Review: BOOK OF MORMON Triumphs at Wharton Center

"Why can't more men snag theatre tickets for their sweet hearts?" asked the lady in red, to which the gentleman in blue retorted, "I didn't know Mormons couldn't snag theatre tickets; they have a really restrictive belief system, you know."

I love Mormons. I met my first church member while I was a teenager, studying my family history. They archive practically every family tree ever recorded. It has something to do with their religion, but they don't really like to talk about it, similar to their stance on magic underwear. Now on stage at The Wharton Center for Performing Arts on the campus of Michigan State University is the wickedly cutting, outrageously hysterical "Book of Mormon," a musical satire that unearths all those little idiosyncrasies associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This performance was magical, I could almost feel the mana imbued in the actors' magic underwear. One of the stars, Cody Jamison Strand who plays Elder Cunningham, gave a performance to die for.

Strand can modulate his voice just like Jerry Lewis used to do in those old comedies in the 50s, and project mania like Daffy Duck on methamphetamine and rock combined. This actor is more than brilliant, he is a national treasure. I'm a fat boy and I know how hard it is jump into the air and make all those crazy leg movements before landing, but Stand can pull this off like an Olympic athlete. It has to be seen to be believed. From the moment he appeared on the stage, the audience knew he was a star among stars. This boyish, bubbly, chubbly, cuddly vertically-challenged genius is dynamite in the flesh. Strand was adorable from his first line [no reference to powder intended]; his cute little baby face lit up the room of a thousand. The audience confirmed their adoration for Strand and the entire cast by offering thunderous applause and a standing ovation.

Strand's sidekick Ryan Bondy was sensational as Elder Price, the lanky and handsome chap who wants to make the world a better place, and get every imaginable credit for it along the way. His performance of "I Believe" sent chills down my spine. It hits close to home, because I grew up in a ridiculously conservative community where people believed anything their religious leaders told them; it actually led to two unrelated murders "for God." Price believes with his whole heart that "in 1978 God changed his mind about black people," "God lives on a planet called Kolob," and "the Garden of Eden was in Jackson County, Missouri." Of course, these things could be true; I'm no expert on religion.

What I love about this show is it highlights people can have very different religious beliefs and still be wonderful people. I would love to live in a Mormon community; I would not have to worry about my safety, the lawns would be kept impeccably manicured, and there would be no waiting in line at Starbucks. I know many marvelous Mormons, and every single one is meticulously, excruciatingly, phenomenally well-behaved. Of course, I would be "that one" in the neighborhood who is going to Hell for drinking Diet Coke (and putting other things in my mouth).

I love the parallel Price makes between Orlando and Heaven. Each place is one where he desperately wishes to go; each one is the ultimate destination in his mind. Of course, Orlando is not all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows. One must consider Orlando is also the place where a zealot mass murdered infidels (as perceived in his religion), and where an alligator crept up onto a Disney beach and snatched a toddler away, carrying him deep into the lagoon. As humans we dream of Utopia, some mystical place where there are no sad thoughts. In some ways, it is easier to "turn it off" than deal with reality. My shrink contends there are drugs that should work quite well for those indications.

Daxton Bloomquist shined in the "Turn it off" number as Elder McKinley, the blond farceur whose character is struggling with the possibility being gay. I've been down that road. My road was flanked by homes where homosexuality was considered something the Devil made one do; they never considered being gay was a trait, like being left handed. Of course, the early church used to kill off left-handed people too. Bravo to fabulous Bloomquist.

Book of Mormon is colorful, delightful, outrageous and filled with really easy to enjoy tunes. The playwrights have created a spectacular hit. I'm hoping they will come out with the sequel: "The Koran." I'll keep my fingers crossed.

THE BOOK OF MORMON features book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. Parker and Stone are the four-time Emmy Award-winning creators of the landmark-animated series, South Park. Tony Award winner Lopez is co creator of the long-running hit musical comedy, Avenue Q. The musical is choreographed by Tony Award-winner Casey Nicholaw (Monty Python's Spamalot, The Drowsy Chaperone) and is directed by Nicholaw and Parker.

THE BOOK OF MORMON is the winner of nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score (Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, Matt Stone), Best Book (Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, Matt Stone), Best Direction (Casey Nicholaw, Trey Parker), Best Featured Actress (Nikki M. James), Best Scenic Design (Scott Pask), Best Lighting Design (Brian MacDevitt), Best Sound Design (Brian Ronan) and Best Orchestrations (Larry Hochman, Stephen Oremus); the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical; five Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical; the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album; four Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Best Musical; and the Drama League Award for Best Musical.

THE BOOK OF MORMON features set design by Scott Pask, costume design by Ann Roth, lighting design by Brian MacDevitt and sound design by Brian Ronan. Orchestrations are by Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus. Music direction and vocal arrangements are by Stephen Oremus.

The original Broadway cast recording for THE BOOK OF MORMON, winner of the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, is available on Ghostlight Records.

For further information, kindly visit BookOfMormonTheMusical.com .

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