No display ads for the show in the newspaper lately…
Hardly any TV commercials either.
Did THE BOOK OF MORMON really make it to Kansas City?
You bet it did—and for a two week run no less!
The Tony Award winning show didn’t need the extra hype as it’s packing them in wherever it plays. Wednesday night’s performance at an almost sold out Music Hall certainly was proof of that.
Frankly I didn’t know what to expect.
All I knew is that I’ve been waiting to see the controversial play ever since it became the hottest ticket on Broadway, where it’s still selling out on a daily basis.
Did it deliver? Yes. Was it what I had expected? Yes and no.
One thing is for sure, THE LION KING it’s not.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
THE BOOK OF MORMON flows out of the cynical minds—and some would suggest twisted ones—of SOUTH PARK’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s and AVENUE Q creator Robert Lopez.
It IS a Parody!
A good-natured satire paying homage to big production shows. But it does it in the most irreverent way to say the least.
The tip off is the show ticket itself which is boldly embossed with the warning: “Parental Advisory: Explicit Language.“
They’re not kidding!
The F-bombs fly freely, but the play takes it way beyond foulmouthed language. All the way to…
Suffice it to say that the depiction of Mormon hell—complete with Starbucks service—will have some showgoers wondering what they got themselves into.
Is it vulgar? And how!
As for the storyline, it’s a simple one.
A new group of Mormon elders at the LDS Missionary Training Center are assigned their two year mission destinations to ring doorbells and convert the locals to Mormonism.
The church sends its ambassadors all over the world. France, Japan, Orlando….you get the picture.
But total opposite elders Price and Cunningham aren’t that lucky.
Their destination, Uganda, Africa where they’re immediately robbed upon arrival.
And it’s pretty well downhill from there.
This stuff is as hilarious as it is profane, tasteless and vulgar. Some theater goers may even find it shocking.
You HAVE been warned!
Having said all that, THE BOOK OF MORMON is extremely well staged.
It features a surprisingly large and spirited cast and has no shortage of imaginative production numbers.
Is the play BLASPHEMY?
It may be to some people.
If nothing else it crosses the line of good taste and (some) beliefs— as well as religious practices in general.
Translation: You don’t HAVE to be Mormon to be offended!
Interestingly enough, instead of being repulsed by and fighting this smash-parody, the Mormon church has taken three full page advertisements in the play’s program which directs the audience to check out what the church is REALLY all about.
Ad # 1 shows a smiling, white male face stating: “I’ve read the book.”
Ad # 2 features a female face with: “The book is always better.”
Ad # 3 has a black face suggesting: “You’ve seen the play….now read the book.” (showing, of course, the real Book Of Mormon.)
So by all means go see the hottest musical play around.
Just know what you’re in for! Namely pricey tickets to a simple story of warmth coupled with sizeable attitude and total irreverence throughout.
The national touring company of THE BOOK OF MORMON—the musical hit of faith and doubt, that is—is produced by Broadway Across America and runs through Sunday, March 8, 2015 at Kansas City’s Music Hall.
Now go and sin no more.
Trying to go but ticket prices through the roof. Worth it??
I’ve been looking forward to seeing this. What I love about the South Park guys: they are equal opportunity offenders.
What are Mormon REALLY about? A cult human Ponzi scheme.