Recently, my father and I went to see the highly-touted Broadway show "The Book of Mormon." My first observation of the Eugene O'Neill Theatre was how wonderfully the stage had adopted Church-like features. White-framed, stained-glass windows went all the way up each side and atop center stage stood a statue of Brigham Young. The backdrop was a vivid, watercolor sunrise full of clouds, sun and planets; a great visual.
As the show started with a hilarious opening number, I was left wondering the length to which the crudity would extend. The show's progression is upbeat, and as the missionaries find themselves leaving Utah and venturing out to spread the message of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a few unexpected turns are taken for the characters. Upon arriving in Africa, the plot becomes even more entertaining with the introduction of a despotic leader whose name probably isn’t allowed on the Internet.
The missionaries become desperate to meet conversion quotas and the writers Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez (also creators of "South Park") do a phenomenal job of weaving well-written, well-choreographed musical numbers into a highly blasphemic yet equally exhilarating production. "The Book of Mormon" is a high-energy comedy that leaves audiences singing and wondering, "Did that really just happen?" on their way out the door.
