The Book of Mormon

Was this musical worth a return Brisbane season?

Header Image: Blake Bowden, Nyk Bielak, Tigist Strode and company of THE BOOK OF MORMON – Picture: Jeff Busby

Given the opportunity to go back in time and experience one theatrical performance over again, it would be going back to January 2017 at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne and re-experiencing my first time watching The Book of Mormon. Seated centrally in front-row seats during only the second week of preview performances among a crowd of clearly enthusiastic superfans, it was two and a half hours of me gasping for air as I was kept in an almost permanent state of laughter. It would be best if you appreciate your first Book of Mormon experience, as, like other comedy-oriented shows, subsequent watchings will not be nearly as funny without the freshness and surprise factors.

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Shauntelle Benjamin, Blake Bowden and Nyk Bielak in THE BOOK OF MORMON – Picture: Jeff Busby

Following a year of exclusivity in Melbourne, the Gordon Frost Organisation began touring The Book of Mormon across states in Australia and New Zealand. Brisbane received its first wave of performances across several months in early-2019. Unlike other states, it was announced around the opening that there would be an encore season at QPAC in 2020 encompassing the summer holiday period. This is a first for any show in memory, given the more often a question of IF a show will ever make it to Queensland rather than when one will.

It is hard to tell whether this decision will pay off, given even for tomorrow evening’s performance there still appears to be a considerable number of tickets for sale. This is a far cry from the first season which saw many quickly sold-out sessions. BUT if you are someone who might be daunted by a major musical which has plenty of seats free or are on the fence about seeing it, I can confirm that provided somewhat risque dialogue and songs suit your sense of humour, there is much to love in this musical and is worth catching before it leaves Brisbane.

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Tigist Strode and Nyk Bielak in THE BOOK OF MORMON – Picture: Jeff Busby

The first thing which should be outlined immediately is that this is not a religious musical. If you go into this thinking it tells a biblical story or the missionaries going on a fun journey to baptise the souls of others or anything along those lines; you may end up leaving the theatre being offended.

Instead, The Book of Mormon features a book, music and lyrics written by a creative team helmed by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Robert Lopez whose works include Avenue Q and the music of Disney’s Frozen. Given the musical has been created by the brains of South Park, you would expect a lot of crude humour. I can’t deny there is any shortage of that. However, I would argue it is substantially less crude and lewd than I expected going into it – it is much tamer than the South Park Cartoons. Despite the manner which they may be delivered, whether for shock value or through the creative use of double entendre, it is overall rather light watching. The show offers some powerful messages about finding one’s purpose, the troubles faced in third-world countries, the impact of religious missionaries in such countries and spiritual stories in general.

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Blake Bowden, Nyk Bielak and company of THE BOOK OF MORMON – Picture: Jeff Busby

The Book of Mormon follows the story of two young Mormons, the aspirational Elder Kevin Price and the space-cadet pop-culture loving Elder Arnold Cunningham. Having completed their training to begin working as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Known to some as the Mormon Church), the unlikely duo is paired together and sent on a mission to Uganda. Arriving in a decrepit village suffering from oppression from a fearsome warlord, and an outbreak of HIV/AIDS and famine, among other issues, can the pair overcome their differences and succeed in their mission?

The narrative may be far from what you initially expect following the upbeat opening number “Hello!”, which will be ringing in your ears for days if not weeks after the performance. But even when the show’s tone gets darker quickly, the music always leaves you chuckling away at your seat and wanting more. There is a lot of variety on offer in the music, from the pre-interval song “Man Up”which is best described as a rock equivalent of Les Miserables “One Day More“, the beautiful “Sal Tlay Ka Siti” and the upbeat shock song “Hasa Diga Eebowai“. Every song has something to like about it, whether it is the comedy-laden lyrics, the actions of the character or a surprise scene change.

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Nyk Bielak and company of THE BOOK OF MORMON – Picture: Jeff Busby

The original Australian cast for The Book of Mormon in 2017 included BoM veterans Ryan Bondy as Elder Price and A. J. Holmes as Elder Cunningham. While both were a little bit controversial at the time as “imports” from Broadway, both were fantastic in their roles. As the Melbourne season concluded, the parts were handed over to Blake Bowden and Nyk Bielak who also nail the characters with their own distinct charm. I have seen understudies perform in both roles, and I have to say that each brings something a little bit different to the part, and are fantastic regardless of whom performs on the afternoon/night. Joining Bowden and Bielak on stage is Tigist Strode who nails the role of Nabulunagi, Joel Granger as the most charming missionary Elder McKinley and Tyson Jennette as Mafala.

At its core, The Book of Mormon is an entertaining musical which should capture your attention from start to finish. But it is that “entertaining” component which becomes its downfall. As a comedy musical, the shock value and freshness of what is being performed is where a lot of the show’s gems are. After experiencing the musical once, I never received the same sense of laughter or surprise in subsequent viewings. It was still an enjoyable musical, but not in the sense of being hilarious. Therefore I am not sure if I could recommend more than a single viewing, but that one viewing will hopefully be a performance you will remember for a long time.

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Blake Bowden and Augustin Aziz Tchantcho in THE BOOK OF MORMON – Picture: Jeff Busby

The Book of Mormon may not be as outrageous or controversial as some might make it out to be. Still, the creative team have delivered an incredibly enjoyable two and a half hour experience complemented by more than a few ear-worms in the tracklist, charming protagonists, clever delivery of the narrative and its messages, and many comedic moments that will hopefully leave you in fits of giggles. That said, maybe leave grandma at home for this one. For those 15+ and up, this is one to gather up your mates and go and see while still in Brisbane. I cannot stress this enough though… relish your first viewing of this show and don’t spoil it for yourself… it really is best going into expecting nothing and receiving everything.

8

out of 10

Acknowledgements

Tickets to see The Book of Mormon in Melbourne and Brisbane were paid out of my own pocket.

Sam
Sam
Founder of The Otaku's Study. I have been exploring this labyrinth of fandom these last fifteen years, and still nowhere close to the exit yet. Probably searching for a long time to come.

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