By now, many of you are familiar with this musical, either from seeing it when it was presented as part of the PNC Broadway Across America — Pittsburgh series or from word of mouth that portrays it either as anti-religious impudence or an outrageous, funny comedy that takes a few well-aimed shots at religious beliefs in general and Mormon doctrine in specific.
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This review, while "correct," in it's assessment, just barely touches on a very key piece of the show: it's fundamental simplicity. Yes, this is a "daring," piece, but at the end of the day, it is a very mainstream stance. It doesn't take too many risks, for fear of alienating people. The producers of the show knew exactly how to go about making a show with all the trappings of a "provocative," show. I am not saying some people won't or don't find this show offensive, but for goodness's sake, the mormon church took an ad out in the program for the show! It says something that the religion most directly in the line of sight of this show (and quite a conservative institution, to boot) is being such a good sport about the whole thing. This show backs away from any real danger of saying anything right in the third act, just as "offensiveness" starts to peak. Yes, this show has swearing, yes this show has sexual themes, but really, the theatre-going audience has been used to that practically since the birth of theatre. So what religion is being criticized in this piece. When has religion not influenced theatre? or art of any kind for that matter? I only hope that now that we've accepted another "shocking," musical, it can open up the door for a wave of interesting musical theatre. Something that involves the audience a bit more, and doesn't just titillate them. This piece is a comedy, because comedy rarely ever offends as much as provokes. All that said, i don't think were going to see too much of a shift in the world of theatre from this show, again, due to the nature of the show. It doesn't provoke enough in the psyche, dare the audience enough, to cause a significant shift societally. But, like all theatre, it is a product of it's time, and people will continue to get something from it, even if it is just a coarse laugh, until they no longer can.
I feel like this musical was created knowing exactly who their audience would be- people who want to be entertained by theater, not have a life-changing revelation right before intermission. While the show does touch on some very real and serious issues like poverty and a vey narrow lens through which Americans see their place in the rest of the world, the show puts forth great effort in keeping the audience's attention focused on the showmanship of the production, which has a pretty traditional structure for a musical. I also think that some of the profanity was unnecessary. (Do you really need to name a character Buttf*uckingnaked just for shock factor and laughs when genocidal warlords are a very real problem in 3rd world countries and villages?) On one hand I know that theatre is not at all obligated to be sensitive to global issues, but on the other hand I also feel uncomfortable with the idea of a show like this capitalizing on another people's life-threatening everyday problems.
I was lucky enough to go see the musical while it was in town this past week and I absolutely loved it. As Carter says, the show is a riot and the audience absolutely adored it. The cursing and crude language do nothing but boost the humor and leave the audience in stitches. It was especially neat to be able to see some SoD alumni perform "in the wild" so to speak for pretty much the first time, and I look forward to seeing more from my classmates and friends in the future.
This was a spectacular production that sounded and looked amazing. The songs were all reference to classic Broadway musicals in a way that was right on point, funny and self-referential without being obscure. The cast was very talented, and all in all it was a classic musical with big songs, big personalities, lots of laughs and strong emotional moments.
That being said, I do have a lot of issues with the show itself. I get it, the point is to be offensive, South Park, don’t see it if you get easily offended, blah blah blah. There is however a very real issue with the show that really takes away from it, for me at least. It makes fun of Mormons, a group of people who choose to be a part of this religion that is often criticized and laughed at. Fine by me. However, it exploits, rather than makes fun of, stupid stereotypes about the people of Uganda who never chose to be born into this country in the first place, and I think that that is what makes the difference. Portraying all Ugandans as ignorant, AIDS-ridden, poor, helpless is unnecessary and does nothing but perpetrate untrue stereotypes. This is not the reality of all the people in that country, just like it’s not true that Africa is a continent full of people waiting for white men to swoop in and save the day.
At the end of the play, the Mormons get to redeem themselves by becoming better people, deciding to help the villagers and most importantly disassociating from the Mormon church, a decision they made on their own after realizing that they no longer believed in its teachings. The Ugandan villagers are simply “saved from their misery” by the Mormon missionaries, as though they couldn’t help themselves.
I’m a firm believer that you should be able to laugh about pretty much anything, but the truth is that black Ugandans are more often the butts of jokes than white American males, not just in this musical but in the real world. Making fun of minorities is already a thing, everywhere, always, and I suppose I was hoping to see something a little more intelligent on stage. And I do also believe that Broadway theater has a responsibility to its audiences to be social aware and forward-thinking because it can reach so many people.
Book of Mormon was a great musical production, and I understand that the shock-value was the point. But I think that amongst the sea of genitalia, sexual orientation, Mormonism, and cultural differences jokes (which did not bother me), the real offensive factor was drowned out and dismissed as South Park humor, when it’s actually a very real symptom of humor that comes from a place of privilege and that needs to be addressed as an issue, not as something that boring people get upset about.
