The ridiculousness of the Book of Mormon- Page 3

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 11:27am

I figured as much.

Look, FWIW, you found it deep and meaningful? Go for it. I found it thin and facile and putting on this "here's the message part!" dress that, after everything else, didnt quite fit as well as folks around here seem to think. But I've always considered SOUTH PARK to be thin and shallow and covering it with a thin little veneer of "meaningful social commentary" that just gets in the way of (1) the fart jokes (or their equivalent) and (2) Kenny's getting killed in every episode.

But that's just my opinion, and God knows it's not gonna stop this thing from raking in the bucks, now is it?

Updated On: 8/10/11 at 11:27 AM

[Smaxie]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 12:36pm

For a show that is designed as a raucous, rollicking musical comedy, The Book of Mormon raises some challenging issues and questions: the Mormon church sends these young missionaries out all over the world at the age of 19, armed only with the book and their own zeal and belief system. They think they are ready to solve anything that comes their way, but what happens when they are confronted with a part of the world that God seems to have forgotten, on a continent that they only know from what they’ve seen in The Lion King? What is the true nature of faith – does it mean believing in everything blindly and literally, or is scripture meant to just be a guideline to live one’s life as a good, honest and caring person? What makes the beliefs of one religion any crazier than what another religion believes? The show also satirizes western self-congratulation and condescension in “I Am Africa” – the missionaries have baptized the Ugandans and think they now know everything there is to know about Africa (all done in the style of a “We Are the World” power ballad). And at the end of the show, we witness the birth of a new religion, with its own creation story and dogma.

It’s not a facile or easy piece of writing – to my mind, they’ve pulled off an amazing balancing act – a mainstream show that is provocative and subversive, and yet, warm-hearted and sweet-natured, even while gleefully foul-mouthed. In my opinion, it is not a show to dismiss with the back of one’s hand. I’m hard pressed to think of a recent musical comedy that accomplishes as much as Book of Mormon does, and does it without breaking a sweat.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 1:13pm

Well, when you cut through it all, you're probably right and I'm probably wrong. And here's why: they're un NY making a ton of money, and I'm sitting here with a barely functional laptop and the remnants of any pretensions to a career as a stage designer. They obviously read it right, and I blew it. So that just makes it plain, I guess.

Whatever.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 2:43pm

I am not saying you are wrong or are not entitled to your opinion. Elsewhere on this thread, you described the show as "mindless," "style over substance," "two hours of fart jokes". I wanted to offer a counter argument as to why I don't believe that to be true, in the spirit of message board discourse.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 3:51pm

But here's the deal: I'm clearly wrong. You and everyone else are obviously right. What I see as mindless, you guys — and more importantly, the audiences willing to plunk down a couple of hundred bucks — view as.. I dont know.. deep and meaningful. . So let's just leave it at that and move the hell on, because there is no discussion here.

[Owen22]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 4:25pm

I dunno, we keep saying "people's opinions are subjective". No. I think when people point at a blue sky and say its brown it is no longer opinion. In my opinion.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 4:57pm

Whatever, dude.

[JP2]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 5:12pm

Bro, u mad?

[Rage and Love]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 6:58pm

Bettyboy72, I'm not talking about just myself, but others too who I have seen post an opinion on a thread and get personally attacked just because of certain feelings they have, which I think is histrionic in itself. However as for myself, I went on telecharge and searched for rear mezz tickets from now until the last selling date and it told me no tickets were available. It also said the show had no available seats at all until January. As far as I know that means it is sold out. If there is another way of obtaining tickets, scaplers, canceled orders, SRO, lotto, so be it, please tell me.

[Rage and Love]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 7:08pm

I also did not create this thread to start any fights between anyone.Poor Sean Martin is being chased by an angry mob with pitch forks. We are theater-goers and as far as I am concerned we are classy people.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 7:18pm

No, dude, I'm not being chased away. It;s just Harsh Reality Moment, that's all. Nothing important. Carry on.

