Cast members of the Butler Musical Theatre Guild’s “Altar Boyz” are brushing up their vocals, their funny bones and their hip-hop skills as they prepare for the musical comedy by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker.

The show opens July 17 for a two weekend run at the William A. Lehnerd Production Center in Memorial Park.

Based on the book by Kevin Del Aguila, “Altar Boyz” is centered on a fictitious Christian boy band from Ohio. It is a satire on the phenomenon of boy bands and the popularity of Christian-themed music in contemporary American culture.

This lighthearted spoof is full of sinfully super dancing and irreverent humor. Lyrics include: “Girl You Make Me Wanna Wait” and “Jesus Called Me on My Cell Phone.” The band from Ohio hits the Big Apple, and it’s anyone’s guess who will get bit.

Matt Buzanoski of Butler plays Abraham.

“He is the Jewish member of the group who sometimes tries a little too hard to be what he perceives as ‘cool,’” Buzanoski said.

“He does not always feel like he fits in with the other members of the group, but always means well and would to anything for his band mates,” he said.

Buzanoski has experienced being on the outside and trying to mesh to fit in. It’s that experience he brings to the character, he said.

Most challenging for Buzanoski is the choreography. “It is very intense and not unlike something you’d see in an MTV hip-hop music video,” he said.

“I am learning how to be a pretty fly hip-hop dancer,” he added.

He said he was eager to try out for this role if only to fulfill a dream he had in high school. “I always wanted to be part of a boy band in high school. I figured this might be the only chance where I get a taste of what it’s like,” he said.

A recent graduate of Slippery Rock University with a master’s in criminology and bachelor’s degrees in criminology and theater, Buzanoski appeared in SRU’s production of “A Christmas Carol” in November.

His band mate in the show, Luke, is being played by Nathan Osche of Butler Township.

“Luke is the ‘thug’ or the ‘tough guy’ of the group. He’s had a bit of a troubled life getting caught up in the partying, fighting, and wrecking vans,” Osche said.

“His thug-like presence brings both a lot of great energy and comedic relief to the group in the show,” he said.

Luke is the van driver of the band, and Osche said in his real life he was both a drummer and a van driver.

“I use a lot of my comedic personalities to create the Luke attitude in the show,” he said.

Osche is a 2014 graduate of Point Park University. He works as a freelance filmmaker and marketing specialist and owns 482 Productions LLC.

Having been away from musical theater since 2010, Osche is finding stamina to be one of his biggest challenges.

“This show is one long, long act with no intermission and has a lot of heavy dancing and singing. It was a lot to jump back into after five years, but I really am enjoying every bit of it,” he said.

The role of Mark is being played by Daniel Terwilliger, also from Butler Township.

“Mark is one of the original members of the group. He is known as the sensitive one, although can be sassy at times. He is the choreographer for the band,” said Terwilliger, who is a recent graduate of Butler High School.

He too struggles at times with the energy that the role requires, he said.

“Most productions have scene changes, exit cues, and intermissions. In ‘Altar Boyz,’ the cast rarely exits the stage and every number is just as energetic as the last. My stamina as a performer has definitely improved since the beginning,” he said.

Terwilliger last took the stage as Bobby in Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s production of “A Chorus Line” at the Byham Theater. Musical director Jessica Sanzotti of Butler also is wearing the cap as co-director.

By day she is the business relations director at Allegheny Chesapeake Physical Therapy and by night she wrangles a boy band into the “Altar Boyz.”

She’s been involved with musicals for many years but said there is always something new to learn.

“Throughout this process, I have learned that communication needs to be very clear when giving directions,” she said. “In working with five very different personalities, there may be five different interpretations of the direction I give,” Sanzotti said.

She said she is enjoying the energy the cast and crew are exuding.

“With spectacular dance moves and tight harmonies, the Altar Boyz bring the funk, lift the soul and spread a message of the power of faith, friendship and brotherhood,” she said.

Her co-director, Randal Krampert of Summit Township, said he enjoys working with this group of artists who seem to make the process effortless.

Krampert said it’s all about collaboration. “I prefer directing as a collaborative effort. Directing this group of actors has been a great experience. I like to invite the actors to voice their ideas for their characters and movements and incorporate them into the staging,” he said.

Sanzotti approached Krampert with the idea of directing, and he jumped at the chance of a directorial debut with MTG.

“I haven’t been involved in a show since ‘Rocky Horror Show’ in 2011. I have wanted to direct a show for MTG for years,” he said.

The show also features Zach Frye and Trevor Gordon with a guest performance by Doug Anderson.