I have to start by saying that this is now one of my favourite productions I've ever seen. This show has everything from a devoted fanbase and great music to being absolutely hilarious. I can now proudly say that The Book of Mormon was my first ever Broadway show! I have been eager to see the show for a while but had always assumed that I would see it on the West End. When I found out that I was going to see it on Broadway, I was really eager to see whether it would live up to the soundtrack and whether it was really as funny as everyone says it is. After entering the decadent Eugene O'Neill Theatre, the atmosphere was one of apprehension for those who knew very little about the show and what they had gotten themselves involved in. As well as the prepared nature of the long-term fans who had clearly seen the production before. I was somewhere in between. I was very familiar with the soundtrack but had never seen it on stage before. However, as soon as it started, I was immersed in the hilarity of this marvellous show.
-a photo of the interior of the theatre taken by me.
I don't think that a single person in that auditorium was left without a smile. The laughs were constant, and there was something for everyone. That is largely due to the dedicated work of the writers known for South Park, Trey Parker, and Matt Stone. Often, the way shows are structured allows for slower numbers to balance the tone of the show, but The Book of Mormon was not built in this way, as there were no breaks in the show or in the comedy. This meant that the audience was permanently engaged, and no one had a moment to misbehave by using phones or rustling too much. This really added to the immersive nature of this show. This was also set in a brilliant venue that was well organised, with really friendly staff, really improving the overall experience. That just goes to show that the audience and staff often have as much of an impact on how a show is perceived as the show's content itself. I also visited the stage door after the show, and not only were all those actors really kind and patient, but they came out very quickly, again improving the overall experience as we didn't have to stand in the near rain for very long. Some of the talents featured in this production were Kevin Clay as Elder Price, Cody Jamison Strand as Elder Cunningham, and PJ Adzima as Elder McKinley, just to mention a few.
I think it is worth mentioning the history and process of bringing The Book of Mormon to the stage; I'm just going to give a brief history of the show. This show debuted in 2011 in the very theatre that I saw it in, the Eugene O'Neill. Featuring the insanely talented Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells as the show's leads, It has now had countless tours, casts, and even a residence on the West End. The writers of the show include Trey Parker and Matt Stone, known for South Park, and Robert Lopez, known for Avenue Q. However, earlier in the show's production, Scott Rudin and Jeff Marx were involved, but both ended up stepping away for a multitude of reasons, including alleged fights between Parker and Marx. This may have been due to the difference in writing styles, as Parker and Stone were used to working as a comedy writing duo rather than with other writers. This left just Stone, Parker, and Lopez working on the project. As the show was being written in between South Park, it ended up taking a total of 7 years to write. It was initially inspired by the South Park movie musical (South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut) as it was really well received by both musical theatre fans and South Park fans alike. During the show's production, they also took an obligatory road trip to Salt Lake City to interview missionaries and ex-missionaries. All this work definitely paid off to produce an incredibly funny show that is both innovative and has a traditional musical theatre sound that is enticing and engages a plethora of people.
Despite any controversy associated with this show, its representation of religion, and the occasional stereotyped writing of certain characters, its overall message is really positive. It really effectively has its take-home message of togetherness that is achieved through comedy, showing that no matter what you believe in, you should be allowed to do so as long as it makes you happy and betters the community around you. Ultimately, making an entertaining show is also really important, as this idea forever remains relevant and can be adapted for any situation. This is just one of the many layers to this show that make it so great and fun to watch. I would, without a doubt, go and see this show again. As it is happy and energetic with a classic friendship is magic message.
Overall, I would absolutely recommend this show, as it has something for everyone. However, it does deal with heavy topics and some strong language, so it's probably best to heed the age warning. The experience was amazing, with a great show, an incredible cast, and really kind staff. I would also say that given the chance, you should visit the stage door, as it's really nice to be able to see the actors after the show, and in my experience, it wasn't that busy either. In a show like this, you are left in awe of the actors ability to maintain such high energy. It's also worth mentioning that the leading actors have been performing The Book of Mormon since they left acting school as the leads and have been performing in the Broadway production since 2019.
-image from Playbill of Cody Jamison Strand as Elder Cunningham and Kevin Clay as Elder Price
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