Altar Boyz: Understudy talk!!! (reviews +)

[Juliet2170]

Posted: 5/29/05 at 6:11pm

hey i just wanted to let everyone know that Kevin Kern is on as Mark today!! please try to make the night show!! he was also on as Mark for the matinee which i ran to make so now i can't afford to rush Monday but it was amazing!! i will put up a review soon but i just wanted to post a notice to anyone who's got tickets or who will buy them for tonight (5/29)!



Updated On: 6/5/05 at 06:11 PM

[Juliet2170]

Posted: 5/29/05 at 10:36pm

so did anyone go? i wrote a huge review if anyone wants to read it. it's on the Altar Boyz forum linked on my signature and it's got a play by play of the show so please don't read if it you're not into huge spoilers.

[Billy Boy]

Posted: 5/29/05 at 11:26pm

I saw the show tonight, and Kevin Kern was... well, dissapointng. I hadn't seen the show before, but I had seen the opening number at the Drama Desk Awards, and Tyler Maynard was much better (and cuter) as Mark, the gay bander in love with Matthew, the group leader. Kevin was well rehearsed and had a nice voice, but I never for once bought that he was the boy-with-a-secret in the Christian tuner. Given that it's such an important part of the story (much of the humor is based on the love that dare not speak its name), having this not work really detracted from the overall show. The audience, of course, loved the show.

imho

[tpdc]

Posted: 5/29/05 at 11:30pm

I've seen Kern in other shows and liked him. Maynard is the best thing about ALTAR BOYZ and replacing him can't be easy. I couldn't recommend the show to anyone without Maynard in it. Maynard's number stopped the show when I saw it and he got a standing ovation at the end of the number as well.

[TheGaIsSilent]

Posted: 5/29/05 at 11:39pm

While I LOVE Tyler, I saw Kevin as Matthew a few weeks ago and he was awesome. I imagine he was pretty nervous to be on as Mark for the first time, and I'm sure he was doing his best. And if the audience liked it, he must have been doing something right.

Gotta love the boyz

[MadeofGold]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 1:59am

I was there tonight and I thought he was great. Yes, Tyler is a one of a kind and owns that role but I thought Kevin did a fantastic job especially considering that he's only done the role twice!

[BwayDreams]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 2:28am

Ok I have been shown the error of my ways. I love Altar Boyz and I only have the best things to say about it. Updated On: 6/5/05 at 02:28 AM

[andyf]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 2:35am

I saw Kevin as Mark this afternoon, and while I must say I thought a lot of the "him being gay" jokes weren't landing right away, Kevin was still OUT OF CONTROL. My friend had seen him go on before as Matthew and said he was SO confident, you wouldn't expect him to not be in the show regularly, and I definitely saw that in Kevin today.

He was SOOO confident and he was just having a LOT of fun. I didn't really buy him as the secretly gay guy at first, but he was SO out of control and (because I'm me, I have to add) he threw in a really hot riff in "In the family of God, you'll find that there are no such things as others." I would see him again in a heartbeat.

[BwayDreams]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 2:48am

Glad you enjoyed Kevin. He was definitely confident when I saw him on as Matthew. I will agree that his voice is "Out of Control!" I love your phrase...I'm gonna adopt that. I think I remember the "hot riff" you talked about! haha! I have to say that all these men have "Out of Control" voices! Its what I love most about this show. Updated On: 6/5/05 at 02:48 AM

[MusicRox]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 3:25am

Sorry, a little thread jacking, but i didn't want to start a new one just to ask some lyric questions.
1. What does Mark say in Church Rulez? - "sit down and listen to ..."
2. What does Mark say at the end of Epiphany? After the vowel stuff.

[andyf]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 3:34am

1. "Sit down and listen to the homily. Sit down and hear what the priest has to say. Sit down and listen to the homily. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down, today."

2. "Be."

Updated On: 5/30/05 at 03:34 AM

[MusicRox]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 3:36am

Cool thanks! The scheduled thread may now proceed.

[Trisky]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 10:51am

Saw Kevin last night and thought for someone performing their second show as Mark he did an admirable job. I think his voice is absolutely lovely (though a bit more theater-y, than pop boy-y) and it's amazing what some hair gel can do to turn him into a goofier version of himself. He was very confident, though he nearly tripped on the purple sash that covers the Soul Sensor when walking offstage with it, thereby cracking everyone else up. He recovered nicely from that and his almost walking into the set when pulling the cart with the birthday cake off. You would never know it was only his second time performing it, if you were normal and unlike those of us who check Broadway message boards obsessively.

I guess the only issue is that he seemed a bit more lacksadaisical when it came to the dancing. I think this was due in part to the fact that everyone else was *ON* tonight. I mean the audience was insanely reactive and that seemed to feed the other four guys, as well as Kevin, but less so for him because what would normally be considered a good performance paled a little because the energy was so high for everyone else.

He definitely played it differently than Tyler does and probably as a result not as blatantly funny. Some of his jokes were much more subtle and that was an interesting take. He flubbed a couple of lyrics at the end of Ephiphany but all in all, I couldn't help but think what an incredibly difficult task it is to have to become all five of those characters and not even break a sweat when doing it, so he earns major kudos from me, for that (as well as Daniel, though I've yet to see him perform, have heard him sing and I'm sure he's just as dedicated and committed as Kevin).

