Book of Mormon Review - Katelyn Keyes

 What a show. The Book of Mormon is a riot on absolutely every level, leading to equal amounts of laughter and shock. The plot follows two Mormon missionaries on a quest to baptize the citizens of a small Ugandan village. As this show was written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park, one can expect crude, R-rated humor, and the show lived up to every such expectation. The actors embraced the outrageousness of the plot wholeheartedly, leading to flamboyant dance numbers that put my jaw on the floor.

One of this show’s greatest strengths was the dedication of the actors, a show this off-color could easily rely on the simple shock value of the content to carry the performance, but each actor was motivated and made sure the entire plot came across, not just the jokes. This full-out commitment was especially prevalent in the dance numbers, which were just big enough to be spectacular without being over the top or ridiculous. 

The best example of this would be the aptly named “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream” that got bigger every second, with fiery lights, feather boas, and a whole lot more. “Joseph Smith American Moses” was quite the spectacle as well, the earnest ensemble acting made the audaciousness of the song all the more uproarious. Impressive vocals were also on display in “Hello”, with a choir-like feel that added a layer to the religious-themed musical. “Turn It Off” was also a great showcase of individual ensemble members, as their multiple humorous solos hit the mark exactly, sending the audience into fits of laughter. 

However, with all of its successes, the show did not go off without a hitch. Most noticeable was that as a sign for the airport was being lowered into view, it loudly clanked, swung around, and wasn’t in the light for a good portion of the scene. In addition to that, Keke Nesbitt, playing Nabulungi, failed to infuse her character with the vitality so important to the story. Her big song, “Sal Tlay Ka Siti” (a phonetic spelling of Salt Lake City), is meant to be a running joke, as her character wholly misunderstands the concept, but her lack of comedic knowhow led to the song being dry and easily overshadowed by the other, more extravagant songs. Another lead having trouble was Elder Price, played by Sam McLellan, who had excellent stage charisma, but was flat on his high notes, stopping him from having his show stopping moment. But where McLellan fell, well, flat, his costar Diego Enrico stole the show. 

Enrico played the oddball Elder Cunningham, the comic relief that ends up saving the day. In the beginning of the show he mainly serves as a foil to McLellen’s Price, and hilariously so, but by the end he is a star all his own. The Act One closer “Man Up” really showcased Enrico’s impressive vocals and star quality, giving us audience members much to talk about over intermission. As the show continued, Enrico continued to have exceptional comedic timing, his remarks were funnier to me than any of the big gags. 

As a whole, The Book Of Mormon left me without words, in part because of the utter insanity of the plot, but also because of talent that was clearly shown even through the shortcomings.