From the New York Times:
‘Book of Mormon’ Announces Cast and Designers
By ERIK PIEPENBURG
“The Book of Mormon,” the first Broadway musical from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of “South Park,” has found its Mormons.
Josh Gad, a correspondent on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” and Andrew Rannells (“Jersey Boys”) will play Elders Cunningham and Price, “a pair of mismatched Mormon boys sent on a mission to a place that’s about as far from Salt Lake City as you can get,” as described in a press release. Other cast members include Nikki M. James (“All Shook Up”), Rory O’Malley (“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”) and Michael Potts (“Grey Gardens”). Additional casting is still to be announced.
The design team includes Scott Pask (sets), Ann Roth (costumes), Brian MacDevitt (lighting) and Brian Ronan (sound).
Mr. Stone and Mr. Parker wrote the book, music and lyrics for “Book of Mormon” with Robert Lopez, a Tony Award winner for “Avenue Q.” Mr. Parker will direct with Casey Nicholaw (“Elf”), who is also the show’s choreographer. Previews begin at the Eugene O’Neill Theater on Feb. 24, with opening night set for March 24.
Whatever you think, I can imagine that it will be hilarious. Any other east coasters care to join me at this?
As with all things Parker-Stone, it will undoubtedly be both funny and mean spirited. I’m sure I wouldn’t get half the jokes or really understand what’s going on, but I’d still go see this.
I’d for sure go! Tim, you and I can sit next to Farrell, and he can explain all of the hilarious Mormon references to us…
‘hilarious’ . . . yeah, unless your family made you give up TWO YEARS of your youth to go propagate the “hilarity’
they brought this on themselves, i hope boyd k, packer is one of the characters, and hopefully i hope they fuckin’eviscerate the institution.
i would never go see it, but here’s to the power of art.
. . . and they will have a problem with the insiderish nature of the humor, most people will never care to figure it all out.
Boyd K. Packer, October 3, 2010:
“If we’re not alert, there are those today who not only tolerate but advocate voting to change laws that will legalize immorality, as if a vote would somehow alter the designs of God’s laws and nature … what good would a vote against the law of gravity do?”
-and-
“Some suppose that they were preset and cannot overcome what they feel are inborn tendencies toward the impure and the unnatural,” he said. “Not so.”
Part of me winces at the irreverence of a BoM musical, but…fuck ’em.
As Trey and Stone have proven themselves equal opportunity satirists vis SP, I’m looking forward to “Koran: The Musical”; part of me winces at the irreverence, but as Rachel says…
Re: 4 and 5
Quotation from early commentator on another subject:
“Personally, I was glad to see Williams fired, mostly because it’s not okay to vilify a group of people based on their religion, especially in these hyper-sensitive times., but partly because I think he’s a jerk.”
And yes, I get that this is about what the [worst of the] mormons say and do [in re intolerance ], not the religion per-se, but it is a fine line here.
“fuck ’em?” Really? Ouch!
7 – Not to be contrary, but even if you’re personally liberal and pro-gay, if you support the Mormon church with your money, you are supporting anti-gay activism.
Not so harmless, IMHO.
oh, well i didn’t mean to play to pro/anti gay thing to much. like . . . building all those temples and using up all those natural resources and colonizing other countries with this paternalistic, fundamentalist, unstoppably expansionist cult just seems stupid at this point.
but i don’t know, maybe it’s not?
Is the continual programming of young men and women to give up two years of their lives to go out and tell a story full of holes and half truths really such a “marvelous work?” (it’s certainly a wonder.)
I say good for the musical, let’s get out our copies of Blindspot and get that great article we all loved “This Is Not the Place.” And bone up on the finer points of Book of Mormon “Geography.” And then lets try to move this conversation into the national mainstream and hang it around Glenn Beck’s neck.
That does sound hilarious!