It’s Sunday afternoon, and Devin DeSantis is lounging on a couch in the lobby of the Drury Lane Water Tower Theatre, talking about his low point in his theater career.

“I did a show after college called Bark! The Musical. It was a new musical about dogs, and I had a good time, but I was making this much money,” he says, pinching his fingers together and laughing.

Right now DeSantis, Communication ’05, is laid back, wearing a blue shirt and glasses. In a few hours he’ll don an all-black outfit and a massive amount of hair gel for another grueling night onstage.

Ah, the life of an Altar Boy.

DeSantis is currently starring in the newest musical downtown, Altar Boyz. The show centers on a Christian boy band of the same name in the final performance of their “Raise the Praise” tour. The group is made up of five friends from Ohio: Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan (get it?), and Abraham.

Altar Boyz, which opened off-Broadway in 2005, started in Chicago Oct. 7. The Chicago cast has a lot of talent behind it.

Brian Crum, who plays Mark, toured with Wicked, and Nick Verina (Abe, the odd Jew out) just wrapped up Forbidden Broadway: SVU in Chicago. Two members of the cast were also on the national tour of the show. It even has the same director and choreographer from the original New York team.

At the center of the show is DeSantis, playing the part of Matthew, the leader of the quintet and “just sort of an everyday guy who holds the rest of them together.”

DeSantis has been performing for years, going back to his Northwestern days, when he performed in Waa-Mu, Purple Haze, and various other shows.

“I loved my time there,” he says. “Any time I was performing I was happiest.”

Since graduating, DeSantis, who still arranges songs for Purple Haze, has worked on shows at Ravinia, Drury Lane Oak Brook and Navy Pier. A friend of his referred him to the open audition calls for Altar Boyz, and he spent two days singing and dancing in what he says was the most grueling audition process he’s been through yet. It paid off in the end, though, and he landed the lead role in the pseudo boy band musical.

“The show’s about brotherhood and faith,” DeSantis says. “We don’t like to say it’s a parody of anything. It’s just five guys who love to sing and perform who happen to be religious. It’s just about them getting up there and doing what they love.”

True, it doesn’t parody religion, but there are a few comments that poke fun at Catholicism (among a few other things). The songs are only slightly self-mocking, with amusing titles including the likes of “Jesus Called Me on My Cell Phone” and “Girl You Make Me Wanna Wait.”

The show is set to run through November, but DeSantis pointed out that the cast has six-month contracts in case demand increases.

DeSantis leaves with some advice for all aspiring Wildcat actors.

“You have to be yourself and be able to put yourself out there and follow your instincts,” he says.

Even if they do lead you to Bark! The Musical.

Altar Boyz is playing at the Drury Lane Water Tower Theatre (175 E. Chestnut Ave.) through Nov. 25. Tickets cost $45-55, with $25 student tickets available two hours before the show starts.

Medill senior Emmet Sullivan is a PLAY writer. He can be reached at [email protected].