A Mormon's Review of The Book of Mormon the Musical

Last week I went to see The Book of Mormon Musical! (WHAT?! But you're a member of the church!?) Relax. I sat through two hours and did not lose faith. Before I went, I had quite a number of people say things like, "You sure you want to do that? I hear it's pretty crude." and "Uh, you know what the musical is about don't you?" I am well aware of the satire produced by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of South Park. I was prepared to be offended. I was also prepared to laugh. I am able to find humor in just about everything, why would I stop at my religious beliefs?

 To put it plainly, I liked it. I did not love or hate it. I have seen a few shows here in London and after most of them I thought, 'I want to see it again.' However, I did not have that thought after seeing The Book of Mormon. Once was enough, although, I did like a lot of the songs they sang.

 Was I offended? Nah, not really. The show is offensive the way a rated 'R' movie is or if you live on this side of the pond a rating of '15'. I don't think the musical is offensive to just Mormons. I think anyone who believes in God and Christ would feel offended. There were two songs I did NOT applaud after. In the first act, a song called "Hasa Diga Eebowai" which in real life is gibberish, but in the musical it meant F-you, God. I could not in good nature clap after that musical number. The actors and dancers did a great job though! The other song was called "Man-Up". The lyrics said something about how "Jesus grew a pair when he died on the cross." Uh, yeah.

 The story was good, I liked all the actors and the set and the musical numbers were wonderful! I did write a review for one of my classes. Its only the first draft, but I will post it on here so you can read an unbiased opinion.

 Would I recommend it to other members of the church? Yeah.

 Also, I'm really proud of the response the church gave to this Musical. Did you know that the church bought advertisements in the Playbill? It said things like, You've seen the play, now read the book. Genius!

Below is a video of the opening song to the musical. It was preformed at The Tony's. Its my favorite.

Here is my review, keep in mind its a rough draft:

South Park creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone have been pushing the envelope since 1997 with their crude humor and jokes at others expenses through animation. More recently the two and Robert Lopez released a musical, The Book of Mormon which came to the West End of London in February of this year.

The musical, which consists of two acts, follows two Mormon missionaries, Elder Price and Elder Cunningham. They are sent to a village in Uganda to serve for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and share the gospel. The two missionaries are plucked from their safe haven of Provo, Utah and faced with difficulties such as, culture shock, AIDS, poverty, famine and a warlord that terrorizes the village.

The cast is comprised of a range of talented artists. Most notable for his performance is Jared Gertner for his portrayal of Elder Arnold Cunningham who seemed to get the most laughs. His best and most anticipated lines came when he would incorrectly address the character Nabulungi. Through out the musical he goes through an evolution of names such as: Jon Bon Jovi, Nabajama, Nutella, Neosporin and Neutrogena. Gertner’s delivery was spot on and he knew what the audience liked.

Elder Kevin Price was played by Gavin Creel who shows true emotion of a distraught missionary. Of all the cast members, he seemed to connect with what being a Mormon missionary is really about.

One highlight from the show are during the ‘Spooky Mormon Hell Dream’ scene. While the portrayal of “Mormon Hell” is completely inaccurate, the use of dancing coffee cups along side characters Jeffery Dahmer, Hitler and Johnnie Cochran brought the house to their knees with laughter. It is questionable how many audience members actually understand the reference that Mormons abstain from drinking coffee and tea as part of their doctrine.

The music and the choreography were spot on throughout the show. Some songs from the show will have you singing for weeks after seeing the musical, including the opening number ‘Hello’ and also the catchy and brutally honest, ‘You and Me (But Mostly Me)’. Also, ‘I Believe’ is belted out beautifully by Creel in the second act.

Some songs were head scratchers. For example, “Baptize Me”, a song about a female villager who agrees to be baptized into the church was dripping with sexual innuendos. There was also, “Hasa Diga Eebowai”, which in reality has no meaning but in the musical it means, “F*ck You, God”. This song is just one of many ways that Parker and Stone attempt to get a rise out of the audience.

Another running joke throughout the play is about a villager who suffers from AIDS and openly admits to raping babies to cure himself of the disease. It is surprising to hear chuckles from the audience during these confessions.

Overall, the musical is funny and you will not walk away without laughing. The musical to some may seem offensive but if you have ever watched a South Park episode you will know exactly the type of humor to expect.

Susan "Hello!" B.