[NEohioPAL] THE BOOK OF MORMON @ The Palace

[Roy Berko]

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BOOK OF MORMON, is a must see delight at The Palace

Roy Berko
(Member, American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics Circle)

“Hello, my name is Elder Price and I would like to share with you the most
amazing book,” states the lead actor in THE BOOK OF MORMON, now on stage at
the Palace Theatre.

“Hello, my name is Roy Berko and I would like to share with you my
enthusiastic endorsement for a most amazing musical,” states the writer of
this review!

Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the long-time writers of SOUTH PARK, are
satirical comics extraordinaire.  Their writing marriage to Robert Lopez,
the co-creator of the Tony Award winning AVENUE Q, is a union made in
heaven (or at least in the Broadway version of heaven).

THE BOOK OF MORMON is a satirical musical filled with lots of explicit
language.  It lampoons organized religion and, in its own way, not only
follows the format, but mocks traditional musical theatre.

It tells the story of two naïve and optimistic Mormon missionaries who are
sent to a remote village in northern Uganda.  A brutal warlord is
threatening the locals.  While the duo is trying to sell the locals on
Mormon scripture, the populations is more concerned with famine, poverty,
female circumcision, war and AIDS.  Oh, what to do, what to do?

How did the duo get to Uganda or even get matched together?  Elder Price is
the poster boy for the Ken doll, clean cut, striving for perfection Mormon
missionary.  Elder Cunningham is a rotund, friendless nerd, who relies on
half-truths and a vivid imagination to get by.  They were cast as a duo
through total serendipity, an act of heaven, and some clever comic writers,
to go out and ring the doorbells of the world.

Uganda?  Price prays to go to Orlando, a stand-in for Mormon heaven.  Sure,
it’s immaculately clean, all things well planned, and the setting for a
perfect life.    What can go wrong in a “Small, Small World,” where Dumbo
really flies, and the future is ready for all who want to enter the Magic
Kingdom?  Sending them to Orlando wouldn’t have been funny so to Uganda
they go, to learn life altering lessons.

As Elder Cunningham, who admits never having read the mythical Book, makes
up fantastic tales, which, in reality, aren’t far from the actual
imaginative tales of Adam Smith, Brigham Young, the golden tablets, and the
migration of the Mormons from upstate New York to Salt Lake City, he wins
over converts.

After he baptizes the entire town, the church’s elders come to witness the
miraculous success.   The villagers share their understanding of the
Cunningham version of their new religion in a reenactment, which parallels
in form to The Small House of Uncle Thomas in the KING AND I, with
illusions to Climb Ev’ry Mountain from THE SOUND OF MUSIC.  Of course chaos
results, then everything turns out fine, and we leave the theatre singing,
I Believe.

The touring show is spectacular.  It plays visually and emotionally on all
the senses.  From its giddy opening number (think the Telephone Hour at the
start of BYE, BYE, BIRDIE), to its mocking use of four letter words, to its
bigger than life melodrama, to the over-the-top mythology (often
paralleling the belief system to STAR WARS), we are sucked into the idea
that , as one of the words to the many delightful songs states, “tomorrow
is a doper, phatter latter day.”  (I won’t even go into the concept of the
song MA HA NEI BU, EEBOWAI! [“F-You to Heavenly Father], you just have to
experience it to experience it!)

The settings, music, costumes, lighting effects, perfect comic timing of
the cast, and creative choreography all work.

Though Mark Evans (Elder Price) and Christopher John O’Neill (Elder
Cunningham) aren’t as brilliant as Andre Rannells and Josh Gad, who were in
the original cast of the 2011 Broadway cast, they are excellent, and
quickly captivate the audience.  Samantha Marie Ware is enchanting as
Nabulungi.  Derrick Williams, is both hysterically funny and evil
incarnate, as General Butt-F**cking Naked, the war lord.  The rest of the
cast also shines.

Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker’s direction is spot on.  Farce, especially
musical farce is hard to accomplish due to its required spoken and sung
controlled abandonment, but these guys guide their cast with laser
perfection.  Nicholaw’s  choreography is fun and well executed (ever
thought you’d see a dancing kick line of Mormons?).

As the curtain fell on the second night’s performance, my seventeen-year
old grandson smiled at me and yelled, “That was a perfect musical.  It had
a solid score, meaningful words, the story was not only fun-filled, but
made its points well, the dancing was spectacular, the performances were
great.” Why are his reactions important?   Readers often comment that
reviewers don’t see shows through the eyes of the general audience member.
Alex has been accompanying me to musicals for many years as “the kid
reviewer” and sees shows through fresh eyes.  And his eyes were beaming!

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  THE BOOK OF MORMON is an absolute go see production for
anyone who is not a language prude or a religious fanatic.  It is filled
with total delight, magical showmanship, a marvelous score, creative
dancing and fine staging.  It’s everything a modern musical that is meant
for pure entertainment, with a sip of philosophy, should be!

The few remaining tickets for THE BOOK OF MORMON, which runs through July
7, 2013 at the Palace Theatre, can be ordered by calling 216-241-6000 or
going to www.playhousesquare.org.

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