‘Boyz’ Town

Back to back: "Boys" to "Boyz."

Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor dark of night shall derail this male delivery.

"I haven't announced a real closing date because they did that with 'Naked Boys Singing,' announcing for three weeks and now it's reached seven months," says Mike Scheneman, new artistic director of the Onyx Theatre. "We've already discussed extending through March and April."

Tonight's opening of "Altar Boyz" sets up open-ended, Thursday-Sunday runs of two plays simultaneously in one venue, a rarity for Las Vegas community theater, as the newbie assumes the early slot, followed by the racier "Naked Boys," whose title is full-frontal accurate.

"Our show is 83 minutes, plenty of time for the stage to change and the actors who are in both shows to rest."

"Altar Boyz," a family-friendly counterbalance to "Naked Boys," follows a struggling Christian vocal group in a musical that just closed off-Broadway after a five-year engagement. Satirizing the prefab pop of The Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync and the Jonas Brothers, it also parodies pop-rock proselytizing.

Four of the "Boyz" -- Matthew, Mark, Luke and Juan (John) -- are apparently named after the authors of the four canonical Christian Gospels. The fifth, Abraham, is Jewish. During a real-time concert in their "Raise the Praise" tour, the pious popsters address the audience and feature "The Soul Sensor DX-12," a machine that, they explain, flashes the number of troubled souls in the theater, which they hope to reduce to zero by concert's end.

Critics have been both amused and bemused by "Altar Boyz" and its score that mimics and mocks sugary songs coated in religious fervor. The rock-the-pulpit pop includes "Epiphany," "The Miracle Song" and "La Vida Eternal."

New York Times reviewer Charles Isherwood called it "an enjoyably silly diversion. ... Staking no claims to artistic significance, it makes a nice sound, looks pretty (if you like pretty boys) and sends you home with a smile."

Central to its teen-scream style are dance moves that send female fans into orbit. "I watched Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync videos, even Janet Jackson and Madonna -- I even threw Madonna's 'Vogue' in there," says choreographer Nolan Christopher, who also plays Mark.

"It was a challenge to not make it too musical theater. They're more or less all the same moves, just in different order. And there's actually not that much movement, it's more everyone being exactly together, doing the same thing at the same time, so it's got a look."

Though "Altar Boyz" spawned tours and resident companies domestically and abroad, an extended Vegas run would, for now, be the sole U.S. production, featuring a five-member cast and three-piece band. "I came here for vacation, but when I heard it had never been done in Las Vegas, I decided to stay," says Scheneman, who worked on "Boyz" productions in Colorado and Wyoming. "I approached other theaters that didn't have room for me in their upcoming seasons, or their rental rates were crazy. Then I contacted (Onyx). They were at first kind of hesitant because the title 'Altar Boyz' has a negative connotation if you don't know the show," he says, referring to allegations of sexual abuse of boys by priests over the years. "A lot of people make that immediate jump, thinking it has to be offensive."

"Altar Boyz," Scheneman expects, will widen "a select demographic" drawn to Onyx for "Naked Boys" -- gay fans, plus copious bookings for bachelorette parties. However, he admits to harboring fantasies of producing "Altar Boyz" on or near the Strip, similar to "Forever Plaid," another guy-group romp.

"I actually had dreams where I woke up thinking, 'That would be awesome!' "

Onyx-goers, take note: Despite sharing boys/singing themes and titles, "Altar Boyz" and "Naked Boys Singing" are separate productions.

Not even Sin City would stage "Naked Altar Boys."

Contact reporter Steve Bornfeld at sbornfeld@review journal.com or 702-383-0256.