My Amazon Reviews: Original Cast "The Book of Mormon"

I Can't Believe Jesus Just Called me a D**k!
5 Out of 5 Stars

I recently saw an article that asked a hypothetical question: Given the choice between two new musicals, one written by two of the world's biggest rock stars about one of the most beloved Marvel Comic characters, and and the other a satirical look at religion as viewed through two dim-witted Mormons written by the creators of the potty-mouthed Comedy Central hit South Park, which would you have bet on to succeed? As history has proven, the U2 penned mega-bucks "Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark" is fighting for its life, while Trey Parker and Matt Stone with Andrew Lopez of "Avenue Q" fame, "The Book of Mormon" has emerged as the phenomenon.

A lot has to do with the gently and honestly affectionate take on musicals along with the hilarious, brutally honest and viscous pounding it gives to organized religion. There are nods and direct parodies of musicals from "The Lion King," "The Music Man," "Hair," "Rent" (a previous Parker/Stone target in "Team America") and Disney Movies. Once Elder Price (Andrew Rannells) and Elder Cunningham (Josh Gad) find themselves cast off to Uganda, they soon find themselves over their heads with Warlords, a population ravaged in famine and AIDS, and a beautiful village woman (Tony winner Nikki M. James). It's crass, offensive, takes no prisoners and will likely offend everyone at least once during the course of the 16 songs. Yet there are times when "The Book of Mormon" is sweetly fun (James' "Sal Tlay Ka Siti") or heroic "I Believe" (Rannels' show-stopping ballad) or even gut-bustingly hysterical ("Baptize Me").

While some say it is affectionate to religion, frankly, that is one thing I don't get from it. "The Book of Mormon" wastes no effort at hammering at religious hypocrisy, especially the climactic "Joseph Smith American Moses." On the other hand, where else could you hear Jesus, Yoda, Hobbits, Holy Frogs, Star Wars and The Lion King all boiled down to this kins of syrup? I predict that a million other parodic and scatological musicals will now attempt to launch, but none will be anywhere near as glorious as "The Book of Mormon."