before it transferred to the Novello Theatre. Other articles where The Book of Mormon is discussed: Trey Parker: …later wrote the satirical musical The Book of Mormon (2011), about Mormon missionaries in Uganda. During the summer of 2003, Parker and Stone flew to New York City to discuss the script of their new film, Team America: World Police, with friend and producer Scott Rudin (who also produced South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut). Trey Parker is an American actor, voice actor and creator, who is perhaps best known for creating the animated sitcom South Park. Ryan Bondy and A.J. [77], The show's depiction of Africans has been called racist. It also won the 2011 Drama Desk Outstanding Musical and 2012 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. The Mormon church's response to this musical is almost like our Q.E.D. [32] The London cast members hosted a gala performance of the new musical on March 13, 2013, raising £200,000 for the British charity Comic Relief's Red Nose Day. They multiplied and eventually split into two groups. Best Original Score - Robert Lopez, Trey Parker and Matt Stone The Book of Mormon’s book, music and lyrics is a collaborative effort between Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. When I saw The Book of Mormon, all I knew was that everybody loved it – from Oprah Winfrey to Jon Stewart. The Book of Mormon, the hit Broadway musical by Matt Stone and Trey Parker the Creators of South Park, and Bobby Lopez (Avenue Q, Frozen) is now playing in Perth until November. However, Price unceremoniously dumps him as mission companion. at the end of it. Taking every last measure to protect her, Hatimbi commands Nabulungi to stay in their house with all the doors locked and windows closed. And I did. God's favourite musical Bondy continued on as Elder Price until Creel returned from London later in the summer of 2014. The mission president is appalled, orders all the missionaries to go home, and tells Nabulungi that she and her fellow villagers are not members. Set design was by Scott Pask, with costumes by Ann Roth, lighting by Brian MacDevitt, and sound by Brian Ronan. In 2003, after Parker and Stone saw Avenue Q, they met with the musical's co-writer Lopez and began developing the musical, meeting sporadically for several years. Arguably, the musical’s piece de resistance is “I Believe”, a ballad sung by Elder Price as he tries to convert the General. There are going to be protests." Other cast members included Zahra Newman as Nabulungi, Bert Labonté as Mafala, and Rowan Witt as Elder McKinley. [5] Their 1997 film, Orgazmo, and a 2003 episode of South Park, "All About Mormons", both gave comic treatment to Mormonism. "[74], However, The Wall Street Journal's Terry Teachout called the show "slick and smutty: The Book of Mormon is the first musical to open on Broadway since La Cage aux Folles that has the smell of a send-in-the-tourists hit. The sendup of missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is getting a rousing reception. [12] The song "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream" was originally called "H-E Double Hockey Sticks". Strand left the show to join the West End production. This outrageous musical comedy from the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone , and Bobby Lopez , the Co-writer of Avenue Q and Frozen, follows the misadventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent on a mission to a place that's about as far from Salt Lake City as you can get. On August 9, 2016 Steven Webb took over for Ashfield as Elder McKinley. After an argument between Parker and Marx, who felt he was not getting enough creative control, Marx was separated from the project. Scripture Mastery Scriptures: Book of Mormon. The songs, though mostly pastiche, have undoubted flair and the production is stylishly and wittily designed by Scott Pask.”. The Lord led them to the American continent, where they kept the Law of Moses, l… 5. Members of the Latter Day Saints seem to be pleased with the musical. Holmes reprised their roles as Elder Price and Elder Cunningham respectively. Theatre Fan? In honor of the Tony-winning musical’s Bay Area debut Tuesday at San Francisco’s Curran Theatre, here are the top 10 things you need to know about “The Book of Mormon”: Cunningham finds Price and tells him they need to at least act like mission companions, as the mission president is coming to visit the Ugandan mission. "[60] Although the cast album had a respectable debut on the US Billboard 200 chart in its initial week of release, after the show's success at the 2011 Tony Awards, the record rapidly ascended the chart to number three, making it the highest-charting Broadway cast album in over four decades. The official church response was something along the lines of "The Book of Mormon the musical might entertain you for a night, but the Book of Mormon,"—the book as