The Book of Mormon

[Abby Herrick]

The Book of Mormon was somewhat of a legend to me. My younger brothers told me it was "written by the South Park guys". My mom told me people camped out overnight to get tickets. My teacher told me The Book of Mormon won nine Tonys. Even though I knew virtually nothing about the plot, I knew this would be a spectacular show.

The opening number, "Hello", grabbed my attention immediately, and held onto it until the finale. The musical numbers were diverse in their genres , and fit in well with the storyline. The genre of the songs fit the characters that were singing them, especially "Man Up". Due to the satirical nature of this show, I did not find myself rolling my eyes at the flashy musical numbers. "Turn It Off", notably had a costume change that was subtle, but at the same time perfectly over the top and precisely executed. "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream" was the flashiest musical number, and also one of the funniest, with cameos by Hitler and other less than lovable historic figures. I was very impressed with the finale, that brought the audience back to the beginning of the show, rather than have a virtually pointless spectacle between the last song and curtain call.

The set was ever changing, and the lights complimented the changes well, without being too extravagant (with the exception of "You and Me", in which case, the extravagance was spot on). The costumes were not flashy, but they were effective and fitting to the story. As is not the case with other musicals, Mormon did not hide a poor show behind beautiful costumes.

It was very clear that Mormon was written by the creators of South Park. The show was filled with inappropriate banter and references. If you are easily offended or have a heart attack whenever anyone drops the F-bomb, you may want to sit this one out. If you are a fan of South Park or Family Guy, you are guaranteed to laugh. This show is a wonderful opportunity for anyone who hates mushy gushy feelings scenes to make fun of them, as this show is serious for about thirty seconds at best.

While Mormon is raunchy, and it is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, it is quite clear why it was awarded nine Tonys. It is a well written, engaging show. If you aren't one of the audience members laughing, you're one of the ones with an exasperated, pursed lip look on your face. A few of the jokes in the show are repeated throughout the entire show, making them even more hilarious.

So, if by chance the stars align, and you find yourself with a ticket to The Book of Mormon, prepare yourself for two hours of laughing. Don't let balcony seats deter you away from the show, it is still very worth the money.

[Erica Solomon]

Your writing is particularly strong in the first and second paragraphs. Very cool how you build up the excitement for the reader with your excitement build-up in preparation for seeing the show. Your experience stays in the forefront as you go on to describe the plot and production, which is great. 

[Dudley Voigt]

Love the repetition in the opening paragraph that outlines the public's impression of Book of Mormon.

Great detail in your second paragraph about the music.  You give the reader lots of insight and observation.

Wish you had given the technical and design elements the same attention.  You make a clear statement of opinion about each element but they need a sentence or two of description to back that viewpoint up. 

Did you see anyone with an "exasperated, pursed lip look on their face" in the audience?