"Alter Boyz"

July 28, 2010 — After a delicious baked haddock dinner at Gordi's Fish and Steak House in Lincoln, New Hampshire, I headed for the Governor Adams Base Lodge at Loon Mountain Ski Area where the Papermill Theatre is temporarily staging its plays. The Papermill's previous theatre (pictured) was torn down along with other old mill buildings. I'm sorry it's gone. I saw my first New Hampshire summer theatre play there more than a decade ago. It was old and rustic with no air conditioning and it gave you an authentic summer theatre experience. But renewal is inevitable and the old theatre became a victim of "progress."

"Altar Boyz" is a song and dance revue by five male performers, gently spoofing religious hypocrisy in a way that should offend no one regardless of faith. It's a lively and fast-paced show with songs such as "Jesus Called Me on My Cell Phone." Overall, I enjoyed the show, although some of the song and dance numbers fell a little flat, at least for my taste. It had its hilarious moments. It ran less than two hours including intermission, and that was enough for me. Any longer would have required a larger cast and more variety to hold my attention.

The Governor's Lodge in cooperation with the New Hampshire Association for the Arts (NCAA) has set aside an area inside the lodge and set up a fairly comfortable theatre with individual chairs and an attractive but rather plain stage for Papermill performances this summer.

A bar was serving cocktails and soft drinks at intermission. The audience could buy drinks and go out on the large patio and admire the surrounding mountains, still visible in the waning light, on a beautiful warm New Hampshire summer evening.