e-mail [email protected]

Filed Under: On Stage Dayton, On Stage Dayton Reviews

About Russell Florence, Jr.

Russell Florence, Jr. is a member of The American Theatre Critics Association and The Drama League. In addition to his role as arts and culture editor of Dayton City Paper and theater critic for Dayton City Paper and Impact Weekly, he served as a Dayton Daily News freelance writer and editorial page contributor. He has also written features for such theater publications as Spotlight Ohio and The Sondheim Review. Over the past 25 years, he has seen over 1,000 shows locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally encompassing New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Toronto, Madrid, and Rome among other destinations.

Reader Interactions


Comments

Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Featured Events

  • Wed
    20
  • Thu
    21
  • Fri
    22
  • Sat
    23
  • Sun
    24
  • Mon
    25
  • Tue
    26

2nd Annual Ice Breaker Fest

4:00 pm | Fifth Street Brewpub

Trivia w/ DagaTrivia

6:00 pm | Eudora Brewing Company

Wednesday Trivia

6:30 pm | Troll Pub at the Wheelhouse

Open Mic with Blues Breakdown Band

7:00 pm | Hank’s Local

Gem City Market Walking Warriors

7:00 pm | Gem City Market

Wednesday Night Trivia w/ Dan Profitt

7:00 pm | Oinkadoodlemoo & Brew

Marvel Cinematic Universe Trivia

7:00 pm | Toxic Brew Company

2nd Annual Ice Breaker Fest

4:00 pm | Fifth Street Brewpub

Know Your Knots 101

6:00 pm | online

January Salon, Featuring Katie Clark Gabbard

6:00 pm | ZOOM

Jenna Drees Live Music in the Loft

7:00 pm | Moeller Brew Barn

Bingo

8:00 pm | Trolley Stop

2nd Annual Ice Breaker Fest

4:00 pm | Fifth Street Brewpub

Tinned Gourmet Seafoods Tasting Event

5:00 pm | Salt Block Biscuit Company

Latin Dance Party

5:30 pm | The Salvation Army Kroc Center

Route 88

6:30 pm | Mr Boro’s Tavern

Clayton Anderson with Jacob William

7:00 pm | JD Legends Entertainment Complex

Music Bingo!

7:00 pm | Devil Wind Brewing

Derik Zoo

8:00 pm | Wiley’s Comedy Club

Cooking Class: Three Kings’ Day: A Puerto Rican Celebration

8:30 pm | DLM Culinary Center

RiverScape Virtual Winter Yoga

9:30 am |

Open Call for Models

2:00 pm | House of (DE-FI)ance: A Fashion & Design Co-working Experience

2nd Annual Ice Breaker Fest

4:00 pm | Fifth Street Brewpub

Ronald McDonald House Cooking Together

6:00 pm | your house

Dave’s & Confused

6:00 pm | The Phone Booth Lounge

DPAA presents Beethoven 8 and Florence Price

6:00 pm | Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center

Live Music With Generations Band

6:30 pm | Sojourners Brewstillery

Until Rust & Friends

6:30 pm | Courtyard Lounge

Derik Zoo

7:15 pm | Wiley’s Comedy Club

DPAA presents Beethoven 8 and Florence Price

8:30 pm | Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center

Winter Restaurant Week

| tba

Chili Fest

10:00 am | Findlay Market- Cincy

Rivers and Streams of the Miami Valley — and How Citizens can Make a Difference to Protect Them

2:30 pm | zoom

DLM Virtual Class! Sunday Supper Chicken & Dumplings

5:00 pm | ZOOM

Winter Restaurant Week

| tba

Young’s annual “Do Your Moo” Event

| Young’s Jersey Dairy

25% off Pizza Monday

11:30 am | Oregon Express

Charucterie Class

6:00 pm | AR Workshop

Open Mic Monday

6:30 pm | The Barrel

Winter Restaurant Week

| tba

Young’s annual “Do Your Moo” Event

| Young’s Jersey Dairy

Spaghetti Tuesday

5:00 pm | The Trolley Stop

Burger Night

5:00 pm | Watermark

Jazz with Gail and Larry

5:00 pm | Spirited Goat Coffee House

Tuesday Trivia

7:00 pm | The Dublin Pub

More Events…

DMM E-Newsletter


Give us your email address and we'll send you our DMM E-Newsletters
Email:  
For Email Marketing you can trust
Back to Top

Copyright © 2021 Dayton Most Metro · Terms & Conditions · Log in