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NAKED BOYS SINGING!
Directed by Troy Christian & Robert Schrock.
Produced by Kirkland Tibbels.
Music Written by Stephen Bates, Marie Cain, Perry Hart, Shelly Markham, Jim Morgan, David Pevsner, Rayme Sciaroni, Mark Savage, Ben Schaechter, Robert Schrock, Trance Thompson, Bruce Vilanch & Mark Winkler.
Director of Photography Jerry L. Evans & Troy Christian.
Edited by Troy Christian.
Released by TLA Releasing.
Country of Origin: USA. 95 min. Not Rated.
With: Andrew Blake Ames, Jason Currie, Jaymes Hodges, Joseph Keane, Anthony Manough, Ethan Le Phong, Joe Souza, Kevin Stea, Salvatore Vassallo & Vincent Zamora.

This musical celebration of the male physique knows its target audience, gay men, and fully delivers on the promise of its title. When it opened Off-Broadway in 2000, it seemed like a clever (or crass) marketing ploy, combining musical theater with full-frontal nudity. It worked – it’s still running. Surprisingly, it’s become a crossover hit, luring in the bachelorette-party crowd and proving to be a much more pleasant option for the bride-to-be than having a pumped-out stripper bump and grind in her face.

Shot on video before a live audience, the film version, opening today, will soon be available on DVD for parties or for the freeze-frame happy. Unlike the drawn-out tease of burlesque, the opening number, “Gratuitous Nudity,” gets straight to point with the 10-member cast revealing all immediately. If eye candy is what you’re looking for, you’ll get your money’s worth, as the song says, from this easy-going and affable ensemble.

Handled matter-of-factly, the ubiquitous nudity becomes the norm (only one song, an ode to actor Robert Mitchum, is clothed), and the music takes the spotlight. Forget the skin; it’s here where the show becomes a matter of taste. Although written by numerous composers and lyricists, the score has the overall sound of ’70s and ’80s middle-of-the-road show tunes, neither rock nor pop (except for the disco-set paean to the gym “Muscle Addiction”). The country-flavored “Nothin’ but the Radio On,” though, could easily be heard on American Idol, but maybe not “Perky Little Porn Star.”

What’s noticeable about the actors, though, is their talent. Not only do they all have a strong set of pipes, there’s not a hint of mugging, unlike in many musicals. With or without clothes, they drop their guard. However, the often distracting editing and cheap special effects recall low-budget early ’80s music videos. The cast deserves better. Kent Turner
October 12, 2007