Review: THE BOOK OF MORMON - You May Not Be Saved, But You Could Die Laughing

Like a group of Jehovah's Witnesses on steroids, The Book of Mormon is currently playing at the Music Hall in Kansas City. The Broadway Across America satire musical with book, lyrics, and music by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone runs through March 8. The creators of South Park, Stone, and Parker with Lopez's music have created a musical religious comedy that makes Monty Python, Benny Hill, and Saturday Night Live look like dramatic pieces.

The Book of Mormon opened on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in March of 2011, setting records for ticket sales for that venue. Upon opening, the musical won nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Book of a Musical among others. It also won the Outstanding Musical and four other Drama Desk Awards. Upon opening on Broadway, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a short response to production, but purchased advertising in the playbills of later runs.

Scott Pask masterfully creates an African village on the Music Hall stage, while the costuming by Ann Roth (especially for the Hell dream scene) puts the final touches on transporting the audience to the remote village. Casey Nicholaw co-directs with creator Trey Parker and provides the beautiful elaborate choreography.

Two recent graduates of training from the Mission Training Center for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints travel to Uganda to assist their fellow Elders in the baptism of villagers in the region. The group of Elders already in Uganda has proven to be unsuccessful in recruiting the villagers into the church. What happens to their soul in the afterlife is less important to the villagers than the brutal warlord, poverty, hunger, and AIDS epidemic that engulfs their homes. The two missionaries, Elder Price and Elder Cunningham, are naïve and inept at handling the assignment of the church.

Billy Harrigan Tighe magnificently stars as Elder Price, the self-confident recent graduate that looks to make a name for himself by converting the villagers to the Latter-day Saints. Each of the Elders are paired with a companion to work and live with and that they are never to leave their side. Price breaks the rule after the African warlord kills a villager in front of him, shaking his faith not only in humankind but also in his religion.

A. J. Holmes is hilarious as Elder Cunningham, the companion of Price who seems to have had five Red Bull's too many. Loud, animated, and a chronic liar he is tasked to be in the shadow of Price's work, until his friend flees and he has to take over the christening of the villagers. Teaching the residents The Book of Mormon becomes a daunting task, as he admits he has never read the book himself. His interpretation of the religious manuscript would make Joseph Smith turn over in his grave. It becomes more blatant as the villagers tell the President of the church what they have learned in song.

Alexandra Ncube is fantastic as Nabulungi who convinces the villagers to give Cunningham and the church a chance. Nabulungi is proud that she had traveled to the next village to buy a machine that she can text her friends on, unfortunately it is a typewriter.

Religion will never be funnier than in The Book of Mormon, which runs at the Music Hall through March 8. Purchase tickets by calling the Music Hall box office at 816-513-5000 or visit the Kansas City Theatre League website. Photo courtesy of the Theater League.

In Kansas City, the production will conduct a pre-show lottery at the Music Hall box office, making a limited number of tickets available at $25 each. 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 (1 or 2) 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 to purchase tickets. Limit one entry per person and two tickets per winner. Tickets are subject to availability.

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