| THEATER
a play by
songs by
Before 'N Sync. Before the Backstreet Boys. Before O-Town. One boy band was poised to change the face of pop music. They had rhythm. They had soul. They had color. Boyz of All Nationz is a bubblegum ride behind the scenes of a groundbreaking group that (almost) took the world by storm. Their talent was in question, their lives were ridiculed, and their hair didn't move. But with number one hit singles such as "Put Your Eggs In My Basket" and "Let Me Lay You Down (I Wanna Lick You Up)" and their prominent place on the shelves of teenage girls everywhere, their growing popularity and power could not be denied. This new play delves into the catchy tunes, the controversy, the choreography, and the clothing of four boys who had the brawn, one manager who had the brains, and a million fans who had the money. Boyz of All Nationz is a deft comedy which pokes fun at fads, as well as issues of race, identity, celebrity, art, and commerce.
"Although Prince Gomolvilas's amusing concept—a post-NKOTB, pre-'N Sync boy band with casting straight outta Benetton—looks at first like a one-joke story, Gomolvilas has created a Behind the Music-style story that's packed with witty lines and surprisingly fleshed-out characters. Middle-aged ex-monkey trainer Jerry, the mastermind behind the Boyz, gets a nice scene in Act One in which we see him, alone, watching his proteges in their 'world debut' at the Pentagon City Mall food court, that reveals both the humor and the pathos inherent in Gomolvilas's story. The songs, including 'Put Your Eggs in My Basket' and 'Oh Let Me Lay You Down (I Wanna Lick You Up),' are perfectly awful (and I mean that as a compliment)."
"With Boyz of All Nationz, Prince Gomolvilas tells a sweet story about a guy connecting with his best self, and along the way sends up the ripe-for-spoofing world of boy bands. The songs perfectly parody the bubblegum genre. Devilishly funny. Clever lyrics. In between goofing on boy bands and ethnic stereotypes, Gomolvilas has inserted some nice tender moments into Boyz."
"A frequently clever send-up of the music world, with some wicked lines. Some of the best characterizations come from the female characters, who are important to the success of the show. Frequent laughter!"
"Is commercial success possible for an ethnically diverse American band? Boyz is a light-hearted, irreverent play about a band of questionable talent struggling against its own diversity as it tries to make it big. Nerdy and sometimes prurient songs. Boyz of All Nationz is witty and confrontational. Comedy at the expense of cultural taboos and moments of human compassion."
2 Asian-American males
(Note: The play can be performed with more actors if some roles are not double cast.)
2001 Commissioned by Asian Stories In America (ASIA) Theatre in Arlington, Virginia
2002 First draft written
2002 World premiere production by Asian Stories In America (ASIA) Theatre at Theatre on the Run in Arlington, Virginia, directed by Edu. Bernardino and featuring Mayo Best, Chris Galindo, Adam Jurotich, Jennifer Ayn Knight, Steve Lee, V. Helene Maynard, Rahaleh Nassri, Jonathan Rockett, and Josef Villanasco
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