A MUSICAL SALTIER THAN SALT LAKE ITSELF
Let’s start the actual religious text called The Book of Mormon, published in 1830. Without going into all its details about other planets, Jesus visiting America, and more–suffice it to say that if you weren’t raised with it, it sounds a bit bizarre. So when you give already-unconventional material to the men who created South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, to create the book, music, and lyrics with Frozen‘s Robert Lopez, you’d best not expect a kind and thoughtful treatise. Instead what you get is the outlandish, irreverent, and very funny musical, currently the eleventh longest running show in Broadway history.
Jewell Noel, Sam McLellan and Diego Enrico
Our premise starts with a group of young adult Mormons in Salt Lake City champing at the bit to find out where in the world they will be sent for their two-year mission of spreading the word of Mormonism and which classmate they’ll be sent with. Nineteen-year-old Elder Price (Dylan Knight Weaver, standing in for Sam McLellan) has been praying, literally, that he’ll be sent to the most wonderful place he knows, Orlando. His dreams are shot down in two key ways. First, he’s paired with Arnold Cunningham (Diego Enrico), the class nerd who is wholly unprepared to serve in this role. Secondly, as their friends embark upon trips to Norway and Japan, this duo is sent to a poor, uneducated, AIDS-inflicted village of Uganda, which is overrun by a warlord. Even a charismatic, over-confident zealot like Price can’t figure out how he’s ever going to connect with the natives, but with the over-the-top friendliness that Mormons are known for, the pair are determined to try, leading to some disastrous (for them) and hysterical (for us) results.
The cast
The humor in the script and songs are terrific and Casey Nicholaw’s choreography is a marvelous spectacle, well-executed by director Jennifer Werner, especially when enhanced by outstanding costumes by Ann Roth and hair design by Josh Marquette (especially in the number “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream” where Jeffrey Dahmer, Hitler, and Yoda all show up). Brian MacDevitt pulls off some clever lighting moments with effective tricks I’ve not seen before. Sets by Scott Park are spot-on, taking us immediately from living rooms to an African village swiftly and effectively.
Diego Enrico, Keke Nesbitt and Sam McLellan
Enrico takes the cake as the loveable bumbler Cunningham, making half the audience laugh and the other half sigh when he says to his assigned companion Price, “All my friends end up leaving me… but you can’t!” Keke Nesbitt is a close-second favorite as support character Nabulungi, a local villager who gives the men more attention than others in town. Her bright energy and gorgeous voice light up the stage every time she’s present. Not surprisingly, the one song between Enrico and Nesbitt, “Baptize Me,” was a sweet highlight of the evening.
The cast
Weaver is well-cast for the main role, with a powerful voice, great dance moves, and solid acting – especially as an understudy. If you’ve never seen the show before, he’s a solid, enjoyable Elder Price. But if you’ve ever seen Andrew Rannells, who was Tony-nominated for the role, even on YouTube, that’s a level of charisma that’s hard to match. So, as good as he was, instead of leaving the theatre thinking of Weaver, I was mostly thinking about how great Enrico and Nesbitt were.
Sam McLellan and Dewight Braxton Jr.
To say the show is edgy would be a great understatement. The Africans drop F-bombs like it’s part of conjugating a verb. Attacks on religion and God permeate the show. AIDS and rape jokes are fair game. Is it too much? It just depends on the viewer. Probably a good rule of thumb would be: If you’re okay with South Park, you’ll probably be okay with The Book of Mormon. This reviewer laughed plenty at across-the-line humor, but sometimes the shock-for-the-sake-of-shock factor gets a bit tired. One character announces several times throughout the show that he has maggots in his scrotum. It got an uncomfortable laugh the first time, and the joke kept coming back.
Sam McLellan and company
For those not faint of heart, The Book of Mormon is a delightful and unforgettable spectacle not to be missed. You’ll cringe at times, but you’ll be chuckling as you do, just as Parker, Stone, and Lopez hope you will. Maybe, it will even soften your heart to those poor boys in the black ties when they ring your doorbell. Maybe.
photos by Julieta Cervantes
Book of Mormon
national tour
reviewed at the San Diego Civic Theater, 1100 Third Avenue
ends on June 15, 2025, in San Diego
for tickets (beginning at $44), visit BroadwaySD
tour continues; for dates and cities, visit Book Of Mormon Tour