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 8:18pm

Maybe if you stopped complaining about not getting tix, you could possible try for standing room or lotto...just an idea

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 8:24pm

Dude, learn to read. I didnt complain about not getting tickets. I've seen it, thanks. It was the OP -- you know, the guy who started this thread -- who said that.

Are we clear now?

[denali.fire]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 8:28pm

The Eugene O'Neil does not have bedbugs....its got maggots in it its Scrotum.

DF

[Rage and Love]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 8:31pm

*Girl who started this thread. Anyway, I haven't done SRO or lotto because it's hard to get time off from work. It's better when I know I definitely have the seat so I don't miss work for nothing.

[charlesjguiteau]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 9:05pm

I can't believe I'm the only one out there who totally agrees with Sean on the Mormon question. We paid $132 each or so to see the show in April from the left orchestra (row M I think). We had been mildly entertained by the Southpark movie, but often laugh hysterically at the antics on the Southpark TV show.

So....

We absolutely hated the show. Stared at the cheering throngs around us in complete bafflement. We were lightly amused by "Hello" and actually really enjoyed "Turn It Off", but it was all downhill from there. Where was the wit and wordplay of Southpark? Why were the Mormons played for sympathy and the Africans all played for scatological laughs in scene after scene? You folks on this thread seem to have found higher levels of deep profundity in those lyrics and that libretto, but all my audience wanted to do was laugh at another reprise of F*** God in the C***. There was simply no emotional connection I could make to any character on that stage black or white, that wasn't undercut by a gratuitously smutty punchline a scene or two later. Where was the polish and snap that their best TV episodes offered? Watching those episodes made us feel smarter for having caught all the pop-culture jokes they batter you with. Watching the Broadway show made us feel dumber than a 13-year-old and as prudish as an 80-year-old. Not a combination I ever want to repeat. Give me the wit and laughs and heart (along with plenty of f**ks and s**ts) of Billy Elliott any day.

[littlegreen2]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 9:13pm

I haven't seen this show but I think it's silly for anyone to say that it's mindless or a "two hour fart joke", hyperbole or not. It doesn't take a genius to see that this show is incredibly smart, even if I'm not a huge fan and haven't seen it live. The satirical essence gives so much life to the show and the messages it provides its audiences with are genuine and thought-provoking. I think it goes deeper than 'magical AIDS frog' and has a very smart book.

Just my $0.02.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 9:23pm

@Rage-the key is not to panic. Keep checking Telecharge every day or whenever you think about it. You can even call Telecharge and ask them to keep checking. They are happy to do it. Call them everyday. You will get something in the Rear Mezz_ I guarantee it. Good luck. :)

Its takes some effort and diligence to get seats and I think that irritates some people. They (not referring to you Rage) call up and just expect to get tickets for the day and show they want. Thats not how it is working at this point. Some people just give up. Those who dont, usually get tickets without paying premium.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 9:29pm

>> I haven't seen this show but I think it's silly for anyone to say that it's mindless or a "two hour fart joke", hyperbole or not. It doesn't take a genius to see that this show is incredibly smart, even if I'm not a huge fan and haven't seen it live

If you havent seen it... well, sorry, but zero credence. Come back *after* you've seen it, and then let me know how smart and profound it is.

[Rage and Love]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 9:30pm

Ok Bettyboy. Thanks for the tip. Wish I had $ for premiums. Still baffled that a show would be so hard to see. Normally, you want to see a show, you just see it.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 8/10/11 at 9:38pm

Rage, I agree it can t frustrating to not be able to just go see a show when you want. However, there is a part of me that is totally thrilled that something is a runaway hit. we need more of them on Broadway.

I almost lost on Anything Goes for the same reason. Couldn't get a single ticket to save my life even when I went to the box office and gave them a few days of availability. I ended up getting a ticket the day before the show at the Times Square visitor center. Who would have thought? I never gave up though. :)