scripture—"will change your life through Jesus." We weren't that surprised by the church's response. Richard Bushman, professor of Mormon studies, said of the musical, "Mormons experience the show like looking at themselves in a fun-house mirror. Gavin Creel played Elder Price, who’d previously starred in a London revival of Hair at the Gielgud Theatre. "Hasa Diga Eebowai" – Mafala, Price, Cunningham, and Ugandans Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Nikki M. James They spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of their own money, still unconvinced they would take it any further. [5] Developmental workshops were directed by Jason Moore, and starred Cheyenne Jackson. [8] The quartet went for drinks afterwards, and soon found that each camp wanted to write something involving Joseph Smith. Cunningham announces several Ugandans are interested in the church. There’s also “Sal Tlay Ka Siti” sung by Nabulungi, a play on words inspired by the Utah state capital. On January 1, 2017 Cody Jamison Strand had his last performance as Elder Cunningham. During its first year, the show was consistently one of the top five best-selling shows on Broadway and set 22 new weekly sales records for the Eugene O'Neill Theater. [61][62], A vinyl version was released on May 19, 2017.[63]. [1] Parker and Stone were best known for creating the animated comedy South Park; Lopez had co-written the music for the musical Avenue Q. They are welcomed to the village by Mafala Hatimbi, where a group of villagers share their daily reality of living in appalling conditions while being ruled by the General. [90], Mormons themselves have had varying responses to the musical. Shocked by the execution and the reality of Africa, Price decides to abandon his mission and requests a transfer to Orlando, while Cunningham, ever loyal, assures Price he will follow him anywhere ("I Am Here for You [Reprise]"). Best Lighting Design - Brian MacDevitt The musical, which opens on March 24, begins with a bunch of clean-cut Mormon men in Salt Lake City, Utah dressed in typically white, starched … In April 2013, Stanley Wayne Mathis joined the cast as Mafala Hatimbi. In May 2013, Jon Bass left the role of Elder Cunningham, and was replaced by Cody Jamison Strand. She further criticized the depiction of African doctors as well as the references to AIDS and female genital mutilation. The Book of Mormon dramatises the coming-of-age journey that young Mormons face when going on their mission to spread the word of Jesus Christ. 2011. Opening Number to the 66th Tony Awards.Only CBS Watermark. Price awakens and decides to re-commit to his mission. We had faith in them. Marks further describes the musical as "one of the most joyously acidic bundles Broadway has unwrapped in years. "Joseph Smith American Moses" – Ugandans J.Michael Finley and Dom Simpson succeeded Strand and Hippensteel the following year, having both been standbys for their roles in the Broadway company, previously. [44], The UK and Ireland tour opened at the Palace Theatre, Manchester on 6 June 2019 until 24 August 2019, before touring to the Sunderland Empire Theatre (28 August to 14 September 2019), Prince of Wales Theatre, London (11 November 2019 to 6 March 2021), Bristol Hippodrome (15 January to 22 February 2020), and Birmingham Hippodrome (4 to 15 March 2020). First staged in 2011, the play is a satirical examination of the beliefs and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Price and Cunningham are led to their living quarters by Nabulungi, Hatimbi's daughter. "Man Up" – Cunningham, Nabulungi, Price, Doctor, Company, "Making Things Up Again" – Cunningham, Cunningham's Dad, Joseph Smith, Mormon, Moroni, Uhura, Darth Vader, Hobbits, Ugandans When the villagers begin to get frustrated at Cunningham's teaching of the Book of Mormon and leave, Cunningham quickly makes up stories by combining what he knows of LDS doctrine with pieces of science fiction and fantasy. Creel left the West End production to return to the first national tour and was replaced by his stand-by, Billy Harrigan Tighe. Holmes as Elder Cunningham. The reflection is hilarious but not really you. He is reminded of the nightmares of hell he had as a child and panics when his nightmare begins again ("Spooky Mormon Hell Dream"). Strand's first performance was on January 30, 2017 as he left the West End Company to rejoin the Broadway production. Meanwhile, the General hears of the villagers' conversion and resolves to kill them all. "[91] Bushman said that the musical was not meant to explain Mormon belief, and that many of the ideas in Elder Price's "I Believe" (like God living on a planet called Kolob), though having some roots in Mormon belief, are not doctrinally accurate. Cunningham's conscience (personified by his father, Joseph Smith, hobbits, Lt. Uhura, Darth Vader, and Yoda) admonishes him, but he rationalizes that if it helps people, it surely cannot be wrong ("Making Things Up Again"). Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone began discussing ideas in 2003. For Christians in the Catholic and Protestant traditions, … In the story, when Elder Price and Elder Cunningham arrive, they experience cultural shock. It makes fun of organized religion, but the two Mormons are real people, not caricatures. Upon arrival in northern Uganda, the two are robbed by soldiers of a local warlord, General Butt-Fucking Naked. Since then, he’s played Dr. Pomatter in Waitress at the Adelphi Theatre opposite Sara Bareilles. They were replaced by Gavin Creel and Christopher John O'Neill who played the roles of Price and Cunningham (respectively) on the first national tour. The song "The Bible Is A Trilogy" went through a major rewrite to become All-American Prophet. God's favorite musical. It is a record of God’s dealings with ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel. [18] The strategy paid off handsomely. Rome wasn’t built in a day and nor was The Book of Mormon. Which we actually completely agree with. After two years on Broadway, The Book of Mormon then transferred to London. Zoglin, Richard. At an LDS Church Missionary Training Center, devout, supercilious missionary-to-be Elder Kevin Price leads his classmates in a demonstration of the door-to-door method to convert people to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints ("Hello!"). The show opened on Broadway in March 2011, after nearly seven years of development. Other Broadway cast members include original Broadway cast member Lewis Cleale as Joseph Smith/Mission President and other roles, and Derrick Williams as the General. With a book, music and lyrics by Frozen’s Robert Lopez and South Park’s Matt Stone and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon was always going to impress. A free preview of the entire recording was released on NPR starting on May 9, 2011. On August 26, 2014, Grey Henson took over for Loehr as Elder McKinley. I’m not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but I have close friends who are. In fact, the religion is promoted in programmes and playbills worldwide. Sears left London to join the Broadway company on February 20. 720p HD Format.Credits: CBS, Book of Mormon LLC, The Harry Fox Agency, Warner Chappell. In this musical, it’s Elders Kevin Price and Arnold Cunningham, unexpectedly paired together to serve two years at a missionary in… Uganda. After Doyle and Strand's contracts finished in January 2014, Rouleau and Ben Platt (who had previously played the role of Elder Cunningham while in Chicago with Rouleau) joined the Broadway cast to reprise their roles as Elder Price and Elder Cunningham. The Book of Mormon uses a nine-member orchestra:[54][55], A cast recording of the original Broadway production was released on May 17, 2011, by Ghostlight Records. Price has had an epiphany and realizes Cunningham was right all along: though scriptures are important, what is more important is getting the message across ("You and Me (But Mostly Me) [Reprise]"). As well as impressing critics, The Book of Mormon has wowed awarding bodies too. A song named "Family Home Evening", which was in early workshops of the show, was cut. [15][16] The production was choreographed by Casey Nicholaw and co-directed by Nicholaw and Parker. [6] Smith was also included as one of South Park's "Super Best Friends", a Justice League parody team of religious figures like Jesus and Buddha. The principal cast members of all major productions of The Book of Mormon. Now, Lopez is best known for penning songs in Frozen and Coco, and is the youngest EGOT recipient of all time. Because of his lack of knowledge, he weaves in mythology from Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings. "Baptize Me" – Cunningham and Nabulungi The General arrives and announces his demand for the genital mutilation of all female villagers. That's a cool, American response to a ribbing—a big musical that's done in their name. The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2200 BC to AD 421. The Book of Mormon is inspired by the lives of Mormon missionaries. The Musical (1993), their first experience with movie musicals. As of March 12, 2020, the show suspended production due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hippensteel temporarily covered as Elder Price. The original London cast of The Book of Mormon starred two Broadway performers, both reprising their roles. Hippensteel returned to Broadway and Ryan Bondy (who was covering for Hippensteel as the Broadway Elder Price stand-by) took over the role of Elder Price. [14] Moore was originally set to direct, but left the production in June 2010. ", "Is the "Book of Mormon – the Musical" racist? Price and Cunningham arrive just in time to use Cunningham's lies of the latter being resurrected after being eaten by lions to scare the General and his men away.