NME After Print: The Book of Mormon (Review)
The Book of Mormon is a satirical musical focused on two missionaries spending their mission years in Northern Uganda. The musical begins with the opening number "Hello." We are introduced to our main characters - Arnold Cunningham (Jordan Matthew Brown) and Elder Price (Liam Tobin). The first song of the show started us off with a funny and intriguing spectacle, which will make you excited for the rest of the musical.
Cunningham is an eccentric, exciting character who Brown can portray through many mannerisms, not just acting, bringing the character to life. Tobin is also an amazing actor and seems to ease into his character throughout the show.
The stage setup was amazing, displaying creative uses of props and backgrounds. Along with the physical set, the lighting was amazing and changed the mood of any scene. The choreography and humor in Turn It Off were on point and made me laugh right out of my seat. Although, some of the singing was weak, at least for the ensemble.
Speaking of singing, Nabulungi (Aliyah Chanelle Scott) is an amazing singer and her solos are breathtaking. Her acting is also fantastic, finding it hard to find a flaw in her performance. The anger and sadness that Scott felt draw you in, making you sympathize with the character, which shows incredible talent.
General Butt Fucking Naked (Corey Jones) is also an amazing actor. For the few times he was on stage he struck fear in the audience.
The show made it seem that they'd been rehearsing for months, but after speaking with a cast member, some of the actors joined the 8-year tour as early as last month! This also applies to the orchestra. We had four locals who had only practiced for about one day before opening night! No mistakes and the musicians that toured with the group seemed to play in complete harmony with the new additions.
To point out a specific part of the musical is the Spooky Mormon Hell Dream. The costume design, choreography, humor, and singing was perfect. I loved the set, the jokes, and the energy of the show in general.
The show ends parodying the first song from Act 1, Hello, with African missionaries instead of white ones. Cunningham's prophet was extremely creative and a perfect way to end an amazing show. Don't miss your chance to see this show! Tickets are available at http://popejoypresents.com/2019-2020-season/the-book-of-mormon