Meet the Band of ALTAR BOYZ – Gary Gilham is Keyboard II!
What is your role on the production? I’m a Musician, band member, specifically keyboard II.
What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I have many years experience as a rehearsal and performance pianist or orchestra keyboardist in musical theatre. I acted in a play once, as Chico Marx in Night in Ukraine, (Walterdale, July, 2000). I was cast in part because the role required competency as an on-stage piano accompanist in the character acting/playing role of Chico Marx of the famous Marx Brothers comedy troupe. I played piano/keyboard as a rehearsal pianist and/or orchestra member for productions with Sherard Musical Theatre, Festival Players, Horizon Stage, ELOPE, Two-One-Way-Tickets-To-Broadway, and several productions at the Edmonton Fringe Festival including 4 Gilbert & Sullivan parody productions by Sherard. At Walterdale, my start as pianist for community theatre was a children’s production, Jardy, A Musical Fairytale (December 1991), and I played piano for the Klondike Melodramas in July, 1995, 1996, 1998. Most recently I worked on Blood Brothers (July 2003) as rehearsal pianist, and band member (keyboard).
Why did you want to be a part of this show? I was invited to play by musical director, Sally Hunt. I had been wanting to get back to playing for community musical theatre after a several year hiatus, doing a major home renovation. In September I remember thinking to myself, “I should contact Sally and see if she knows of any shows coming up that I could help out in…” I did not actually follow through but I consider it serendipity that an email popped up from of all people, Sally, asking if I would be available to play in Altar Boyz, in her words, “I think you’d enjoy diving into the sounds and mood the show needs.” What I enjoy about my part is that I get to do strings, brass, woodwinds, e. bass guitar, organ and other synth voices that help to give the show a big band Broadway sound with only four musicians.
Why should audiences come see the show? The show is a hilarious musical comedy with vocals delivered by a strong cast. Beneath the comedy, and well crafted tunes in a variety of contemporary pop genres, the show examines the journey of five talented young men with big dreams and even bigger egos, who are struggling with inner turmoil, tragedy and conflicts along the steep climb to success and fame in the evangelical turned showbiz industry. The finale number is the moment of truth for the Boyz, as they examine their own ambitions, motivations and values with candid intellectual honesty. The song starts out simply, as Sally in her role as the stern choirmaster, begins to plunk out Abraham’s hand written rough draft of a new song. The song is impressively delivered by David Anderson, as Abraham, who makes the conclusion of the story believable, that these guys really are each being offered big time commercial contracts in a fiercely competitive industry. The musical number swells into a rousing anthem as the rest of the boy band, including the other musicians are added into the mix. By the end of the number, there is not a dry eye or lost soul in the house…
What’s your favourite boy band song and why? Being two generations older than this cast, I must admit I am not familiar with any recent “Boy Bands”, but I can recall watching the quintessential first boy band, the Beatles, when they made their North American debut on Ed Sullivan in 1964 when I was 8, and the Beatles were just out of their teens. I remember they sang “She Loves You, Ya, Ya” and “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” over a chorus of screaming girls. We were mesmerized while my dad was in shock with his arms folded, yelling “Idiots!”. I knew, even at that tender age, that rock ‘n roll was here to stay!
