The Book of Mormon - Devoted Missionaries Make its Way to LA Once Again
The national tour of The Book of Mormon makes its latest missionary stop at the Ahmanson Theatre, opening February 18, 2020. Created from the hilarious minds of South Park creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon follows the misadventures of newbie missionaries travelling globally to convert the world and all of the "unlucky" items along the way.
The company of “The Book of Mormon.” With book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone, choreography by Casey Nicholaw and direction by Nicholaw and Parker, “The Book of Mormon” will be presented by Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre February 18 through March 29, 2020. Photo by Julieta Cervantes.
Photo by Julieta Cervantes.
Elder Price, played by Liam Tobin, is devout and enthusiastic, albeit a little pompous and overconfident missionary is paired up with a clumsy, happy-go-lucky, newbie who knows little to nothing about the religion. Price, a perfectionist and devout Mormon, has his eyes set on being sent to Orlando to spread the word, however his dreams fall flat when he is sent to a danger zone of Uganda. The goal is to convert more followers, however, the unlikely pair is in the center of as Price would describe, “hell”. A place where the streets aren't safe, neither is the village, and apparently the only doctor in the area has maggots in his scrotum.
The Book of Mormon continues to draw such massive audiences while earning an impressive amount of revenue year after year.
“I think what is really great about the show is to really see the difference between Elder Price, who has always been the best at things, and Elder Cunningham, who has always certainly not been the best at things,” Tobin said. “To see how the two of them experience these things as they happen to them, to see how they overcome obstacles really make the show funny, and a joy to watch.”
Elder Cunningham, played by Jordan Matthew Brown, steals the show with his oblivious antics especially when he is uncomfortable. This duo steals the heart of the audience with their catchy tunes and raunchy “Southpark-esque” dark humor.
“You actually care for these characters,” Tobin stated. “That’s aside from just having an awesome time and escaping for a couple of hours. But also, for seasoned theater goers, there are a lot of nods to classic Broadway hits.”
The broadway production is not for the faint of heart as it makes fun of what some would consider to be sensitive issues, however IMO - it’s worth viewing!
The Book of Mormon runs through March 29 at the Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., or centertheatregroup.org.
