My Review of The Book of Mormon the Musical
In anticipation of the Broadway production, The Book of
Mormon, I recalled specific jaw-dropping, laughing-so-hard-I-almost-peed-my-pants
moments from my college years watching South Park. As most everyone is aware, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the
creators of South Park, also created the Book of Mormon musical. Rewind to the late 90’s, where some of
the particularly shocking, yet hilarious episodes specifically were when the
four boys befriend an Ethiopian child who only speaks in clicks, Chef singing
about his latest culinary creation “brown salty balls,” and discovering that
Cartman’s mother is really his father who had a sex-change operation. Generation
X’ers, Y’ers and Millennials who grew up with this type of shock-value humor
will appreciate where I am going with this.
The Book of Mormon is a comedic musical satire that pushes
the envelope for taboo humor, for which South Park is famous. Since it’s premier in 2011, The Book of
Mormon (the musical) has won a slew of prestigious awards, including the Tony
Award for the Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, and,
Outstanding New Broadway Musical. After seeing the show, it was evident
why. The audience roared with
laughter from start to finish, with the occasional head-shake paired with “They
didn’t just do/say that, did they?” shock statement.
That being said, this show is not for everyone. There is explicit language and scenes that some may find in poor taste. Is it the moral decline of our society or a way for the human race to connect on a deeper level through humor? This has been an ongoing debate dating back to even 1968 between the conservative Willaim F. Buckley Jr., and the liberal, Gore Vidal. I don’t have the answer, but I do appreciate the thoughtful art behind a social satire such as The Book of Mormon and South Park, but that’s just me.
The cast. The
cast! What a group of incredible performers. Everyone from the main elders to the
ensemble were spot on! My
favorite, of course, was Cody Jamison Strand, who played Elder Cunningham. His comedic timing and showmanship MADE
the show! I don’t think anyone
could have portrayed it better, (…and he sort of reminded me of a grown up
Cartman, which was awesome)!
Another surprisingly great aspect of this show is the
music. I found myself singing
along joyfully with all of the songs, then feeling a little guilty afterwards
when you really think about the lyrics.
…But then I just shrugged my shoulders and happily sang along with the
next song.
This production is Legen…(wait for it)….dary! It will be one
of the most engaging, hilarious shows you will ever see.
Shows run Tuesday, February 3 – Sunday, February 8 at the
Times-Union Center, Moran Theater. Purchase your tickets here.
This is the part of the review that I would like to add a disclaimer: My glowing review of this show by no means is a reflection of my opinion of the Mormon religion or it’s followers. Having grown up in Washington State, I have many, many Mormon friends who are wonderful people, from kind, loving families. It is also my opinion that this show isn’t necessarily bad publicity for the Mormon faith. In actuality, it seems the faith has capitalized on it’s popularity and placed multiple ads in The Book of Mormon playbills themselves, along with having physical “greeters” at the shows who are happy to speak with you, should you have any questions regarding their faith. Hats off to them for being marketing savvy.
This is the part of the review that I would like to add a disclaimer: My glowing review of this show by no means is a reflection of my opinion of the Mormon religion or it’s followers. Having grown up in Washington State, I have many, many Mormon friends who are wonderful people, from kind, loving families. It is also my opinion that this show isn’t necessarily bad publicity for the Mormon faith. In actuality, it seems the faith has capitalized on it’s popularity and placed multiple ads in The Book of Mormon playbills themselves, along with having physical “greeters” at the shows who are happy to speak with you, should you have any questions regarding their faith. Hats off to them for being marketing savvy.
...And as a special treat, I have included the "Book of Mormon Comes to South Park" video below for your viewing pleasure. It's the first song of the musical created in usual South Park cartoon fashion...enjoy!
My Video Review of the Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon the Musical
The Book of Mormon the Musical
The Book of Mormon Comes to South Park
