Altarholics

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 1:21pm

"Between performances of "Altar Boyz" on Sunday, Tyler Maynard, who plays Mark in the show's five-member Christian boy band, strolled downstairs to mingle with his fans."

There's a guy here who's dressed just like me," he said. The guy in question approached. Indeed, their shirts matched, and, Mr. Maynard exclaimed, "You even have my pants!"

"They cost $175," said Rob Keir, a 14-year-old from Staten Island who was seeing the show for the fourth time. Though Mr. Kier went to the trouble of researching Mr. Maynard's costume, he was a relative novice at Altarholics Appreciation Day.

The event, at New World Stages, was not a fancy affair: sandwiches and sodas, some karaoke and a few prize giveaways. But it offered another chance for the faithful to chat with, photograph and look at their treasured Altar Boyz.

Caitlin Mabon, 21, has seen the show 15 times, though she lives in Omaha. Heather Ticotin, 19, has seen it more than 90 times. (It opened a little over a year ago.) The Altarholics usually sit in the cheap seats, which cost $25, but seeing a show dozens of times is still a serious commitment.

The passionate fan base is not an unusual phenomenon in the theater district. "Jekyll and Hyde" had its Jekkies, and "Rent" its Rentheads, but the formula for "Altar Boyz" is a little more complicated.

For "Altar Boyz" is a spoof, a kind of "Spinal Tap" for boy bands. There are the exaggerated personas mocking the classic boy band marketing strategy: the Latino one, the bad one, etc. There are deadpan remarks at the expense of Lance Bass and Clay Aiken. Though the show is performed, as the creators like to say, without winking at the audience, it is saturated with irony.

There is nothing ironic, however, about seeing a show 90 times. Or getting a tattoo of the show's logo on your arm. Or spending thousands of dollars. Or volunteering to hand out promotional materials on the sidewalk in teeth-chattering weather.

Though many of the Altarholics, as they have christened themselves, said that they genuinely connected with the show's message — roughly, that everyone needs a group to fit into — they all get the parody, and find it funny."

For more:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/04/arts/music/04alta.html

[liotte]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 1:38pm

Thanks for posting that, I enjoyed reading it.

[camerangel]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 1:47pm

Caitlin actually posts on BWW sometimes..

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 2:38pm

I didn't know one of them got an Altar Boyz tattoo. This I must see~

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 4:09pm

Besides it being a less than well written article (its quite clunky) It's rather accurate.


oh, and the Karaoke competetion was quite funny.

[Morgaine885]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 4:26pm

I Updated On: 7/8/08 at 04:26 PM

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 4:31pm

How crazy they are?

I would say dressing like Tyler Maynard's character to meet him pretty much speak for itself.

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 4:39pm

Umm, compared to Rentheads, Altarholics are kittens.

[wallowinbathtubgin]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 5:02pm

Oooh, is this gonna be another Rentheads vs. Altarholics thread? Warn me; I might wanna go get popcorn.

[liotte]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 5:09pm

Just because someone sees a show multiple times does not make them crazy. People can be passionate about something, and if they have the means to see a broadway show multiple times, and they enjoy it and are happy, let them be.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 5:14pm

I don't think anyone said they were crazy because they had seen the show multiple times...

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 5:22pm

munk,

I think the boy in the article wearing Tyler's outfit may have won it on Ebay. Altar Boyz did a charity auction over Christmas with the original boyz' costumes, and the money went (at least in part) to BC/EFA.

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 5:34pm

Amen, liotte!

[Crazy_for_the_Q]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 5:44pm

Every fandom has their sane and crazy people in them. I have to say, the Altarholics have way more sane people then most fandoms.

[Sings_in_the_Rain]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 5:51pm

I've seen the show 7 times-- many of them when there are a lot of other Altarholics in attendance-- and everyone has always been really nice and respectful. I'm sure some people go overboard, but for the most part it is all in good fun. I see the show multiple times because it makes me happy. And the show is really really good to its fans, as seen by the Appreciation Day and the Altarholics website.

[Craig]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 5:57pm

Sanity is in the eye of the beholder. And what goes on at the show versus what goes on outside the theater are completely different matters entirely.

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 6:03pm

I have met Heather Ticotin once, she is a crazy stalker at RENT as well.

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 6:07pm

walt, actually, from what I understand, he didn't, he found out what company made the pants and such and went out and bought them himself. (I sat in front of him at Sundays matinee)

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 6:10pm

When I saw the first Wedding Singer preview, there were some "altarholics" outside the stage door waiting to meet one of the guys. And some older gentlemen came up and talked them about it. It sounded like they were from this board though.

[Crazy_for_the_Q]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 6:12pm

She's not a crazy stalker. Infact, I wouldn't even put those two words in a sentence with Heather Ticotin. She's a devoted fan. She a lot like ever other devoted fan. Except she doesn't crazy fan girl over the actors in the show. From stagedooring shows with her, I know what she does. She introducers herself to the actors she admired from a show she's seen. All of which remember her as nice, not crazy stalker.

[Soupy]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 6:14pm

Tthe "older gentleman" at Wedding Singer that night was Gary Adler.
Updated On: 4/4/06 at 06:14 PM

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 6:14pm

Why do you have to throw personal insults? I happen to know Heather, and she is NOT some stalker. FYI many actors, including those from Rent, happen to value and appreciate the PR she does for the shows she loves. Just because you see someone with a lot of enthusiasm for a show doesn't mean they're crazy, or a stalker.

It's things like this that remind me why BWW can be such a coldhearted bitch sometimes.
Updated On: 4/4/06 at 06:14 PM

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 6:20pm

While Heather might seem a bit much for some people, having seen her interact with casts from both Rent and Altar Boyz, she has a friendly relationship with these people, they enjoy her being there. That was rather uncalled for to resort to calling her a crazy stalker.

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 6:36pm

I have spoken to an actor who has encountered Heather Ticotin, and while she was not scared at all or anything, she also relayed to me that Heather can be a little too insistent on her connections and relationships to Broadway shows.

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 4/4/06 at 6:41pm

Again, you don't know her. So please refrain from making assumptions about her based on what some random actor told you once. That is no basis for calling her a "stalker"

Like ZONEACE said, she has a friendly and very respectful relationship with the actors she knows. While you have every right to voice your opinion, please refrain from making personal attacks (especially since you don't know her).