Book of Mormon is worth the fuss
TORONTO Some stood in chilly February lineups, hoping to score tickets. Others jammed box office phones, tried their luck online, or shelled out hundreds of dollars to scalpers.
So when the curtain finally went up on The Book of Mormon Thursday night, one burning question hung in the air at the Princess of Wales theatre: Could the raunchy Broadway smash about two wide-eyed missionaries who travel to war-torn Uganda possibly be worth the fuss?
The answer to that query swiftly became clear: a resounding and unequivocal yes, as this touring version of Mormon made utter believers out of a tickled opening night audience.
The brainchild of South Park bad boys Trey Parker and Matt Stone — and Avenue Q co-creator Robert Lopez — The Book of Mormon has been a sensation since opening on Broadway two years ago, receiving rapturous reviews and nine Tony Awards. It remains one of the toughest tickets to score in New York City.
And yet, when a road version was announced, there was some uncertainty about whether the potty-mouthed musical — which sees the sheltered Latter-day Saints preachers confront child rape, AIDS and genital mutilation — would translate on the road.
Any doubts have been swiftly silenced. Audiences have devoured The Book of Mormon in cities including London, Chicago, Denver, Pittsburgh and Boston.
As for the Toronto stint, well, this washyour-mouth-out-with-soap spectacle is definitely not the usual fare for Mirvish Productions (which is mounting the show). The opening night audience — for the most part a genteel, older crowd — initially seemed scandalized by the largely unprintable onstage antics (one recurring gag involves a man complaining about maggots in his scrotum). Then the guffaws started. And didn’t stop. When Mirvish announced more than a year ago that Mormon was coming, producer Anne Garefino (another South Park alumna) visited Toronto to talk up the show. Asked whether traditional theatre-goers would embrace such filthy humour, she said producers initially wondered the same thing about Broadway audiences, but have been continually delighted by Mormon’s all-age embrace.
Strange as it sounds, despite the crude subject matter (think production numbers involving serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, simulated sex acts, and sacred texts lodged in the rectum), the fish-out-of-water story has an oldfashioned feel. Indeed, no less an authority than The New York Times proclaimed that the heart of Mormon is “as pure as that of a Rodgers and Hammerstein show.”
This show never feels nasty; everyone’s a target.
And the production values here are sky high: Mormon is simply a dazzler, showcasing some ridiculously exuberant choreography (by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw) and uber-catchy songs like the rollicking Turn it Off.
The Toronto show is buoyed by the powerful voice of London native Mark Evans as Elder Price. But the true standout is Connecticut native Christopher John O’Neill as his sidekick Elder Cunningham (it’s the role made famous on Broadway by Josh Gad, who went on to star in TV’s 1600 Penn). He shows off some gut-splitting physical comedy here, while imbuing his character with just the right dose of sweetness. And there’s a nice bit of chemistry with Samantha Marie Ware as Nabulungi during the sly Baptize Me.
But while the performances were strong Thursday night, the true genius of Mormon lies in its sheer originality.
The filthy gags, the over-the-top production numbers (dancing coffee cups, anyone?) all make you wonder again and again and again: just how the heck did anyone think this up in the first place?
The Book of Mormon runs until June 9. Tickets are sold out, but Mirvish Productions is holding a daily lottery to dispense last-minute seats.