I wouldn't say overrated, I enjoyed it, but I do think maybe it's a little overhyped. After seeing all the love it was receiving on here, I was excited to finally see it and while I do think it was funny and a good show, it did leave me wondering where all the love for the show was coming from.
The boards here have a cycle like that anyway. If the show starts off great with good reviews and so on people will start hating it a few months later. It's just an excuse to keep talking here. It also goes the other direction, which shows that everyone rags on getting the scheduled "Oh It was actually a work of art" thread after it's closed. Women on the Verge is getting much more love on these boards now than it did when it was running.
Oh I can understand not liking it that is fine. But some people have raved about it. Now it's popular and they trash it. Look at Wicked no one can say positive things about it without getting criticized.
I thought it was very funny, I thought the music was sometimes good, but it won't have a life beyond Broadway. No regional theater will be able to do it, no high school will be able to do it, no college will be able to do it, etc.
I'm sure it'll have a nice long life on Broadway, though. It's a quality show - but yes, to answer the question, I do think it's a bit overrated.
"I thought it was very funny, I thought the music was sometimes good, but it won't have a life beyond Broadway. No regional theater will be able to do it, no high school will be able to do it, no college will be able to do it, etc."
Book of Mormon isn't nearly as explicit as some shows that have gone on to have very healthy lives outside of NYC.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
It's very funny, but to me, it's a Hasty Pudding Show, not a musical. I mean, the lyrics barely attempt to rhyme (Sorry, I'm a stickler in musical theater), and the music isn't particularly interesting. But some of the ideas behind the songs are great-- "Turn it Off" and "Hassa Diga Eebowai" in particular.
...how bad were these shows? I've honestly never seen anything as blatantly offensive as BOM - and that's why I think it won't have much of a life beyond Bway. If this show is done even the slightest bit wrong by an amateur cast, it will be awful. It'll be awful and it'll be offensive without carrying the message through. Songs like Hasa Diga Eebowai and Joseph Smith American Moses would not translate well in a significantly large part of the country.
It may tour - hell, it probably will - but as I said, I doubt any regional theater will ever even attempt it.
It's already been announced that the the tour is launching in December 2012.
I think that the notion it won't play because of its content is nonsense. It's a smash and it's by "the South Park guys". That will definitely draw crowds. Crowds who will know what to expect and be able to appreciate the satire.
As far as local productions go, after the censored version of Rent and Avenue Q have become so popular I don't think anything is off limits.
The album shows mormons as stupid people. One of the lines is did you jesus was born in the USA ? sure its funny ! but I do wonder seriously who would believe that to begin with. Who would think it is groundbreaking enough to win a tony. BBAJ is far more amazing one of the best albums I have heard excellent music and wonderful ground breaking lighting set costumes wow what a musical . I just love the fact it questions america's ideas of superiority and expansion .
I thought it was great. In my view, the show deserves every accolade it has gotten. It was witty, the songs are well-integrated, its a nice story, and the audiences love it. That's good enough for me.
"No regional theater will be able to do it, no high school will be able to do it, no college will be able to do it, etc."
I don't think that has anything to do with if you think the show is overrated or not. Personally (don't attack me about MY opinion) I think it's the best crafted show since The Producers. (Again, that is MY feeling.)
Anyway I don't think any regional or high school theatre will be doing Wicked or Phantom either, just it's not that kind of show, but i could be mistaken.
"The album shows mormons as stupid people. One of the lines is did you jesus was born in the USA ? sure its funny ! but I do wonder seriously who would believe that to begin with. Who would think it is groundbreaking enough to win a tony. BBAJ is far more amazing one of the best albums I have heard excellent music and wonderful ground breaking lighting set costumes wow what a musical . I just love the fact it questions america's ideas of superiority and expansion ."
Thank God the person who wrote this doesn't use the screen name 'PortalGrammar' as I thought he did at first!
I liked the music well enough- some songs like "Hasa Diga Eebowai" were funny and clever, but I felt that others went on for too long, mostly "I'm Gonna Baptize You" and the entire Orlando joke. It definitely isn't a stand-out score, in my opinion. My biggest problem, though, was with the ending. Without spoiling anything, I felt that they tried to go for the cookie-cutter easy-way-out ending, which I guess was designed to make us feel comfortable about all their jokes about Uganda. It ended up making me more uncomfortable, which I'm sure wasn't their intention. However, I will say I did laugh-out-loud multiple times, and don't regret the money I spent.
I do. It's not as funny, or good as Avenue Q, which it has been compared to, but I still think it's the best new musical of this season, and that's not saying much. Great year for plays, and a couple of musical revivals though!
While I did really enjoy it, I would say that Book of Mormon is heavily overrated.
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