After a dozen years since its Broadway opening and a few national tours, “The Book of Mormon” isn’t quite as shocking as it once was.
But it’s still a helluva good time.
The nine-time Tony Award-winning religious satire written by “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone along with composer Robert Lopez — at Detroit’s Fisher Theatre through Sunday, March 19 — certainly hasn’t lost its bite over time. The show’s razor-sharp jabs at spiritual piety are still audacious and jaw-dropping — Google the translation of “Hasa Diga Eebowai” — but wickedly funny. And all-inclusive to boot. If you drank a shot every time an F-bomb dropped you’d be blotto halfway through the first act.
And rest assured that you’ll never look at amphibians the same way after seeing this show.
But at this juncture “The Book of Mormon,” which follows young missionaries in their attempt to convert a small village in Uganda to the faith of Joseph Smith, has woven its way into the cultural fabric. What once stunned and even offended is now comfortable — still edgy, but entirely acceptable, perhaps partly owing to the more profound wickedness found every day on social media. Even those seeing “Mormon” for the first time likely know what they’re getting into and check their sensitivities at the door. It may not turn everybody away from their chosen version of the Bible, but “Mormon” lightens the load of any faith.
Now, then, it’s down to how well the show is delivered — and it’s certainly in capable hands with the current touring company.
“Mormon’s” leads are crucial, of course, and Sam Nackman (Elder Arnold Cunningham) and Sam McLellan (Elder Price) are spot-on the show’s endearing odd couple. Nackman’s role is scene-stealing and he does just that with an array of vocal tones and facial reactions and tight comic timing, tossing a bit of Julia Sweeney’s androgynous Pat O’Neill Riley character into his portrayal. As the story’s ultimate hero (NOT a spoiler 12 years later), Nackman makes his Arnold relatable and even grounded, implying over-the-top without compromising the character’s integrity — a delicate feat even in a show that’s designed to push and poke a great deal.
McLellan, too, is deftly understated for what his role could be; his Elder Price is not quite as egotistical as some of his predecessors have played it, and subtle spin that reminds us the character is, in fact, young, naive and uninformed, especially in the brutal environment to which he’s been assigned. McLellan also nails his showpiece number, “I Believe,” with show-stopping gusto.
And then there’s an ensemble of actors who clearly understand and buy into the theatrical circus that makes “Mormon” so special. The big showpieces — “Hello,” “Making Things Up Again,” “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream,” “Joseph Smith American Moses” — are delivered with ebullient joy, with almost too many riffs and twists, both visual and lyrical, to catch in real time. Nobody holds back, and even the quieter moments flow nicely into the next onslaught of raucous send-ups.
That energy is what’s allowing “Mormon” to age well, and better than some of its heritage peers. Religious parody, especially a good and even insightful one like this, will always be valid, and the wit and fearless attack of “Mormon” will maintain its credibility in delivering that message.
“The Book of Mormon” runs through Sunday, March 19 at the Fisher Theatre, 3011 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit. $50 and up. 313-872-1000 or broadwayindetroit.com.
