Book of Mormon the Musical knocks them dead at Place des Arts

Thank you evenko for bringing us some Broadway musicals again. While the Lion King graced the stage of the Place des Arts last summer, the national tour of The Book of Mormon  has now arrived. I was on hand Wednesday for the second of eight performances and the show was everything I expected it to be: controversial, hilarious and unforgettable. Next up will be Jersey Boys January 6 to 11. 

The Book of Mormon won  nine Tony Awards,  including Best Musical. It is on here until December 7 and includes a pre-show lottery at the box office, making a limited number of tickets available at $25 apiece. The wildly popular lottery for the Broadway production has attracted as many as 800 entries at some performances.  The producers are offering low-priced lottery seats for every city on the National Tour.   Entries will be accepted at the box office beginning two and a half hours prior to each performance; each person will print their name and the number of tickets (one or two) they wish to purchase on a card that is provided. Two hours before curtain, names will be drawn at random for a limited number of tickets priced at $25 each. Only one entry is allowed per person. Cards are checked for duplication prior to drawing. Winners must be present at the time of the drawing and show valid ID with photo to purchase tickets. Limit one entry per person and two tickets per winner. Tickets are subject to availability.

The Book of Mormon is bound to offend and entertain you.

The Book of Mormon  features book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. Parker and Stone are the four-time Emmy Award-winning creators of the landmark animated series, “South Park.” Tony Award-winner Lopez is co-creator of the long-running hit musical comedy, Avenue Q.  The musical is choreographed by Tony Award-winner Casey Nicholaw (Monty Python’s Spamalot, The Drowsy Chaperone) and is directed by Nicholaw and Parker. 

As for those nine Tonys, they included  Best Musical, Best Score (Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, Matt Stone), Best Book (Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, Matt Stone), Best Direction (Casey Nicholaw, Trey Parker), Best Featured Actress (Nikki M. James), Best Scenic Design (Scott Pask), Best Lighting Design (Brian MacDevitt), Best Sound Design (Brian Ronan) and Best Orchestrations (Larry Hochman, Stephen Oremus). 

The Book of Mormon follows two young missionaries who are sent to Uganda to try to convert citizens to the Mormon religion. One missionary, Elder Price (Gavin Creel), is an enthusiastic go-getter with a strong dedication to his faith, while his partner, Elder Cunningham (Christopher John O'Neill in a knockout performance), is a socially awkward but well meaning nerd whose tendency to embroider the truth soon lands him in trouble. Upon their arrival in Africa, Elders Price and Cunningham learn that in a society plagued by AIDS, poverty and violence, a successful mission may not be as easy as they expected.

This show was a real crowd pleaser. People were laughing non-stop and at the end the standing ovation was expected and well deserved. This touring cast knocked the ball out of the park. I can't imagine their counterparts on Broadway being that much better.

Book of Mormon was booked by evenko about a year ago and this was worth the wait indeed. I am anxious to see Jersey Boys and look forward to more large-scale productions coming to town.