Was It Really That Good?

[slamjet]

'The Book of Mormon' nabs 14 Tony Award nominations

Having not seen it, I still can't imaging it's that good. Plus, this has to tick off a whole slew of professionals who've been in the industry for their whole life, and here are these two new yahoo's and their first musical.

Interesting.

[Elphaba]

'The Book of Mormon' nabs 14 Tony Award nominations

Having not seen it, I still can't imaging it's that good. Plus, this has to tick off a whole slew of professionals who've been in the industry for their whole life, and here are these two new yahoo's and their first musical.

Interesting.

Every review I've read has said it really is that good. Not having seen it, I can't know. But I have not read one review that said it was "pretty good," or even "so, so." They all raved about its musicality.

ETA: I wish they'd make a soundtrack so we could judge at least that for ourselves.

Elph

Edited May 4, 2011 by Elphaba

[FunkyTown]

This is not their first musical.

Matt Parker and Trey Stone have written music many times before. If you're asking about specifically musicals, then they have written:

South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut

Cannibal: The Musical

This is not their first rodeo.

[Captain_Curmudgeon]

Plus they teamed with people who have been around the Broadway musical scene for a long time.

When it first came out, KUER interviewed various Mormon theater experts and one who lives in NYC said it was a lock to win the Tony. One reason: yeah, it's pretty good. Another: weak competition right now.

PS. One of those interviewed said the musical was making him re-examine his decision to leave the church. So, missionary credit for Parker and Stone?

Edited May 4, 2011 by Captain_Curmudgeon
PS

[PrinceofLight2000]

Blasphemy can be extremely entertaining.

[beefche]

Blasphemy can be extremely entertaining.

You've seen it? What was blasephemous about it?

[PrinceofLight2000]

You've seen it? What was blasephemous about it?

1. No.

2. This.

Edited May 4, 2011 by PrinceofLight2000

[Dravin]

Prince, there is quite a bit of you insisting it is blasphemous but not much in the way of a pointing out of what exactly is blasphemous. Of course you links aren't working for me as they doesn't take me to posts by you, so I'm probably missing the post(s) in which you do so in my quick scan over the thread.

Edit: I was able to find the answer to if you'd seen it.

[PrinceofLight2000]

Prince, there is quite a bit of you insisting it is blasphemous but not much in the way of a pointing out of what exactly is blasphemous. Of course you links aren't working for me as they doesn't take me to posts by you, so I'm probably missing the post(s) in which you do so in my quick scan over the thread.

Edit: I was able to find the answer to if you'd seen it.

Very odd. I don't like using the single-post link and so I use the permalink instead because the formatting isn't all strange.

Edited May 4, 2011 by PrinceofLight2000

[Dravin]

I'm afraid I'm putting you in a tight spot but I don't feel comfortable leaving the link up all things considered.

For those who come after the link has been edited out:

It talks about how one of the songs consists of "F" God, even so far as to mention genitalia in the finishing line. It also mentioned a line asking why one would tell God to "F" off as they don't believe in her (though personally I find that line, as opposed to the song, to be more a case of profane rather than blasphemous).

[PrinceofLight2000]

I'm afraid I'm putting you in a tight spot but I don't feel comfortable leaving the link up all things considered.

For those who come after the link has been edited out:

It talks about how one of the songs consists of "F" God, even so far as to mention genitalia in the finishing line. It also mentioned a line asking why one would tell God to "F" off as they don't believe in her.

I just took it down. I suppose it would have been better to paraphrase the content, my apologies.

[Dravin]

I just took it down.

I think I actually beat you to it. Of course I removed the link, you removed everything referring to it. :)

[PrinceofLight2000]

I think I actually beat you to it. Of course I removed the link, you removed everything referring to it. :)

I always lose to you.

[Dravin]

I always lose to you.

If it makes you feel any better you are probably the only person who does.

[pam]

We just can not have links that knowingly lead us to profanity.

[PrinceofLight2000]

We just can not have links that knowingly lead us to profanity.

No problems whatsoever.

[Elphaba]

ETA: I wish they'd make a soundtrack so we could judge at least that for ourselves.

It turns out they are going to release a cast recording soon. Also, today only, NPR is streaming the recording. The site warns there is language some would find offensive, so I doubt many people here would be interested. But I thought I'd mention it just in case.

I've listened to the first three songs and they are very fun, and no offensive language yet. In fact, the first song could be played at any non-Sabbath gathering and would be quite enjoyable. It's called Hello and is about missionaries ringing doorbells and saying "Hello" when someone answers.

I'm sure the offensive language is coming.

ETA: Though the content of the song explains the language, song 4 is definitely going to be offensive to believers, Mormon and non. I can't even write the title.

Elphaba

Edited May 9, 2011 by Elphaba

[Jbdf]

I'm listening to it from the NPR site now. (Heh, I think this is the first time I've ever really found NPR useful for anything. Cool!)

[Netgood]

Listened to the NPR interview. The NPR reporter was so ignorant saying that a 19 year white kid has nothing to offer a black person in Africa.

[Elphaba]

Listened to the NPR interview. The NPR reporter was so ignorant saying that a 19 year white kid has nothing to offer a black person in Africa.

You are taking her words out of context.

In the musical, Mormon missionaries do actually improve the lives of the Africans in the show. With that in mind, here is what she said (speaking to Parker and Stone):

Is that part of what you were trying to kind of puzzle through in this musical is why 19-year-old white missionaries from Salt Lake City would feel like they could go to a place in Africa where they didn’t understand the culture and have something to offer?

She's not saying missionaries are ignorant to think they have something to offer those in completely different cultures. She is asking if Parker and Stone were influenced by the fact that LDS missionaries believe they have something to offer those in their respective mission fields, even when the cultures are foreign to them.

Those are two very different things.

Elphaba

Edited May 21, 2011 by Elphaba
Corrected names and added a clarification