Book of Mormon Musical References

[henryt]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 8:27pm

The score for Book of Mormon seems to filled with musical references to other shows. Some are obvious, like Hasa Diga Eebowai being a reference to Hakuna Matata. Another one that stands out to me is that You and Me (But Mostly Me) sounds a good deal like the Wizard and I.

I also noticed that during the monologue prior to Orlando, the orchestra is playing a modified version of the score to Fantasmic. This also might be a coincidence, but the beginning of the dance break during Two By Two reminds me of one of the dance breaks in Cats.

Can anyone else find any other references to other songs/shows in the score?

[Harpz2006]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 8:35pm

I Believe- beginning is parody of "I Have Confidence" from Sound of Music

Sal Tlay Ka Siti- similar to "Part of Your World" and "Somewhere That's Green" (which are already basically the same song, haha)

Tomorrow is a Latter Day- sounds a lot like "You Can't Stop the Beat" at the instrumental breaks especially and the "HELLOOOO" at the end sounds like the end of Wicked (WICKEDDDD!!!)

All American Prophet- sounds like We Got Trouble from The Music Man

I enjoy all these clever references! I'm sure there are more!

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 8:39pm

"Joseph Smith American Moses" is a clear parody of "The Small House of Uncle Thomas" from The King and I

[iflip4musicals]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 8:40pm

IMO the "references" seem more like rip offs, though I've never been the biggest fan of parodies.

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 8:41pm

I'm with you, iflip, but I've already had this argument in another thread right after the cast recording came out.

[iflip4musicals]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 8:44pm

I remember reading it, just thought I'd throw it out again :)

[suttonfoster]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 8:53pm

In You and Me (But Mostly Me) when Price sings about Orlando it has the same melody in Tomorrow from ANNIE

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 9:03pm

I've said it before but no one's agreed with me... "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream" is based off of "Carpe Noctem" from "Tanz Der Vampire/Dance of The Vampires." Right down to the costumes, choreography and orchestrations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg31lVBp9YY&t=4m18s

[OhTossums2]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 9:04pm

All American Prophet reminds me of The Miracle Song from Altar Boyz

[LesMiz24601]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 9:09pm

I keep thinking the end of "Tomorrow is a Latter Day" sounds a whole lot like the ending of "The Color Purple (Reprise)"

Also "Man Up" seems to be a reference to the classic "Act One Finale" that throws in all of the major songs of the act...(aka: Les Miserables)

[Katurian2]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 9:32pm

This was discussed on a previous thread, but there's actually a name for that montage of reprises of songs in the Act 1 finale. I'm not going to dig it up right now, but that's not something Les Mis invented, and Parker/Stone have done it before in South Park the movie with 'La Resistance,' and THAT was a direct Les Mis parody. I don't think 'Man Up' was meant to be so though, at least not as overtly.

[darquegk]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 9:44pm

The word quodlibet is a similar concept in opera, but in musical theatre, the accepted term is either montage or, more recently, a massively multiplayer ensemble number.

[trentsketch]

Posted: 6/25/11 at 10:50pm

sbflyfan, I'm really not seeing or hearing it at all. To me, Spooky Mormon Hell Dream is a play on generic rock opera and cartoonish visions of hell. The backdrops and costumes are straight out of the Disney short where Pluto goes to hell and is tried by cats for his crimes on earth. The only similarity I saw, which judging by how short the show ran on Broadway and how little Matt/Trey visited NYC before they really got to work on this show, was some of the movement of the shirtless character and the devil. However, I don't think either are particularly novel in their approach to the dark side.

And how easily we skip over the clear references. The woman at the airport is doing Rafiki in The Lion King. Bobby Lopez wrote Hasa Diga Ebowai to try and riff on Disney nonsense songs, in particular Hakuna Matata (that's from the month of Broadway.com videos leading to the Tonys).

[Taryn]

Posted: 6/26/11 at 2:09am

"I Believe" sounds so incredibly close to the song of the same name from Altar Boyz. Very similar melodic structure.

And not actually a reference, I'm sure—but I can't help feeling like "Baptize Me" is a less clever version of "The Mass Duet" from POPE! An Epic Musical from the Fringe Festival last summer.

[tazber]

Posted: 6/26/11 at 7:27am

Not a musical theater reference, but I Am Africa calls to mind a "We Are The World" type of song.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 6/26/11 at 10:36am

"Sal Tlay Ka Siti- similar to "Part of Your World" and "Somewhere That's Green" (which are already basically the same song, haha)"

It serves the same purpose as those two songs, as do many other songs in many other musicals. It's called the "I want" song, and it is far from uncommon for that song to appear in the form of a ballad for the primary female character. It's part of the reason I never understood the reason for "The World Above" in The Little Mermaid. Did Ariel really need another "I want" song before the famous one that everyone knows that states exactly the same thing?

[Kad]

Posted: 6/26/11 at 11:01am

The creators have stated that they conceived Nabalungi as a Disney Princess-esque sort of personality.

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 6/26/11 at 12:43pm

Price's final "MEEEEEEEEE" in You and Me (But Mostly Me) is a refer-off of Elphaba's "It's MEEEEEEE!!!" in Wicked, complete with lights focused on him and then exploding outwards (anyone who has seen it knows what i mean)

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 6/26/11 at 2:20pm

AEA AGMA SM, I am aware that "Sal Tlay Ka Siti" is Book of Mormon's version of the "I Want" song. I think that the similarity to "Somewhere That's Green" is more relevant, because the musical introduction to the song sounds just like the intro to the main part of "Somewhere That's Green" (right before "A tract house of our own, a fence of real chain link..." Also, I think the reference is more relevant because both of these songs are sort of meant to be sweet, but also funny "I Want" songs. Audrey dreaming of "a grill out on the patio, disposal in the sink" is humorously naive as is Nabulungi dreaming of a place where "they have vitamin injections by the case."

[ILuv2shop531]

Posted: 6/26/11 at 5:59pm

"Man Up" reminds me a little of "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" from Mulan

[Harpz2006]

Posted: 6/26/11 at 6:35pm

AEA, I meant that "Sal Tlay Ka Siti" is melodically similar to those two songs, and not simply the fact that it's a female "I want" song. For instance, all three songs have the same melody on the line at the end of the song establishing that they're off to a better place-

"I'm on my way..." Sal Tlay Ka Siti
"Far from Skid Row..." Somewhere That's Green
"Out of the sea"... Part of Your World

ALL the same tune!!

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 6/27/11 at 5:28am

In the beginning of "Making Things Up Again", the notes Cunningham sings on the word "imagination" are strikingly similar to the "Imagination-land" song from the South Park episode.

[JillianSch]

Posted: 6/27/11 at 5:45am

I agree with the poster who said "I believe" sounds like "I have Confidence" from the Sound of Music!!

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/27/11 at 12:48pm

I forget which song but there is a reference to a song from Sunday in the Park With George.

[twinbelters]

Posted: 6/27/11 at 5:27pm

That's what I was about to say, uncageg. "You're Making Things Up Again, Arnold" lifts elements from "Putting It Together".