In what may go down as one of the funniest 20 minutes I’ve ever endured, the creators of “South Park”, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, invited Guyism and a group of New York City’s finest to whet our appetites on their new musical, “The Book Of Mormon”.
Like all Parker and Stone productions (see: “South Park”, “Team America”) this musical has the potential to truly offend. And not just the “Oh my, did they just say fuck on television?” sort of offensiveness. We’re talking the kind where two young Mormons fresh out of their Mormon training — Elders Price and Cunningham — head off to Uganda only to be greeted in song by Mafala Hatimbi to the tune of “Has-A-Diga-Eee-Bo-Eye”. Naturally, the song in English translates to “Fuck the Gods.”
In addition to the two veterans from “South Park” is Robert Lopez, creator of Broadway hit “Avenue Q”, who co-wrote the book, music and lyrics for “The Book Of Mormon”.
Parker and Stone have made pretty much an entire career of taking the things we revere most in society and flipping them on their ass, making it brutally offensive yet body-shaking funny. So before the curtains were pulled, we all knew we were in for something, especially when Trey Parker opened by saying, “You’ll know its done when you hear the word ‘cunt’ and everyone takes a bow.”
The story opens with a “South Park”-esque voice over for the three people on stage: Mormon, Jesus, and Moroni. However, this is the last real connection the musical has to the “South Park” series that Parker and Stone are so famous for. The main focus of the production are the two young elders and their struggles upon arriving in Northern Uganda.
Why Uganda you may ask? Lopez said, “We chose Uganda as a place where it would test anyone’s faith in God. Similar to recent Haiti, and New Orleans.”
Many have wondered why Parker and Stone have an obsession with both Mormons and their religious leader Joseph Smith. After having devoted an entire episode of South Park to Joseph Smith and the story of Mormon, why does the duo continue to tackle the subject?
“In terms of Mormonism, we are all just fascinated by it,” Parker told the crowd. “It’s such a new religion. We never came at this as ‘Hey, let’s do some Mormon bashing.’ I like every Mormon I’ve ever met. They’re just so damn nice.”
Despite the Mormons’ sunny dispositions, if I were a betting man, I’d go ahead and throw my money on this show pissing off at least a handful of people in the religious community when it debuts to the public on February 24th.