[Juliet2170]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 11:12am

Kevin looked like a school-boy to me! LOL and I believe Scott Porter is actually the youngest of all the actors so all the Boyz are older! You didn't think Kevin's doe eyes looked young?! blasphemy! LOL just kidding...

I'm far from being an Altar-Virgin now so I guess I'm a little biased when I say this but I thought Kevin sold the "in the closet" thing pretty smoothly. I saw him perform his first Matthew also and honestly, I went into the show thinking "Am I going to see two Matthews up there hitting on each other?" Other than being physically similar to the "Matthew" character, I think Kevin definately got into Mark's "inner struggle" during his Epiphany. Though I saw the matinee so I guess the evening show could have been different but I don't accept!!! LOL

also, Daniel Torres...that boy definately raises the praise whenever he's on stage!!!
Updated On: 5/30/05 at 11:12 AM

[MadeofGold]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 11:58am

I was lucky enough to see Daniel's first performance as Mark and thought he did a great job too. But then again, Daniel is always good! :)

I thought Kevin really fit in well with the group and had I not known he was the understudy, would have thought he was in his regular role.

[NJgirl]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 10:40pm

I also saw the show last night. I think for being his first 2 shows as Mark...Kevin did an awesome job. This was me and my friends 2nd time seeing the show so we have seen Tyler in the role (havent seen Daniel go on yet at all..this was our first time seeing Kevin). Kevin isn't Tyler...but he made Mark his own and played it slightly differently...but it was effective. Mark is a very hard role to cover...hell knowing and covering all 5 roles has to be extremely hard with blocking and lyrics.
Kevin did a great job overall...though some of his jokes didn't land as they usually do...I think the audience did get the gist of the character and he had them eating out of his hand at first...esp. during Matthew's solo and Mark was staring at Matthew thinking he was singing to him. The audience seemed to throughly enjoy the show regardless. Last evenings audience was incredibly rowdy and into it unlike when I saw the show the first time. Hell, Juan even got a collective "awwww" when the letter was read aloud.
It's hard to fill the shoes of Tyler..no doubt...but I think it bothers all of us who have seen the show with Tyler in it more than it does the Altar Virgins out there.

~Cristin

[Thenardier]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 10:43pm

He was the final Marius, wan't he?

[bwaybabe85]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 10:48pm

Yes, Kevin was the final Marius. He took over for Peter Lockyer (who left to go to La Boheme) in September 2002.

[Thenardier]

Posted: 5/30/05 at 10:49pm

Yes, I was upset as Peter is my favorite Marius...which means a lot considering I have heard A LOT

[Juliet2170]

Posted: 5/31/05 at 1:08am

I also saw Kevin as Marius and I have never seen another Marius so now he's the definitive one in my head! :) It's been awhile since I read the book but Marius is supposed to be dark haired isn't he? LOL

Kevin was awesome in that role and I feel really lucky to have seen him. It was very memorable and since I've seen him do "Matthew" in ABz too I just think of him as so manly which made it difficult for me to imagine him on as Mark but I STILL thought he sold it!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 5/31/05 at 4:05pm

I saw the show on Friday night and everybody was on. I didn't know what to expect, but I thoroughly enjoyed the show and haven't laughed like that in a long time. I thought all the actors were wonderful (Tyler was a hoot).

[TheColorOfFlame]

Posted: 6/1/05 at 6:21pm

Is Daniel Torres indeed the dance captain? He got his own bow at the end of the show when I saw it last night. I didn't understand why. He was visibly unable to keep up with the other boys' dancing, and was also kind of embarrassingly chunky. He performed the role of Abraham. Both he the other understudy - Kevin Kern as Matthew - simply had no grasp of comic timing. It was unbearable, and there were numerous audible snickers in the audience when their jokes consistently never landed.

Anyway, did Daniel get his own bow because he is the dance captain? I'm so confused as to why (a) he got his own bow and (b) he and Kevin were so disappointing in their roles. I was almost upset at the end of the show, and sort of still am. Thank God for Tyler Maynard - he was [expletive] unreal.

[andyf]

Posted: 6/1/05 at 7:47pm

I just got that off my phone and thought I'd post. It's from the matinee on the 29th.

[carymetorent2]

Posted: 6/2/05 at 3:19am

I would have to really disagree with you on this. First of all, I have seen the show numerous times and Daniel's dancing was just as amazing as it always is. Daniel was wearing multiple layers as Abe has a sweatshirt on over and David also looks bigger than normal because of his abundance of layers. However, I don't really understand how anyone's weight could really affect their character and I don't really know why that was necessary to say.

I didn't hear any audience snickers and some of Daniel's lines actually landed better than David's did. I thought Daniel was extremely good as Abe considering, in my opinion, it is the most challenging character for him to play and it was his first time.

but to each his own, I suppose.

As for his own bow, it looked like Kevin kind of shoved him up as a kind of cute thing to acknowledge him because it was his first time going on as Abe. I thought it was sweet.

Updated On: 6/2/05 at 03:19 AM

[Necromancer07707]

Posted: 6/2/05 at 3:55am

Woah I never though I would see a post about Kevin in here. Well all I can say is he's a great guy. He went to my HS and graduated in 92 or 93. He returns once or twice a year to see our director and is such an awesome guy personality-wise (as well as his bro Joey). He showed up to one of our rehearsals this year to give a talk about the profession and sang "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" for us. The only word I can use to describe it is an eargasm. Anyways, I'll stop my crushing now.