Nyk Bielak and company of The Book of Mormon. Photo by Jeff Busby.
The story follows two young Mormon missionaries as they set off to convert the masses as part of their right of passage. The self-obsessed Elder Price (Blake Bowden) is teamed with compulsive liar, Elder Cunningham (Nyk Bielak) and together they leave clean, bright, sunny Utah for war-torn, impoverished, Uganda. There, local village girl Nabulungi (Tigist Strode), helps Elder Cunningham to convince the village to be baptised. Only Elder Cunningham has to re-invent the Book of Mormon in order to persuade the villagers to literally, and metaphorically, take the plunge.
The production is not for the faint-hearted or easily offended. The fay world of musical theatre with its bright lights, smiles and hopes of a better tomorrow, is pitched up against the reality of life as represented by the African villagers. The cast sing, dance, smile and jazz-hand about AIDS, Warlords, female circumcision and maggots in your scrotum. The village anthem, ‘Has Diga Eebowai’, is about as far from the Lion King’s ‘Hakuna Matata’, as you can imagine. The production is profane, rude, and leaves no PC sacred cow unscathed. It’s also very funny, in an ‘I can’t believe I’m laughing at that’ kind of way.
The musical was written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone along with Broadway musical veteran Robert Lopez, who has Disney’s Frozen among other notable titles on his CV. Parker and Stone confess their love of Monty Python, and there is much in their work that is reminiscent of the borderline offensive material of the English comedy team.
Actors Bowen and Beilak had big shoes to fill. In Melbourne, the roles of Elders Price and Cunningham were played by Ryan Bondy and AJ Holmes, long-standing cast members from the Broadway production. Bowen is the first Australian to play the role of Elder Price, and Canadian Beilak was standby Elder Cunningham on Broadway and the West End. Both stepped up to the lead roles during the Sydney run of the show. The shoes appear to be fitting comfortably, however, with Bielak’s hapless and hopeless Elder Cunningham and Bowen’s feckless Elder Price making a great double act.
The company of The Book of Mormon. Photo by Jeff Busby.
New Zealander, Joel Granger is worth a special mention for his shimmying, sashaying portrayal of suppressed gay, Elder McKinley. He heads an enthusiastic and impressive international ensemble cast who steal the show.
Direction, set design and and staging are all faithful to the original production. Framed by a religious-themed proscenium arch, the set contrasts the cool blues and open space of Salt Lake City with the red earth and dust of Africa. The direction pays homage to every musical cliché, with romantic duets, impassioned solos and full-smile ensemble numbers. The orchestra, under the direction of David Yong, gives a robust performance, even though once or twice the music seems to drown out the song lyrics.
Some musicals transcend time, and others are trumped by it. The Book of Mormon is a well honed product that has toured the world and has been brought to Australia by the mighty musical machine that is the Frost Organisation. Apart from the cast, the Australian production of Book of Mormon is a carbon copy of the production that opened on Broadway eight years ago. While the world has moved on a lot since then, the jibe at the perception, ‘Wouldn’t the world be lovely if only everyone else was a little bit more like us?’ perhaps has more resonance today than ever.
Rating: 4 ½ stars ★★★★☆
The Book of Mormon
Book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
Cast: Blake Bowen Nyk Bielak, Tigist Strode, Tyson Jennette, Joel Granger
Directors: Casey Nicholaw, Trey Parker
16 March – 31 May, 2019
Lyric Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane
