SUPREME EYEBROW ARCH – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Drama
Elder Price (Sean Johnston) is the best Mormon the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has ever seen.
Elder Cunningham (Nick Cox) is a weird misfit with an over-active imagination.
They’ve completed their training and now it’s time to head-off into the world, two-by-two, to proselytize the Book of Mormon.
Hoo wah! Hey ya! Shoo wah! Zadup WOW!
One pair is going to Norway, land of gnomes and trolls. Another to France, land of pastries and turtlenecks. Yet another pairing is allocated to Japan, land of soy sauce and Mothra.
Now Elders Price and Cunningham are paired together. Where will they be sent? Elder Price is praying for Orlando, Florida. Now that he has a Mission-assigned best friend, bound by Rule 72 never to leave his side, Elder Cunningham wants to go wherever Elder Price is sent.
So, where will their mission be? It’s…Uganda!
Elder Price’s misgivings notwithstanding, the boys are as ready and psyched as can be. Yet, upon arrival in Africa they’re confronted with war, poverty, famine – to say nothing of rampant AIDS, a blood-thirsty local warlord and spiders which can actually lay their eggs inside your skin and eat you from your insides out – albeit mollified by a helpful local saying which makes everything seem better.
But Elder Price is soon presented with a stark reality. Has he been blessed by Heavenly Father to do something incredible? Or is he just an ordinary Mormon? Will he be overwhelmed by the harsh realities of Ugandan life? Or can he turn it off and feel a whole lot better than he’s feeling today?
And what about Elder Cunningham? Will he man-up? How can he use his imagination to help the good people of Uganda and lead them to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints?
And then there’s sweet, innocent local girl, Nabulungi (Paris Leveque). Is Salt Lake City the place with waterfalls and unicorns flying, of which her mama spoke? To get there, she just has to follow that white boy. But which one?
Photo Credit – Daniel Boud
Catchy, Toe-Tappin’ Tunes
From the moment a white shirted, square hair-cutted Mormon steps forward and presses an imaginary buzzer and the company launches into Hello!, The Book of Mormon is replete with brilliant show tunes.
The optimistic You and Me (But Mostly Me). The sacrilegious Hasa Diga Eebowai. The nifty Mormon trick which is Turn it Off. The idealistic, but genuinely moving, Sal Tlay Ka Siti. The testosterone-heavy Man-Up. The cheeky double-entendres-laden Baptize Me. And the spiritual I Am Africa.
Each song is a stand-a-lone hit, with its own sound and feel. Yet there are echoes from musicals past, from The Sound of Music to The Lion King.
An Irreverent But Wholesome Story
Sure, The Book of Mormon may be (deliberately) offensive. Certainly, if you want to be offended there’s plenty of content which will offend you.
(By the way, it’s vastly more offensive to Ugandans than it is to Mormons.)
But, at its heart, The Book of Mormon is a story about good people trying to do good things. Elder Price feels he is destined to do something so incredible that it’ll blow God’s freakin’ mind. Elder Cunningham may be a misfit, but there’s nothing misplaced about his unyielding desire to help his mission companion in his endeavours. And Nabulungi will do anything to achieve the better life she wants for herself, her father and her fellow-villages.
As in any dramatic piece, there is conflict, even amongst the primary protagonists. Yet, in the face of a common enemy – whether a local warlord or (spoiler) the Mission President – everybody pulls together. They have each other’s back.
Photo Credit – Daniel Boud
Nabulungi
My wife and I have seen The Book of Mormon a number of times, including on Broadway and the West End.
We agree, however, that Paris Leveque’s portrayal of Nabulungi is the best we have seen.
Nabulungi is the innocent heartbeat of the story. She is the bridge between the visiting Mormons and the local Ugandans. Our spirits soar with hers when she sings about her dreams of a better life in a faraway land. And we weep with her when her soul is crushed.
Leveque plays the role of Nabulungi with nuance and passion. She embodies the naïve innocence of the character. And the way she belts out the chorus of Sal Tlay Ka Siti – her arms bent horizontally at chest level and her eyes ablaze as she spits out the lyrics – is a sight to see. I felt like jumping from my seat and applauding when she was done.
When I read that Leveque was making her professional debut in this production, I made the same face General Butt Effing Naked made when Elder Price placed his hand on his knee. Now that is something incredible!
Kudos to her and to the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
Cast | The Book of Mormon Musical
I also applaud the rest of the Australian cast, including Sean Johnston, as Elder Price, Nick Cox in the challenging role of Elder Cunningham and Tom Struik in one of the greatest second string roles of all time, Elder McKinley. They all compared favourably to what my wife and I have seen in London and New York.
Photo Credit – Daniel Boud
What My Eyebrows Told Me
The Book of Mormon is a classic. I loved it the first time I saw it, on Broadway, a decade ago and I continue to love it today. The day I cease loving The Book of Mormon is the day I point my middle finger to the sky and cry Hasa Diga Eebowai.
Until then, my eyebrows will always be in a Supreme Arch when I see this show.
For more information on the Australian production of The Book of Mormon:
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