‘Book of Mormon’ remains latter-day morality lesson
Ding-dong! Hello! The Mormons are back in town — and they are most welcome visitors.
An excellent touring production of the hit Broadway musical “The Book of Mormon” is onstage at Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts through Sunday. The show still has the ability to make theatergoers gasp and blush — but mostly laugh and laugh some more.
More important, after all the giddy musical numbers, “The Book of Mormon” can make theatergoers think — about the real benefits of religion and how we should treat our fellow humans.
As a bonus, there’s the highly comical way Orlando — or the world’s perception of Orlando — figures into the storyline. I won’t say much more about that so as not to spoil the fun for newbies.
Although the show has been around six years and visited Orlando multiple times, there seemed to be quite a few first-timers seated near me at the downtown arts center’s Disney Theater. So if you’re not sure what all the fuss is about, here’s a brief synopsis:
Two mismatched Mormon missionaries are assigned to Uganda, where their sheltered American eyes are soon opened to the reality of life in impoverished Africa. As they try to convert the natives, one stretches the truth of his religion while the other has a crisis of faith.
The show was devised by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, creators of the crude TV cartoon “South Park,” along with Robert Lopez, a co-writer of the irreverent puppet comedy “Avenue Q” — so this is not a musical for the prudish. Female circumcision and AIDS are among running threads of the story, and the language definitely carries an R rating.
Yet it should be noted that there’s a hefty dose of heart under the crudeness, one driven home by this winning cast. Kevin Clay, as Mormon poster-child Elder Price, has the charm to keep his self-centered character likable and scores with his pitiable downfall. Conner Peirson captures Elder Cunningham’s awkwardness without overdoing it, and has the strongest singing voice of any actor I’ve seen in the role.
As Nabulungi, a hopeful young African woman, Kayla Pecchioni is in turns radiant — and then heartbreaking when she emotionally pronounces, “You have crushed my soul.”
Although Mormonism is the focus, the show’s lessons apply to all religious beliefs. And we could all take a page from the Mormons’ book: Stick together, help each other, be really nice to everyone and make this planet our paradise.