Book of Mormon is offensive, entertaining, but over-hyped

Heading into its fifth year as one of Broadways biggest tickets, The Book of Mormon has a lot of hype to live up to. Its collected nine Tony Awards, a Grammy, and a mitt full of awards from critics. So how does a musical live up to that kind of hype?

For me, it didnt.

Which is not to say that The Book of Mormon making its local debut this week in a touring production presented by Broadway Across Canada isnt entertaining,outrageousand fun. And the enthusiastic standing ovation from Tuesdays near-capacity opening night crowd suggests Im probably in the minority in not being totally enraptured by the show.

The musical comes from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, best known as the co-creators of the animated phenomenon South Park, working here with Robert Lopez, co-writer of another edgy hit musical, Avenue Q. It tells the story of Elder Price (Billy Harrigan Tighe) and Elder Cunningham (A.J. Holmes), two young missionaries sent to Uganda to promote their Mormon faith.

That faith is put to the test as they encounter people more concerned with issues like a vicious warlord, genital mutilationand disease than learning about the Mormon account of Jesus appearance in America.

None of this sounds like it should work as comedy, and so perhaps the greatest success of Book of Mormon is how often it does. (Whether Mormons will generally find it as funny as others is debatable, though its worth noting the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has three full-page ads in the program with tag-lines like Youve seen the play now read the Book.)

Elders Price and Cunningham are lovable goofs, and their sheer likeability is what softens the edges of the shows satire of the Mormon faith.

Sure, the idea that an angel appeared in upstate New York in the 1800s to recite the book of Mormon may sound odd to non-believers, and some of the churchs more curious tenets are certainly played for laughs especially in Prices second act show-stopper, I Believe.But its also impossible not to like these leads, clueless as they may be.

The creators wrap up the horror of the situation the missionaries find themselves in in the form of a sweet, upbeat musical, and that also plays for great comic effect. There are energetic, snappy song and dance numbers (sharply performed by an ensemble cast that numbers nearly three dozen) about everything from AIDS to the Mormon vision of hell to a strangely sexual baptism.

Parker, Lopez and Stones music is appealingly catchy, and the production has got the kind of flashy visual flair youd expect from a big Broadway musical.

Falls flat

So where did Mormon fall flat for me? In part, because in spite of all its got going for it, I found stretches of it pretty dull. It aims to scandalize, but a lot of that comes down to using naughty words and poop jokes.

And its not being provocative that puts me off slightly musicals like Avenue Q, Urinetownand The Producers all push boundaries in their own ways. But those self-referential musicals all felt like they were making fun of us, with their comedic guns pointed inward.

Book of Mormon, with its too-easy shots at Mormons and its caricature of Africa as a lawless hell on earth feels very much like a musical making fun of them, which sapped a lot of the humour for me.

All of that being said, it still made me laughnot often the big belly laughs I was hoping for, but decent chuckles.

But if youre going in looking for the Second Coming of the American musical, you might, like me, leave a bit disappointed.

The Book of Mormon runs at the Centennial Concert Hall until March22.