Altar Boyz

For the past week, the Winnipeg Fringe Festival has taken over the Exchange District here in Winnipeg. It's an amateur theatre festival that draws audiences and plays from across Canada and even in some cases from around the world. I'm not as avid a "fringer" as many here in this fair city, but I do like to take in a couple of shows every year. It's a great place to check out some awesome local talent, as well as see critically acclaimed shows from other festivals across the country.

For more info: http://www.winnipegfringe.com/

Anyway, I've seen two shows this week and both have been excellent; "Customer Relations" starring one of my friends, and "Altar Boyz" which was an off-Broadway show in New York a few years ago. This year, it was performed by a cast of boys (with band) from Winnipeg. And could these boys sing and dance! YIKES! I was amazed at their ability to maintain a high-energy dance routine (complete with back flips on at least one occasion!) while singing in (at times) five part harmony! And I'm pretty sure they weren't lip-synching, if their sometimes breathless speaking was any indication:)

The show is about a Christian pop group, called the Altar Boyz. The premise is that they save souls for Jesus, counted at each concert by a neon sign that flashes the number of "sinners" in the audience:) And the main conflict in the production is that this is their last show. These boys sing and dance their way through numbers such as: "Jesus Called My Cell Phone" and "I Am Proud to Be a Catholic!" sung by one of the "boyz" who is obviously gay.

If you haven't guessed it already, this show is a spoof of the Christian music industry, of boy band culture popularized by the Backstreet Boys and 'NSync, and certainly stereotypes of what being a Christian requires, addressing such issues (sort of) such as homosexuality, substance abuse, shameless promotion of self and record labels, and forsaking your friends for the almighty dollar.

It's funny and exceptionally well-done. I laughed OUT LOUD to the point where I had to cover my mouth because I thought it might distract people around me:) But it also gave me pause to think about some of the deeper meaning behind what was seemingly "fluff". And that is the mark of a great production!

Happy Fringeing!

J.