Book of Mormon is showing at the Ohio Theatre, Oct. 10-13.
Before I rave about Broadway in Columbus’ production of Book of Mormon, I want to advise that the content of this production is inappropriate for those under 18 years old… or those over 18 who are easily made uncomfortable by profanity and crude humor.
It is exactly the gut-busting, cheek-reddening humor you’d expect from the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, collaborating with Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx (who later left the project), creators of the Broadway musical comedy, Avenue Q.
Both South Park and Avenue Q are spoof-heavy, and for those with a sense of humor for South Park and other spoofy shows such as Saturday Night Live or Comedy Central’s Adult Swim category, this Broadway production is a blast to experience.
The Book of Mormon first hit the stage in 2011 at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre on Broadway, and subsequently won nine Tony awards as well as a Grammy, among other accolades. It has been one of the longest-running shows at the theatre, even longer than the hit, Jersey Boys.
The storyline follows the young and naïve Elder Price and Elder Cunningham, two young men of Mormon faith, who are assigned to travel to Uganda as a part of a required missionary service trip.
The two arrive in Africa with white savior complexes and are immediately met with pushback by the Ugandans who have been promised welfare through religious devotion before and aren’t easily swayed into believing their lives can be improved by accepting new religious beliefs.
This production, unapologetically littered with stereotypes and innuendos, is a guilty pleasure that is so hilarious you have no choice but to laugh.
It may be surprising to hear that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints somewhat embraced the show’s popularity instead of condemning it, encouraging those who attend the show to remember it is only for entertainment, and to read their holy text, the Book of Mormon.
For me, the best part of this musical is that it didn’t just target one group or idea. While it definitely poked fun at Mormons, it also poked fun at the American portrayal of rural Africans, white saviorism, Christianity, American politics, homosexuality and homophobia, among others.
In the end, is it incredibly racist and insensitive? Yes, but to me, it not only acknowledged the cultural differences, stereotypes and warped views but brought them front and center to the conversation.
The production is genius, and every single detail, down to the Western-cultured attire (that we assume is donated as the garments are mismatched) worn by the rural Ugandans, is thought out with societal implications in mind.
I was especially impressed by Diego Enrico’s performance as Elder Cunningham and Lamont J. Whitaker as Mafala Hatimbi. Both adopted their roles hilariously and showed exceptional acting throughout. Keke Nesbitt, who plays Nabulungi, displayed incredible vocals that sounded flawless as they echoed off the Ohio Theatre walls.
If you’re looking to catch a musical that is purely for laughs but is cast with polished entertainers, this is it.
Maisie Fitzmaurice is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mfitzmaurice@cityscenemediagroup.com.
