Altar Boyz (2005 Original Off-Broadway Cast) [Cast Recording]

Scott Porter, Gary Adler, Michael Patrick Walker

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 17, 2005)
• Original Release Date: May 17, 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: Ghostlight Records
• ASIN: B0009A40IE
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #50,763 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. We Are the Altar Boyz

2. Rhythm in Me

3. Church Rulez

4. Calling

5. Miracle Song

6. Everybody Fits

7. Something About You

8. Body Mind & Soul

9. Vida Eternal

10. Epiphany

11. Number 918

12. I Believe

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Altar Boyz may ride on a single idea, but that idea is brilliantly carried through: What if there was an openly Christian boy band? Because the show's success depends on that one concept, every detail has to be perfec--and it is. Each member of the titular quintet is typecast--the Hispanic one, the gangsta one, the could-be-gay one, etc.--and the singers perfectly ape the perky 'N Sync/American Idol style, easily navigating between yelping pleading and bombastic bravado. The booklet even comes complete with lengthy, smarmy thanks from the Boyz ("big props to the Big Man in the sky"). As for the music, it's drenched in cheesy synths and appropriately catchy: Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker (contributing six songs each) may have gleefully nailed the genre's inane lyrics, but they didn't forget the melodies either. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS HAS CRUNK!, July 17, 2005

By	B. Roby "btimesfive" (Cumberland, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This off-Broadway show is about a struggling Christian rock band on its way to New York and the "big time." Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan, and Abraham take the audience to church with songs like "Church Rulez," "Rhythm in Me," and "The Miracle Song." With lyrics like "God just called me on my cell phone" and "Girl you make me want to wait," you KNOW you're going to be laughing and singing along.

I took my 18-year-old son to see the show when we went to a New York journalism convention in March 2005. It was not my choice, but I figured it was his trip, it appealed to him, so we went. BOYZ, was I surprised! What a treat! It was fun even before the Boyz came onstage when the stage crew came out and manually sprayed fog on the stage. Then the Boyz came on, and it was non-stop singing and hilarity from beginning to end.

At Dodger Theater, all seats are close to the stage and have good sight-lines. The neatest thing, however, is that the stars come out to the lobby after the performance and sign their poster and mingle with lingering audience members. What a truly genuine bunch of guys!

The CD was not available in March, so I kept track of it via their website (www.altarboyz.com) and ordered it through Amazon as soon as it was released. The CD is another treat! The songs are well-performed and tightly-recorded. I am transported back into the Dodger Theater audience each time I listen to it, and I listen to it A LOT! I have a CD at home, a CD in my car, and a CD I lend to friends.

The touring show begins in September 2005. If it comes close to you, go see it. You will not be disappointed. Meanwhile, enjoy the CD and the website -- both are full of fun, trivia, photos, Boyz-in-character blogs and end notes, and lots of laughter. (The website video of the Boyz in character at the pizza place is particularly hilarious.)

Amazon has a great price on the CD. Order more than one! Then go to the Boyz website and get yourself a tee-shirt and an "I Got Crunk" button. SEE THE SHOW!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best "Catholic" take-off since Nunsense!, September 29, 2005

By	Paul A. Gerard (Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Seriously - although this may seem a silly thing to say, the nearest thing to this hilarious romp IS "Nunsense" - albeit that the older musical could not be more unlike this one in many ways. The basic idea in both cases is to gently (in fact lovingly) point to some of the fundamental absurdities in religion (specifically Christianity - even more specifically Catholicism).

Catholics, (and other Christians) will however laugh with the rest of us - in fact I detect the odd "in" joke that they will get and we won't. Having said that, this IS satire - it is basically making (good natured) fun of certain aspects of Catholicism (and Christianity in general). In other words - don't be afraid of being preached at if you're not religious - and on the other hand don't expect anything too uplifting if you are. It's meant to be funny, OK?

The other thread to the satire is musical - poking fun at a certain species of stereotypical pop music. This is really brilliantly executed - fans of this sort of music will simply enjoy, and wonder why the rest of us are in stitches. Of course this is the very best kind of musical satire.

The CD itself is presented NOT as a cast album, but as if it were an album from the Boyz themselves - complete with corny dedications taking off seriously "Christian" albums. AT first glance, in fact, or even second glance for that matter, there is nothing to connect it with a musical! I can imagine it being mis-classified in record shops!

I hesitate to point to any specific moments in this score - but my favourite is the song "Something about you" where one of the boyz who is definitely heterosexual (frankly, the others give one reasons to wonder) sings about his girl friend and their "chaste-but-highly-charged" relationship. People who don't take pre-marital chastity very seriously AND those who take it very seriously indeed will both find the lyrics very amusing.

That is probably what I like best about this show, and why it reminds me so much of Nunsense - it has humour that one can approach from both sides of the religious-nonreligious fence. Jokes that can make fun of religion without mocking it.

Great stuff, anyway.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A nice suprise, June 12, 2005

By	Michael A. Andrews "Mike Andrews" (Lakewood/Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My husband and one of our best friends went to see Altar Boyz, with no expectations. What a fun show!!! The show was completely tongue-in-cheek. If you just don't like boy-band music, you probably won't get into the CD. If you're into satire, you'll get into it.

Personal note: After the show, we pre-ordered the CD. After ordering, we met Tyler Maynard (Mark), Scott Porter (Matthew) and Daniel Torres (Juan) from the cast. What a bunch of nice guys. They were sincerely appreciative of the audience who came to the show. This made us bigger fans. Good things happening to nice people. We saw Tyler here in Cleveland, in a show called "Disney's On the Record" and recognized him.