Book of Mormon

Neil Simon Theatre

8pm performance, Thursday, April 17

Given the producers have pulled all existing discount codes, looks like BOM is going to be the hot ticket of the season.  Even at the preview performance Trish and I attended last week, the audience was sprinkled with celebrities - Penn & Teller, Joan Rivers (looking one face-lift away from Asian) and Mike Myers.  With lyrics like “F*ck you, God, in the c*nt,” these far left-of-center types seem to be the show’s target audience. 

But don’t let appearances fool you (one of the many themes the writers play with throughout the show).  Just when you think you’re in for an evening of Mormon-bashing, those wacky South Park guys turn the tables on us.  In the end, it seems the unifying power of religion - or at least a common belief and faith (I don’t want to give out any spoilers) - is what saves the day.

Don’t you worry, the Mormons don’t get off scot-free.  There are many playful digs at some of the religion’s more dubious beliefs - i.e. planetary afterlife, those mysterious gold plates - as well as some of its more random fundamental principals.  But there are also friendly digs at Spider-man and The Lion King and a hilarious homage to The King and I’s “Small House of Uncle Thomas” ballet.  In an interview, the composer (Robert Lopez of Avenue Q fame) says "We're basically riffing on The Music Man…where someone comes into a town with a lie to sell and changes the town and, actually, the lie turns out to be true in a way." 

Funny that the two South Park guys, who have never written a Broadway show, seem to have more respect and knowledge of Broadway’s history than some current “popular” composers.  It says a lot about the writers’ craft that the narrative structure of the show is clearly that of a traditional book musical, albeit sprinkled with profanity and R-rated humor.

Yes, it is difficult to sustain satire over a two-act musical, but for the most part the artistic team manages to keep things moving along.  The only two moments were the joke seemed to wear out its welcome were during “Scary Mormon Hell Dream” and “We Are Africa,” both of which go on at least a verse too long. 

In a completely random note, our former downstairs neighbor, Andrew Rannells, plays leading man Elder Price.  Seeing him in the hall I never realized how much he looks like a young Ryan Reynolds (with a bit of Jim Carey thrown in there as well) until I saw his smiling mug on a Broadway stage.  And oddly, even though I can sometimes hear full conversations through the floor of our current downstairs neighbor, I never heard a peep - singing or speaking - when Andrew lived downstairs. Weird. Sorry, I had a weird non-sequitur moment.

I could go on and tell you how funny and awesome the show is, but the ridiculously glowing reviews from every major news outlet this morning pretty much say it all.  The first paragraph of the New York Times review is a PR person's wet dream come true:

This is to all the doubters and deniers out there, the ones who say that heaven on Broadway does not exist, that it’s only some myth our ancestors dreamed up. I am here to report that a newborn, old-fashioned, pleasure-giving musical has arrived at the Eugene O’Neill Theater, the kind our grandparents told us left them walking on air if not on water. So hie thee hence, nonbelievers (and believers too), to “The Book of Mormon,” and feast upon its sweetness.

If you haven’t purchased a ticket, don’t bother, it’s going to be sold out for quite a long time.  I honestly haven't laughed or enjoyed myself so much since, well, Priscilla. With that in mind, the spring Broadway season is shaping up to be a good one.   

<--- Andrew Rannells - love child of Jim Carey and Ryan Reynolds???