Jesus, Joseph Smith and rollicking fun

By Charlene Baldridge

Presented by Broadway San Diego (BSD) at the Civic Theatre through March 6, “The Book of Mormon” opened to a packed house Wednesday (Feb. 24).

It was great fun to arrive at Civic Plaza for an early dinner and see hopeful theatergoers (who arrived two-and-a-half hours prior to the 7 p.m. curtain to register) at the pre-show ticket lottery for $25 tickets. This is not, however, a recommended way to purchase tickets for the hit Broadway show that caused such a stir and grabbed 11 Tony Awards when it opened in 2011 at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, where it is still playing. BSD first brought the musical here in May 2014.

A.J. Holmes and cast members in a scene from “Book of Mormon” at the Civic Theatre (courtesy of broadwaysd.com)

The controversy lies in the content. The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints (Jesus is a character and so is Mormonism founder Joseph Smith) was outraged, to say the least, picketing and boycotting and threatening. Audiences have been rolling in the aisles ever since. The New York Times chief theater critic Ben Brantley called “The Book of Mormon” the “best musical of this century.”

It is easy to love such an audacious, impious and outrageous satire, which so joyously sends up Mormon doctrine, text and religious practices. Even those with a rudimentary knowledge of Mormons get the humor in songs such as “Two by Two,” “All American Prophet,” “I Am Africa,” and especially the eventually glittering young elders’ tap number “Turn It On.” Some even testify to being moved by the uplifting ending.

No wonder: Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone brought forth “The Book of Mormon.” Parker and Stone are best known for the TV series “South Park,” and Lopez wrote the musical, “Avenue Q.” So it might be said the authors’ stock-in-trade is being thoroughly and delightfully offensive. Remember the copulating puppets in “Avenue Q”? “The Book of Mormon” tops that with living cast members’ (simulated) acts, and furthermore features the village doctor, who keeps reminding us that he has maggots on his scrotum. My favorite is the “Little House of Uncle Thomas” parody that features large, floppy procreative organs. The climax of the show and the mission, it is performed to tip-top Elders from the United States who’ve heard how their Ugandan outpost has baptized an entire village.

This is largely due to the inept and “bent” Book of Mormon as told to the people by Elder Cunningham (A.J. Holmes), who “makes things up.” His egotistic mission partner, Elder Price (Billy Harrigan Tighe), tries mightily, but fails to control Cunningham, who adores him and hopes to be his friend. The enclave of elders they settle is not without its homosexual innuendo, which adds to the merriment. What you should know, going in, is that young Mormon men, having reached adulthood, go off on a two-year mission, two by two, to introduce others to the Book of Mormon.

The Ugandan villagers are afflicted with AIDS, and terrorized by The General, who wants to impose female circumcision on all the young women, including the sweet, virginal Nabulungi (Alexandra Ncube), who is protected by her brother, Mafala Hatimbi (Stanley Wayne Mathis). Nabulungi and Elder Cunningham have a truly wonderful duet when she, rather sweet on him, asks, “Baptize Me.”

Despite bumbling all around, the true mission is a success and, the Elder Hierarchy having departed; there is a happy, uplifting ending for the villagers and the young Elders, who sing the unforgettable musical number, “I Believe.”

I believe that it’s easy to become addicted to this joy-filled Broadway musical. When you see it, you will long to return right away to hear the magic (a union orchestra of nine, five of them traveling with the tour) and to see the wonders of its production as directed by Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, designed by Scott Pask, costumed by Ann Roth and featuring lighting by Brian MacDevitt, sound by Brian Ronan, and choreography by Nicholaw. There is not a weak link.