Review: THE BOOK OF MORMON at The Paramount Theatre

Dear Readers, I hope you already have your tickets to “The Book of Mormon”, currently playing at the Paramount Theatre, because it’s pretty much sold out.  And with good reason as it’s a near perfect show.

The Tony winner from those “South Park” boys, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, has no business being as good as it is.  This buddy comedy of two Mormon missionaries, the golden boy Elder Price (Sam McLellan) and the awkward, screw up Elder Cunningham (Sam Nackman), as they’re sent on their Mormon mission to Uganda.  Once there they find that converting the local villagers might not be as easy as they think what with poverty, rampant AIDS sweeping the village, oh, and a local warlord (Dewight Braxton Jr.) threatening to kill everyone, or worse.  But the one bright spot is the eager and naïve Nabulungi (Keke Nesbitt) who buys into the teachings from Elder Cunningham.  Problem is, he likes to embellish what he doesn’t understand.

But like I said, it shouldn’t be this good.  I’ve seen other stuff from Parker and Stone (their South Park movie as well as their stage play “Cannibal: The Musical” and more) and they’re all fun, but not great.  Luckily, they also teamed up with Robert Lopez (of “Avenue Q” and “Frozen” fame) and his brilliant songwriting combined with their irreverent sense of humor and this show became unstoppable.  It’s still running on Broadway and has been since 2011.  And with nine Tony wins including Best Musical, you can’t really deny how successful it is.  But as I said, it’s near perfect in my opinion.  Right from the first song which is also near perfect.  It manages to set the tone, introduce your main characters and what their journey will be, all while being a complete toe tapper that you’ll leave humming.  And then the show manages hit after hit with each new number.  And have I mentioned it’s hilarious?  True, the “South Park” style of humor might not be for everyone.  They do have a habit of finding that line of too much and then jumping right over it with giddy glee.  But if that is your style then this show is a no brainer for you.

If all that weren’t good enough, the choreography from Casey Nicholaw is absolute perfection.  I mean, where else can you get a tap number from a group of repressed Mormon boys?  And the direction from Nicholaw and Parker sets this out-of-control train on its path and never lets up. 

But what of this production?  The show is not bulletproof, it still needs a killer company to pull it off.  And this tour is it.  McLellan nails the too perfect to be real Elder Price, which makes his eventual downfall all the more hilarious.  Nackman had me worried for a second as he was taking Cunningham really over the top, but his commitment to that character and the layers in his performance he peeled away made for a great night.  Nesbitt was delightful.  She brought in a childlike sweetness to the role and her big, belty, ballad, “Sal Tlay Ka Siti” was a total showstopper in an evening full of them.  And the ensemble each brought their own moments of show stopping as well, making this an all-around stunning cast.

This is the production you want to see.  And so, with my three-letter rating system, I give “The Book of Mormon” at the Paramount Theatre an “It’s already an amazing show, and they nailed it!” YAY+.  But again, I hope you already have tickets.  That’s not to say you can’t check the website and try, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.  But hey, it’s still running in New York.  And it’s sure to come back again.

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