Regional Reviews: Connecticut and the Berkshires Regional Reviews by Fred Sokol The Book of Mormon
At a missionary training center in Utah, Elder Price (Mark Evans) hopes that he will soon find himself in Orlando where he will entice others to convert to Mormonism. His soon-to-be-partner, Elder Cunningham (Christopher John O'Neill) has been known to fabricate stories. Evans is slim, long and appealing while O'Neill is a seeming foot shorter and, let us say, a bit rounder. Off they go to Uganda, of all places, where they will be immediately hustledas in robbed. They find that God is, to put it mildly, disparaged and Price hopes that he can spread messages of Joseph Smith. Along the way, much is scornedreligion, sexuality ... and even The Lion King. Before the first act ends, Price gets rid of Cunningham and the latter is bereft. Cunningham, however, closes the proceedings, just before intermission, with a rousing "Man Up." The second and superior act, musically and otherwise, finds Cunningham creating science fictionesque renderings which actually draw the attention of the locals. O'Neill cuts a sympathetic figure as Elder Cunningham and, naturally, one tends to root for him. He really is a Lou Costello type. This portion of the show includes winning numbers like "Joseph Smith American Moses" and "Hasa Diga Eebowai (Reprise)." "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream," with various hues of red (thanks to designer Scott Pask and lighting man Brian MacDevitt) flooding the stage, is lengthy yet effective. )Looking for a giant Starbucks cup (coffee is forbidden according to the religion)? Here, it is!) The lovely Nabulungi (Alexandra Ncube) and Elder Cunningham are sweet, soulful and comic, too, with "Baptize Me," one of the musical's finest numbers. By the end of the production, it is "The Book of Arnold" that everyone carries about. The Book of Mormon is very much in crescendo at the final curtain and this is an uplifting conclusion. Two of the three creators of this smash musical, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, happened to come up with television's "South Park," a multiple Emmy Award winning program. The third collaborator who co-wrote book, music and lyrics, is Robert Lopez, a major writer for both the musical Avenue Q and the recent film, Frozen. The Book of Mormon tosses around more than a couple of F-word exclamations and audiences seem to love that sort of device. While the obscenities fit with the content of the musical, perhaps they should not be quite such a big deal? The touring presentation is, frankly, more intriguing when it comes to the bond Price and Cunningham form. These men are physical opposites and their initial aspirations hold little in common. Moreover, the matinee idol type would love nothing better than to ditch his dumpy friend. That does not happen and this is a good thing. Actress Alexandra Ncube is warm and touching as Nabulungi. She provides an impressive solo, "Sal Tlay Ka Siti," during the first act. Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker direct the musical; Nicholaw serves as choreographer, too. They work with a talented group of actors on this tour. The performers maximize vocal arrangements by Stephen Oremus, also the music supervisor. In sum, this is a diverting, at times enormously funny show (sometimes a bit much) which is delivered with enthusiasm and expertise. It surely will offend some theatergoers while others will leave laughing, rather loudly at that. The Book of Mormon continues at the Bushnell in Hartford through March 30th. For tickets, call (860) 987-5900 or visit www.bushnell.org. For more information on the tour, visit www.bookofmormonbroadway.com/1st_national_tour.php. - Fred Sokol |