As I read the other reviews on epinions about Naked Boys Singing!, I can't help but feel that someone should have done a little thinking before going into the theatre.
Let's do a little examining of the title of the show, now, shall we?
Ok, Naked Boys Singing!:
Naked - indicating a lack of clothing, or a presence of nudity.
Boys - indicating performers of the male gender, as opposed to the female gender
Singing - indicating that the above mentioned nude male performers will be entertaining us with a vocal performance
! - indicating fun

Now that we've cleared up exactly what this whole thing is all about, let's get on with the show...err...review.

Naked Boys Singing! is just what it sounds like - no kidding - it's a musical revue, performed by 8 male singers who are, most frequently, nude.
Right away, I know this will stir up some controversy. Let me settle you a little and assure you that not a single part of this show is pornographic in any way. The genitals are NEVER touched, and actually, for the most part of the show, are NOT the center of attention. One might imagine that there would be a period of uneasiness and embarassment (on the part of the audience) when we first see these 8 men totally nude, only a few feet in front of us. It's actually quite the opposite....the cast (as well as the script) have carefully and tactfully discovered the way to transition with ease into our "full view". One minute, they're covering themselves with their hands, and the next, they're not - there's not really an uncomfortable moment about it, and not only do they appear TOTALLY comfortable with what they're doing, they also make YOU feel comfortable for being the audience to it all. And I mean IT ALL.
The opening number, Gratuitous Nudity is where it's all revealed, and features the whole company. This followed by 15 more high quality original songs, that run the gammut from serious, to comedic, to silly in various forms, such as full chorus, soliloquoy, monologue, dialogue...you name it.
The cast was absolutely phenomenal. Stephen Bates' music and songwriting are great and it almost seemed like a good portion of the songs were PERFECT for the performer. Highlights (to me) included:
Geroge Livengood, singing "Bliss of a Bris" and "Perky Little Porn Star"
Eric Dean Davis, singing "Nothing But the Radio On"
Steven Spraragen, singing "Kris, Look What You've Missed"
and Eric Potter, in "The Entertainer".
Potter's soulful performance left me breathless. Apart from being just plain adorable, his voice was smooth "like buttah" and his choice of melodic ornamentation was superb. His riffs were beautifully executed in a manner deserving nothing less than Broadway stardom. If Potter had never taken off any clothing, and instead just sat on a stool in the middle of the stage, I would have been perfectly happy. The same goes for the musical stylings of George Livengood. His "audience participation" section was highly amusing (don't worry - you're not going to get picked for something embarassing - I get the same way when I'm at a show or something and they say the words "audience participation"), and his smooth voice left nothing to be desired.
One could (uneducatedly) guess that the whole gimmick of this NBS! is to distract you from less than stellar vocal performances by giving you something shocking to stare at. This is far from the truth. Theses naked boys can SING, and they have the vocal chords to back it up. There are even some times when there are fully clothed performers on the stage, and I am equally impressed then. The whole nudity factor quickly becomes something you just adjust to, there's not really any shock factor, and you really just stop noticing that the performers aren't clothed.

For those of you that it matters to, yes, the cast is very good looking, very well built, and on top of that, they are a great bunch of guys. I had the pleasure of seeing this show with my friend, who is the daughter of the
NBS! Musical Director/Author/Arranger/Pianist, Stephen Bates. This was Stephen's last night with the show, and I was able to hang around after the show to meet with the cast and take pictures with them(clothed, of course - photography is strictly forbidden during the show). They are really a great group of friendly guys who are highly talented on top of that.

This is a great show and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for something a little different that the typical theatre experience. It will remind you not to take everything so seriously, and "that being naked means much more than being just uncovered".

Act One:
Gratuitous Nudity
The Naked Maid
Bliss of a Bris
Window to Window
Fight the Urge
Robert Mitchum
Jack's Song

Act Two:
Members Only
Perky Little Porn Star
Nothin' But the Radio On
Kris, Look What You've Missed
Muscle Addiction
The Entertainer
Window to Window (Reprise)
Window to the Soul
Finale/Naked Boys Singing!


Recommended: Yes