I think this review is fair and objective from the point of view of an elderly adult with their own pre-notions of what a musical is and what it should be. Yes, The Book of Mormon is a hilarious and provocative show geared towards younger audiences, that still maintains a classic broadway feel and arc, but leaving it simply at that seems short-sighted.
Yes, the musical does take pot-shots at Mormonism, and all religions in general, but where I think this critic goes wrong is in dismissing much of its humor as "irrelevant" and its context as "too much" for anyone who takes their religion very seriously. Maybe it wasn't Matt Stone and Trey Parker's intentions to do more than poke fun at religion, but there're more potent allusions to the very nature of religion, that can be gathered through the humor of the play, ones that don't seem irrelevant at all. These points include things like the very nature of faith: believing in something just because you believe, believing in something for the payoff/end goal, and the interpretation of scripture in both the literal and the metaphorical sense. With a slight bit of skepticism and willingness to let yourself be offended without taking harm, The book of Mormon does a wonderful job of demonstrating the peaks and valleys of being part of any religion, inherently allowing us to laugh at ourselves. While this may be off-putting for many hyper religious people, I think its something we can all enjoy if we loosen up and allow ourselves too. In this way I think the critic was shortsighted in saying that it has irrelevant humor, because the points The Book of Mormon makes through its jokes are poignant to all of us if we allow ourselves to see past its shocking outer layer and accept criticism of ourselves.
When Dick Block emailed the drama department about how we would be able to go to this show for free at Heinz Hall, I jumped at the opportunity. Being from around New York City and a regular watcher of South Park, there was rarely a day that went by that I was not bombarded by hype over this musical. And regardless of what I write next, I am very glad I went and saw the show, and would make that decision again. However, I was thrown back by how routine the performance felt. Maybe it is just because I've been exposed to a relatively large amount of theatre (as we all have) but the show just flew by. It was even constructed in the most cliche style of broadway. While the subject matter and shock humor of the show was still very funny, I was very disappointed at the lack of originality from two people who are at the cutting edge of finding creative ways to offend people.
When I saw the Book of Mormon last January, it was my first time seeing the musical. I had heard some of the music and my friend raved about it all the time. I figured it would be good, but I was surprised just how hilarious it was. Even my mom thought it was ridiculous. Most of the jokes are a bit on the uncouth side, but very few made me uncomfortable, it was mostly just a very funny show. Possibly my favorite funny moment was during "Turn it Off" when the elders clap and the lights turn off and when they come back on, all the actors have changed into bright pink, sparkly vests. It was definitely the moment when I laughed the hardest.
I had heard of Book of Mormon as a show designed to offend, and to critique Mormonism. After seeing it, however, I can see that though it does appear to focus on Mormonism, elements of the play clearly satirize organized religion as a whole. The traditional musical setup adds to this sense of universality and, for me, completes the satire. It highlights points that don't make sense, places for doubt, and in "I Believe" the impossibility of believing in something that has presented no evidence. But while it does poke fun, it also shows the strength of values, and the conviction needed to believe. I agree with Henry that while this show may offend some, it truly gives us all an opportunity to laugh at ourselves.
I was lucky enough to go see the performance at Heinz Hall on Tuesday. I wanted to see the show for a long time and so it was so exciting to finally hear the opening number of "Hello" in person. It was wonderful knowing that CMU has such an influence in the creation and continuing run of the show. I doubt that there will ever be a smarter satirical production that could ever compare to Book of Mormon. The show was so funny because it makes fun of traditional musicals as well as the radical views of the Mormon church. Something that was surprising to me was how throughout the program there were advertisements of the real Book of Mormon. I think its great that the Mormon religion is sort of endorsing the show with these advertisements. Throughout the performance, the audience's reaction is crucial. I also feel that this show is for a very specific audience. You definitely have to know what the show is about before you see it or else it would through you really off guard. Overall, it was one of my best uses of two and a half hours.
Having seen this show for the third time now, I can absolutely say that its effect is not lost by any means even having already seen it. The show is breath-takingly hilarious, even if you are already used to this style of outrageous humor. Beyond just the humor and the jabs at most every major religion and even some Broadway musicals, this show does an incredible job of hitting all the major points of being a spectacular broadway musical in its own right. It is technically seamless, beautifully designed, and the cast is beyond great. No matter your beliefs, I would recommend this show to anybody.
I agree with this article. Being able to watch Book of Mormon this past week for the first time was an honor. I remember my friends raving about this show in my home town and I had no idea why. Finally experience the catchy music and the lovable cast I've realized the attraction to this production. However, it didn't meet my personal expectations. Not that this show wasn't spectacular, I just feel it didn't push the boundaries hard enough. I feel as though they would focus on the dangers of racism and religion, but wouldn't fully commit to their actions. Not that this is directed to the actors, but more toward the playwright and the director. I felt more moved through the vocal range of the characters than the story itself. Also, I've never truly been a huge fan of South Park and I know they don't always fully commit to stepping over boundaries, but the show just seemed unfinished. Other than that, I really enjoyed this experience.
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