Break Bread With an Altar Boy!

“A perfect musical, no questions asked,” raved TheaterMania’s David Finkle. “Thank heaven for Altar Boyz,” exulted Howard Kissell in the Daily News. “It sends you home with a smile,” wrote Charles Isherwood in The New York Times. Reviewers for Newsday, the New York Post, and the Journal News all described the show as “hilarious.” Such was the praise for Altar Boyz, the new Off-Broadway hit at Dodger Stages.

As described by Finkle in his review, “the simple, elegant premise” of the show “is that the five members of a Christian boy group are determined to cleanse sinners’ souls on the last leg of their ‘Raise the Praise’ tour. With the help of a tracking device called the Soul Sensor DX-12, the hip and hip-hopping quintet vows to rejuvenate every soul in the audience through a series of invigorating songs and exercises…. The guys are Matthew (Scott Porter), Mark (Tyler Maynard), Luke (Andy Karl), Juan (Ryan Duncan), and Abraham (David Josefsberg). While carrying on their altruistic crusade, they take time to reveal how they originally bonded (despite Abraham’s being Jewish)…Anyone who can laugh at the eccentricities of religious fervor and is ready to chortle over boy-group clichés is guaranteed to fall in love with Altar Boyz.”

Now, you as a TheaterManiac have a special opportunity to win two free tickets to the show on Sunday evening, May 15 or 29, followed by a (chaperoned!) dinner with the Altar Boy of your choice at the Broadway Joe Steakhouse on Restaurant Row. We thought it would be a bit much to ask the chosen cast member to stay in character throughout the dinner, so you’ll actually be spending time with the actor, not the Altar Boy. Also, as you know if you’ve seen the show, the Altar Boyz espouse premarital chastity; they go so far as to sing lyrics like “Girl, you make me want to wait.” In that vein, winners of the contest should expect nothing more from the evening than a nice dinner, some great conversation, and a personally autographed headshot!

To enter the contest, send us an e-mail with your name, age, sex, and full contact information — phone number(s), postal address, and e-mail address — plus a brief statement as to which of the Altar Boyz you’d like to have dinner with and why. Send all e-mails to altarboyz@theatermania.com. (See additional instructions below.) In order to help you make your decision, here are bios of all the cast members, in alphabetical order:

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RYAN DUNCAN (Juan): Ryan’s national touring credits include Man of La Mancha and Fiddler on the Roof and he was in the pre-Broadway company of I’m Not Rappaport starring Judd Hirsch and Ben Vereen. Regional credits: Side Show, Signature, VA; Hair, Studio, DC; 1776 and A Christmas Carol, Ford’s, DC; Forever Plaid, Temple Theatre, NC. New York credits: theAtrainplays, Dancing Straight, The Ritz, Kundalini, Nils Torvald (EAT), and the title role in Lyle, Lyle Crocodile with TW/USA. Ryan’s TV/film credits include Stand By, entience, Same Difference, Forrest Gump, and SNL. Gracias a D.Cap, A.M. y D.M.

DAVID JOSEFSBERG (Abraham) recently finished filming Behind The Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Mork and Mindy as The Fonz for NBC. Broadway: Les Misérables (Marius), Grease (Roger), Winchell. National tours: Tommy, Leader of the Pack, Les Miz, Grease. Off-Broadway: The Joys of Sex (Brian), Cam Jansen (Rajah Roger), Night Blooming Jasmine (Ben). Regional: The Last Five Years, Infinite Ache. Recently, David has been performing his own music at Caroline’s. David would like to thank his family and his beautiful wife for their love and supprt. ILYEJ. For the Coop!

ANDY KARL’s (Luke) most recent work was in the world premiere of Disney’s On the Record. He is also on the original cast recording. Some credits include Saturday Night Fever (Broadway, 1st nat’l), Romeo & Bernadette (Paper Mill Playhouse; Carbonell Award nom.), Sondheim’s Saturday Night (Off-Broadway), Me & Mrs. Jones (Prince Music Theatre) and Cats (Nat’l. tour). Film credits include On the One and the rock opera Temptation. Love always to all the “ABz,” the Bugzy & Worm, and to his home-girl Orfeh. www.andykarl.com

TYLER MAYNARD (Mark), hails from New Carlisle, Ohio and is thrilled to be a part of Altar Boyz. His recent credits include Mamma Mia! (Broadway), On the Record (1st national tour), Bye Bye Birdie (Encores!), Good Vibrations (NYS&F), and Palindromes (Jiminy), directed by Todd Solondz, which is soon to be in a theater near you. Tyler would like to give props up to his peeps at Nicolosi & Co. and a big shout out to his family. Tyler attended the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music.

SCOTT PORTER (Matthew): Originally of Omaha, Nebraska, Scott is thrilled to return to the New York stage with Altar Boyz. He made his Off-Broadway debut in 2004 with Toxic Audio. Scott has been seen on stages across the world while singin’, dancin’, sword-fighting and beat-boxin’ his way through days at Universal Studios, Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland. A veteran of the a cappella scene, Scott has opened for national recording acts such as 98°, Orleans, and America as an original member of 4:2:Five and more recently with the vocal band Mosaic. Scott would like to thank God for the opportunities provided him and his family for their undying support.

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For full contest rules, including alternate instructions for entering via U.S. mail, click here. All entries must be received by no later than midnight on Friday, April 29. The winners and runners-up will be notified during the following week and their names will be announced in our TM Insider e-mail newsletter. For more information on Altar Boyz, visit www.altarboyz.com.