Actor plays leader of God-inspired boy band in 'Altar Boyz'
DETROIT – He can sing, he can dance and he's got that "all-American boy next door" look that makes young girls swoon. So it's easy to see why 19-year-old Corey Boardman was cast to play the leader of a "boy band" in the hot musical comedy "Altar Boyz" that opened last week at Detroit's City Theatre.
That's a pretty good gig for a young film and television actor who's making his professional theater debut in a national touring production!
"I've always loved performing and being in front of people," Boardman told BTL a few hours before the opening night performance.
In "Altar Boyz," Boardman plays Matthew, the innocent-looking, yet sexy lead performer of a Christian boy band whose mission is to save souls, one concert at a time. "My character is the cool, confident one," Boardman said. "Then we've got Mark, the shy one; Luke, the gangster wannabe; Juan, the Latin lover; and Abraham, the Jewish member."
The group has achieved fame and success touring Ohio's bingo-hall-and-pancake-breakfast circuit, but the boys are about to hit the big-time. First, however, they must save the souls of their audience in Detroit!
"It's hilarious," Boardman said.
Although religion – and in particular, the Catholic religion – is the backdrop of the story, the actor stresses the show can be enjoyed by everyone, from youngsters to senior citizens – regardless of religious affiliation. "It's not preaching for or against religion in any respect. The message behind it is faith and brotherhood. You're getting 13 songs jam-packed into an hour and 20 minutes. It's a very fast-paced and intense ride."
The Milwaukee native had been appearing in independent films, industrials and commercials in both his hometown and Chicago when he learned of the auditions for "Altar Boyz." After auditioning for it about eight times, he landed the part.
It's a challenging – but fun – role, Boardman admitted. "The comedy that goes along with the show is really hard to pull off, because it's all about the timing and being completely serious as the character. It's not going to be funny unless we're completely serious about what we're doing. To us, it's the seriousness of saving souls."
Boardman's experience has given the closet boy band fan some insight into the pop music phenomenon. "I can totally relate to what those guys went through as far as rehearsals," he said. "It's pretty intense learning all the dancing, singing and putting that all together. It's a hard thing to do. There's a lot of sweat that goes into this show!"
So much so, that front row ticket holders might want to consider this warning: Bring an umbrella with you to the performance!
What helped inspire the actors are video tapes they've watched of the once-popular group, 'N Sync. "We've got to make sure the dancing is tight. [We've] got to be completely together to pull off the effect of how dancing like a group looks," Boardman said.
Plus, he added, "The lighting, the stage itself and the costumes really work to bring all that together."
What also creates the illusion of a successful boy band is a cast that genuinely likes one another. "A day or two after we all got here, our production staff was remarking that it looked like we had been together for months. We all really get along at rehearsals, at the show and after the show. We all hang out together. It's a great group of guys."
A newcomer to Detroit, Boardman and the cast have been to a Tiger game, joined the throngs at the recent Rolling Stones concert and performed before a large crowd at the recent Arts, Beats & Eats festival in Pontiac. "We've loved everything we've been able to do so far. It's been awesome!"
Given the show's immense popularity in New York – and its inevitable success in Motown – is Boardman ready for one of the perks of the boy band business: groupies? "I don't know if we're ready for that," he laughed. "But we're hoping it's going to happen!"
