Lyric Theater Welcomes ALTAR BOYZ 10/12-29

Lyric Theatre is bringing laughter back to the Plaza Theatre stage with the hilarious musical comedy ALTAR BOYZ, showing at the Plaza Theatre from October 12 through 29. ALTAR BOYZ is a sweet parody with irreverent humor, spectacular dancing, and sensational singing.

The ALTAR BOYZ are five small-town guys, Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham, who come together as an all-singing, all-dancing heartthrob group from Ohio. Packed with an extraordinary mix of side-splitting pop songs, uncontrollable laughs and lighthearted fun, this award-winning and totally original new musical is 90 minutes of pure delight. With their tight harmonies and spectacular choreography, the Altar Boyz question their loyalty to each other and ask whether or not faith is really holding them together.

Michael Baron, Lyric's Artistic Director, is thrilled to have Broadway star and recording artist Billy Porter direct and choreograph this new production of the show.
"I've always been a huge admirer of Billy's work and can't wait to see him bring his unique and thrilling energy, creativity, style, and humor to the show," says Baron.
Billy Porter is the NAACP Theatre Award winner for Best Direction of a Musical for his production of ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, is excited to direct ALTAR BOYZ at Lyric Theatre.
"I'm looking forward to bringing this wonderfully innovative show to Oklahoma City with five of the most gifted young actors from the area," says Porter. "I'm sure audiences will be blown away."

Porter has also directed a critically acclaimed recreation of THE WIZ and conceived a musical revue entitled SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED: THE MUSIC OF Stevie Wonder, which starred Chaka Khan and ran at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas in the spring of 2002. Billy conceived and directed BEING ALIVE, which is a musical celebration that aligns the cannons of Stephen Sondheim and William Shakespeare and combines them with the soulful musical styles of the African-American experience. He also directed the new musical TWILIGHT IN MANCHEGO for the NYMF in the fall of 2008. Brian Hamilton is the music director for this production with Jon Young, set designer, Jeffrey Meek, costume designer, Brad Poarch, sound designer, and John Fowler, lighting designer rounding out the creative team.

The cast of ALTAR BOYZ is full of vibrant, exciting talent ready to entertain audiences with this hilarious show. Skyler Adams, who is playing Matthew, the "leader" of the boys, is a recent graduate of the University of Oklahoma. Adam's Lyric credits include HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL (Troy), TOMMY, MUSIC MAN, JOESEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAM COAT, THE PRODUCERS and Chicago Shakespeare: The World Premiere of THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO (Pinocchio).

James Michael Avance, who is playing Mark, the sensitive one, is a recent graduate from The University of Central Oklahoma and worked with City Rep, RWS, Broadway Tonight, Discovery Land, and The Pollard Theatre. Avance, who has been in numerous Lyric shows such as HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, THE MUSIC MAN THE PRODUCERS and 42ND STREET is ready to come back to the Lyric Stage.
"I'm so excited to be doing one of my dream shows with my favorite theatre company," says Avance. "Getting to work with Billy Porter is such a great opportunity so early on in my career and I will cherish it forever."

After playing Seaweed J Stubbs as his Lyric debut in the 2011 summer production of HAIRSPRAY, Desmond Dansby will join the boyz playing the role of Luke, the "bad boy" of the group. A student at the University of Central Oklahoma, Dansby's recent credits include HAIRSPRAY at Casa Mañana, RAGTIME, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE and CAROUSEL.
Ross McCorkell, who is playing the role of Juan, the "latin lover", is a native of Greenock, Scotland, is a senior Musical Theater major at Wichita State University. This is his Lyric debut.

Jamie Goldman playing Abraham, who is known as the "gefilte fish out of water" in the group of boys, is a Musical Theatre senior at the University of Oklahoma. Goldman's previous Lyric credits include JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, THE MUSIC MAN and HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2.

Single tickets for ALTAR BOYZ are $40 and are available for purchase. Performance times are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. with a 2:00 p.m. matinee on Saturday afternoon. For tickets go to www.LyricTheatreOKC.com, call (405) 524-9312, or come by the Lyric box office at 1727 NW 16th St, Oklahoma City, OK.
Lyric's production of ALTAR BOYZ is sponsored by Chesapeake Energy Corporation, The Oklahoman, The Chickasaw Nation and Watts & Watts Attorneys at Law. Annual support is provided by Allied Arts, the Oklahoma Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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