The funniest thing about The Book of Mormon is its subtlety. Imagine how many people in that audience laughing at the expense of the Mormons and their third testament don’t get that their own first and second testaments are just as silly.
The Book of Mormon isn’t about one religion, it is about all of them. While the overall message is that organised religion is more about preying than praying, the underlining message is that some who are sucked into the vortex are there for the right reasons and can do good things.
The Book of Mormon is one of the hottest theatre tickets on Broadway so when news broke that an Australian production was on the way expectation were high and it does not disappoint.
The show is not so much ground-breaking as it is rule-breaking. It is rude, crude and blasphemous. This is not a show for the prudish.
The Book of Mormon stage show is from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone in association with Robert Lopez. Fans of South Park will know what to expect but the traditional theatre-going purists may be in for a shock.
Bert LaBonte is the biggest name in the cast. He plays Mafala, the Ugandan leader. Bert performed the outstanding lead role in ‘Lets Get It On – the Story of Marvin Gaye’. Other than him there are no big names in the cast. Canadian actor Ryan Bondy and AJ Holmes play the lead roles of Elder Price and Elder Cunningham, the Felix Unger and Oscar Madison like Mormon missionaries.
The irrelevance of The Book of Mormon and its association with South Park is sure to bring a younger audience to the theatre and that has got to be a good thing for the Australian entertainment industry.
Already, box-office sales indicate The Book of Mormon is already the stage hit of 2017. February is sold-out, March is almost sold-out, April tickets are sparse and you have to start investigating May and June seating arrangements for premium tickets.
The Book of Mormon is on at The Princess Theatre in Melbourne until at least the end of June, 2017.
