MANILA, Philippines—Boy bands. Bah humbug. Even at the height of their popularity I just didn’t get it. Some sounded pretty manufactured, although I admit when I did happen to catch a music video of them, I was pretty entertained by the marketing miracle that they were. I understood the attraction eventually when I saw the moves parodied in many a SNL-esque skit, the choreography became iconic, the songs cheesily memorable and if you want videoke participation from your peers, nothing unites like a boy band ballad.

So what happens when you throw God and his musical stylings in the mix? You get the musical, the Altar Boyz. Although the premise sounds preachy—all boy Christian band out to rock the devil outta you, the delivery was heavenly entertainment. The energy exuded from complex dance routines, comic timing and vocal blending by the five boys, namely group leader, Matthew ( PJ Valerio), ‘sensitive’ (gay in my books) Mark (Red Concepcion), bad boy Luke (Ryu), latin lovah Juan (Reb Atadero) and accidental-only Jewish member Abraham (Chevy Mercado) was impressive to say the least. The opening act was greeted by screams from the audience and throughout the performance; hoots of laughter and applause.

Being a boy band on tour comes with its setbacks, especially when on a mission to save souls. The interaction between the boys was real, be it tension, romantic or ego driven. Although the soundtrack is not one which is easily remembered, I could only hum a few lyrics and bars as I walked out of the theater the entire production was memorable, especially when audience participation came into play—trust me you have to see it for yourself—it is in a concert setting after all, and what’s a concert without an appreciative crowd?

On a more critical note, I felt that some of the more poignant scenes could have been better dramatized. I don’t know if it was because in some songs the voices lacked power but there were times when a certain “oomph” or emphasis on a sung statement was left flat rather than uplifting or moving. Then again, the members are still in their teens, so perhaps the depth has still not been developed. Crowd favorite was most definitely Mark (yes the sensitive one) and kudos for him for playing up all his ‘sensitivities’ to the audience’s delight.

At the end of this musical, if your soul isn’t redeemed, you can at least expect your spirit to be lifted.

[Make sure to catch Altar Boyz at Onstage Greenbelt 1. Show runs until April 27 with evening performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and matinee performances on Saturdays and Sundays at 3:30 p.m. Don’t wait until the last minute! Buy and reserve your tickets now! Call Repertory Philippines at 887-0710 or log on to repertory-philippines.com for more info.]