Book of Mormon Musical References

[darquegk]

As far as I can tell, "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream" is less a reference to any particular musical as to the Alice Cooper concerts/musical spectaculars of the Seventies, complete with the people dancing in skeleton costumes and the unexpected top-hats-and-canes kickline segment.

Bonus points because Alice Cooper himself has a background in Mormonism!

[hhaarriissoonn]

I think ALL AMERICAN PROPHET is a pretty obvious Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat reference. Even tho Price references Donnie Osmond because he is a mormon I think it may also be pretty clearly setting up that he is homaging ALW/that show.

[hhaarriissoonn]

i double posted, oops sorry!

[beensince1987]

Right after "maple glaze..." in the beginning of Spooky Mormon Hell Dream (these 3 notes) is TOTALLY Doctor Who.
I noticed 1st time I heard it.

[tinysinger87]

In parts of the All American Prophet I hear the phantom of the opera!

[uncageg]

Thanks twin. It is Making Things Up.

[husk_charmer]

Spooky Mormon Hell Dream ALWAYS makes me think Hanna-Barbera, particularly Scooby-Doo

[uncageg]

The final song and reprise "Tomorrow is A Latter Day" strikes me as a nod to "You Can't Stop the Beat" from "Hairspray".

[MdG]

To me Hasa Diga Eebowai sounds like a typical song from ONCE ON THIS ISLAND. And Sal Tlay Ka Siti sounds A LOT like Solla Sollew from SEUSSICAL.

[Musical Director 109]

This is what I love about this show. It truly is structured as a real Golden Age musical.I think that the opening "Hello" is a parody of "Fugue for Tinhorns" from "Guys and Dolls".

[raker]

Watching the Tonys, I laughed when I heard "...A warlord who shoots people in the face. What's so scary about that?" Omigod, it's Maria Von Trapp!

[twinbelters]

I've read Hello was in part inspired by The Telephone Song from Bye Bye Birdy.

[raker]

"I Believe" was a little like "Everything's Coming Up Roses." Self-deluding characters have had a rude awakening, but instead of rethinking their commitment to the failures in Act 1 that brought them here, they sing songs enthusiastically affirming their commitments. There's hope and sadness in both songs.

[PalJoey]

Nice point, Raker.

Why has no one mentioned the multiple references to Wicked?

[best12bars]

They definitely did. Probably in another thread, PJ.

There was even an argument about whether or not You and Me (But Mostly Me) is a nod to The Wizard and I (... but mostly I) or Defying Gravity.

Maybe they all blew a gasket over it.

[i*heart*fame]

I'd argue that many of the Wicked/Mormon similarities might be attributed to the same orchestrator (Stephen Oremus)

[AvenueQResident]

Don't forget A Chorus Line, during I Am Africa!

[Barcelona]

i*heart*fame, you make a agood point, but I'm pretty sure that the "references" are intentional, as some of the motifs/melodies seem to come directly from Wicked, and that's not the orchestrator's job.

[wdwmom]

A few bars at the beginning of "Baptize Me" are nearly identical to the beginning of "Lamest Place in the World" from 13.

[gypsy4]

W.D Brohn Orchestrated Wicked! not steven oremus his Orchestrations for " You and Me" are a Rip off from brohns work.

[bwayguy22089]

Going off the original cast recording:

Two By Two = Little Shop of Horrors (starting at 3:44)
You and Me (But Mostly Me) = Defying Gravity (underscoring starting at :30), and the final "Me" is a nod to the end of The Wizard and I
All American Prophet = The Music Man (Rock Island/Trouble) (starting at 2:54)
Sal Tlay Ka Siti = a nod to Disney in general
Man Up (featured in the Entr'acte) = underscore to "I Hope I Get It" from A Chorus Line

Just my 2 cents

[scuzzo]

I think Man Up is very much like a song from Billy Elliot! Both are sort of angry...and both feature the character at the top of a staircase that gets pulled out and turns around! So there.

[Kad]

They're both from musicals, and sung by characters singing with emotion!

[Smaxie]

Most of the shows and songs that are referenced lyrically, musically or thematically (chief among them, The Sound of Music, The King & I, The Music Man, Wicked, The Lion King, Annie, Sunday in the Park With George, Menken and Ashman princess songs) have been discussed and acknowledged by the authors in print. I think some of the rest of you are just hearing things...

[BwayTday]

I was going to say. A lot of these seem a little far fetched...

Either the score is completely derivative, they meant to infuse all these references, or you guys are reading into it too much.

[scuzzo]

Tough crowd! Nice.