See a heavenly ‘Altar Boyz’

Five young men are busy making heavenly harmony at Seven Angels Theatre until Sunday, Oct. 21, and you are invited to join the hallelujah choir and confess your sins and sing praises unto the Lord.

Part gospel revival meeting, part Bible camp, part Sunday School class, “Altar Boyz” is all high voltage, high energy musical comedy, a spoof on a Christian boys band that is marking the end of their national “Raise the Praise” tour. The boys, aptly named Matthew, Mark, Luke and Juan, with one token Jew, Abraham, want to convert the nonbelievers and take temptation away from the sinners in their midst and, in the process, prove it’s cool to be Catholic.

The guys, led by Matthew (Jeff Jordan), Mark (Andrew Poston), Luke (Louis Griffin), Juan (Spiro Marcos) and Abraham (Maclain Dassatti) are used to playing bingo parlors but want to headline at the Hollywood Bowl.

Like a Richard Simmons exercise video, the five lads applaud God for giving them rhythm as they perform synchonized choreography and impassioned song.

In this modern age, they hear Jesus’s message on their cell phone, fax, email and beeper as they encourage the audience to work on their souls, to cleanse them of sin. According to the boys, God is making a comeback and they are happily his willing agents. Don’t worry about fire and brimstone, these guys are all into love and forgiveness and, ultimately, family.

“Altar Boyz” is the brain child of Kevin Del Aguila, book, and Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker, music and lyrics. The show was conceived by Mark Kessler and Ken Davenport, choreographed and directed by Sam Hay.

Learn how everybody fits into God’s great family according to the gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham, the self-anointed and angelic “Altar Boyz.”

For tickets ($45-55), call Seven Angels Theatre, 1 Plank Road, Waterbury at 203757-4676 or www.SevenAngelsTheatre.com

Performances are Thursday to Sunday at 8 p.m., with matinees at 2 p.m.