The Boy Band Project brings '90s nostalgia and a message of joy
NEW YORK (WABC) -- They're the songs that defined a generation.
When you needed a Walkman to carry your carefully curated mixtapes, and a three-part harmony could make everything feel OK.
Now, that era is back thanks to The Boy Band Project.
"Sup. My name is Chris. I'm the sporty one," Chris Messina said.
"My name is Jonah, and I am the bad boy," Jonah Mayor said.
"Hey, I'm Travis. I'm the boy next door," Travis Nesbitt said.
"And I'm Nic," Nic Metcalf said.
"The sensitive one," the rest of the group chimed in.
"Oh, no," Metcalf said.
"Yes. A little. Your T-shirt says 'sensitive,'" the group teased.
When asked which boy band role she would play, reporter Joelle Garguilo got an immediate answer.
"The happy one," the group said in unison.
The group's origin story starts with Nesbitt, a Broadway performer who had an idea years before bringing it to life.
"I did a show Off-Broadway called 'Altar Boyz,'" Nesbitt said. "I was like, 'What if we did it as, like, the Backstreet Boys?' Sat on it for, like, four years and then just woke up one day. I was like, 'OK, I'm going to make the group now.'"
What he created was a group of Broadway veterans whose resumes include productions ranging from "Wicked" to "The Book of Mormon." Together, they reimagine the sound, the choreography and the magic of groups like *NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys, Boyz II Men and more, transforming the music into something that is both nostalgic and uniquely their own.
"This has always been the music that makes my heart sing," Nesbitt said. "Then I found people that it happens the same way, and we share it with the audience."
"For me, this is seemingly a childhood dream come true," Metcalf said.
But behind every sold-out show is a deeper story.
The performers say they were often the kids who felt different growing up.
"Boy bands were this thing that allowed me to express myself in a way that, being a gay man, I couldn't," Messina said. "Getting to do this was such an obvious road to healing."
"It just comes from joy," Nesbitt added.
That joy is evident onstage, but it takes plenty of hard work to maintain the high-energy performances.
"It is a testament to our dedication and our drive," Mayor said. "It's very taxing on the body, but when you see that the audience is really happy and dancing with us, and they're reciprocating that same energy back, it makes us want to dance even harder."
For Nesbitt, the group's success carries an important message.
"We've created our fantasy, and it's our job, which is really important," he said. "But to never lose that hope and to never lose that path as a kid, just keep going no matter what anyone else says."
Messina said many members of the group shared similar experiences growing up.
"We all got bullied a little bit in school," he said. "We were probably all a little different. We have gay and straight members in our group, and it really is about loving musical theater and embracing who you are."
For Metcalf, the experience goes beyond performing.
"I love it so much with the people that I'm closest with and love, and who have become lifelong friends," he said. "We're literally living a dream."
And in a world that can often feel overwhelming, Garguilo had one final idea.
"But we're going to go rogue," she said. "Let's find some people who need joy, and let's treat them to The Boy Band Project."
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