No, it hasn’t.
I feel like this is the kind of thing that might have been awesome ten or fifteen years ago, but after all the South Park, Avenue Q, pairing of innocent/cute things with dirty words, it sort of feels like it’s trying a bit hard. Is there really going to be anything in this show that doesn’t have its basic roots in South Park?
As I was watching the Stewart interview I was thinking I’ve gotta make this a priority during my summer trip to the states. Does it live up to his gushing?
Stewart isn’t a good interviewer. I usually turn off the show once they start. He never gives the subject enough time to answer, and is too busy trying to interject his own thoughts into the discussion.
But, as a big fan of Matt and Trey, I tried to struggle through it, and it was bad by even Stewart standards. Everybody was stuttering and interrupting each other’s thoughts.
So, I saw it last night. I really loved it, it’s quite funny… but of course only if you find South Park type humor funny. Unsurprisingly, if that sort of humor bothers you then this will as well. The overall commentary on religion in general is actually quite favorable, although yes there is definitely a good deal of profanity and blasphemy. I think being able to say objectively that certain things in (insert your religion here) are patently silly but yet I still believe is a more positive and powerful message than simple blind faith is.
The plot is just as AndyPolley said. I think I loved the African Song and the Mormon Hell Dream the best. I now know that Mormon Hell includes Hitler, Johnny Cochran and dancing cups of coffee 
It’s certainly in that vein, and I suppose everyone has their limit of how much of a certain type of thing they can stand, but I didn’t find it redundant or get the feeling they were trying too hard. This is very much a case of YMMV.
My overall comment is that it is good, if you like that sort of thing.
Saw the show on the 14th. Big fan of South Park and traditional Broadway musicals. From beginning to end the show is a riot. The boys parody several shows such as Lion King, the Music Man, Chorus Line and Alter Boys. The songs are great. The dancing is terrific. As to Joseph Smith being a character, yes. But not in the traditional sense. They juxtapose the story of these two young missionaries with some background on Mormonism through some short vignettes.
If you get a chance to see it, it’s phenomenal. If you’re easily offended by language they use every curse word in the book in the show!
That’s not true. They are mismatched in their enthusiasm for missionary work and their scholarly understanding of the Book of Mormon.
FYI, the New York Times review of the show is quite positive. I’d even call it a rave review. Here’s the lede, “This is to all the doubters and deniers out there, the ones who say that heaven on Broadway does not exist, that it’s only some myth our ancestors dreamed up. I am here to report that a newborn, old-fashioned, pleasure-giving musical has arrived at the Eugene O’Neill Theater, the kind our grandparents told us left them walking on air if not on water. So hie thee hence, nonbelievers (and believers too), to ‘The Book of Mormon,’ and feast upon its sweetness.”
I just got tickets for my wife and I go see this when we are in New York this coming August. It sounds great!
Well, it was created by the people behind South Park and Avenue Q, so in a sense that’s what you should expect. But since they combined their talents, it could be even better than what either of them has been able to produce on their own. Judging by what people who have seen it have said, that might be the case.
I haven’t seen it yet, but everyone I’ve spoken to who has seen it has really loved it.
I just got back from seeing it. I bought tickets right after I saw Stewart gushing about it.
I enjoyed every minuted of it. Some of the shock humor was lost on me because I’m throughly desensitized to that sort of thing, but the whole thing was satire at it’s best.
The song that Stewart said he loved so much during the interview got an extended applause.
Stop the Presses! Brent Bozell doesn’t like it.
http://www.mrc.org/bozellcolumns/columns/2011/20110330063209.aspx
I want to see it. I heard a great interview on NPR recently and it sounded fabulous and unexpectedly sweet.
I thought it worth it to resurrect this thread in order to point out out that the entire cast recording is available to hear for free on NPR’s site here First Listen: Cast Recording, 'The Book Of Mormon' : NPR
It’s still a few days out from the official release so it’s nice for those of us very far from NYC to be able to sit and listen to the whole thing. My thoughts are that these guys know their musical theatre and this is just a triumph of musical comedy. I can’t wait to see the Tony performance and whether this filthy but sweet show can actually pull off best musical. I know Avenue Q did it, but this is just a whole different level of content acceptability.
I saw the show over the weekend and loved every minute of it! It was easily the funniest show I’ve ever seen. I could not *believe *some of the things they said, which just made them funnier! The music was catchy and the actors had great chemistry together.
It really is a great show, I hope it does very well at the Tonys!
I saw it a month ago when I was in NYC with the girlfriend. I’ve never laughed so hard in my life!!! Crazy funny. Crazy rude and crazy vulgar!
Worth every penny.
I do have a question for anyone who has both seen the show and listened to the cast recording that I linked to a few posts earlier.
Is there anything about the show that is notably different from what is in that recording, anything especially creative in the book, or any significant visual elements that you feel add to the show that you are completely blind to if you just listen to the recording?
I mean I’m sold just based on the recording alone, but I’d be interested to hear all the awesomeness I’m missing out on.
You don’t get to see the really exuberant Mormon boys dancing around.
You miss seeing the people of Uganda and how the Mormons react to them.
There are also plenty of visual jokes that you don’t see in the recording. Especially in the Mormon hell dream song.
Many thanks for this link! I’ve been listening to Hasa Diga Eebowai on a loop!