On Wednesday night at the San Diego Civic Theatre, “The Book of Mormon,” years after its much-celebrated debut, still had me at “Hello!”
“Hello!,” the musical comedy’s first number, kicked off an uproariously energetic evening, one doorbell at a time. It was a night filled with an abundance of curse words, double entendres and, well, just good old-fashioned offensive language.
Consider Exhibit A: “Hasa Diga Eebowai,” the musical’s fourth number. Surely, there’s something utterly sacrilegious about laughing hysterically at actors giving God the middle finger. How could something that feels so wrong feel so right? (“Hasa Diga Eebowai,” we find out, translates to an expletive aimed at the Almighty.)
Therein lies the absurdity of the theatrical paradox that is “The Book of Mormon,” the musical comedy that, 14 years after it first hit the Broadway stage, is still leaving audiences in stitches at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, where it began, and beyond.
There’s a reason it won nine Tonys, including best musical, in 2011. It’s funny, pure and simple.
The national touring production of “The Book of Mormon,” at the San Diego Civic Theatre through Sunday, doesn’t disappoint. It still delivers comedic bite, draped in the unlikeliest of topics: AIDS, female mutilation, famine and African warlords, just to name a few. Toss in a dollop of religious doubt, and we’ve got ourselves a party.
“The Book of Mormon,” with book, lyrics and music by Trey Parker (“South Park”), Matt Stone (also “South Park”) and Robert Lopez (“Avenue Q”), may have debuted in 2011, but even today, it still exudes a freshness that’s hard to replicate or preserve more than 12,000 performances later.
Thanks to deftly tweaked lines that keep the plot relevant — Ozempic gets a mention — the production still has the bravado of a fresh-faced Mormon recruit, eager to change the world.
The story, for the uninitiated, centers on two Mormon missionaries — a mismatched pair, really — who find out they’re headed to Uganda for their mission. Once there, hilarity and chaos ensue. The plot, on its face, is absurd, but once you get past that and take it for what it is, “The Book of Mormon” is utterly brilliant. There’s a reason it’s grossed more than $1 billion so far.
The production — directed and choreographed by Jennifer Werner — stands on the shoulders of a strong cast, led by Sam McLellan as Elder Price, the strait-laced, big brother type who’s on a mission to fulfill his, well, mission but is derailed by self-doubt and religious questioning. On Wednesday night, Dylan Knight Weaver took the stage as Elder Price. He shines in the role, especially in his solos. He’s brilliantly confident — or perhaps cocky? — when he needs to be, but in the tender solos, such as the piningly sad “Orlando,” Weaver truly sparkles.
As much as Elder Price would like the show to be all about him — “mostly me,” as he’d say — the star of the show really is his sidekick, Elder Cunningham. Diego Enrico, in his professional debut, knocks it out of the park scene after scene, with the pacing and punch of a seasoned veteran. He skillfully juggles comedic bits and musical numbers, landing the former with a mix of naivete and swagger.
These two characters, originated on Broadway by Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad, work best as a pair, thanks to the bickering buddy banter that propels the story along. And on Wednesday, Weaver and Enrico, strong individually, delivered memorable moments, especially in the touchingly poignant “I Am Here for You.”
Keke Nesbitt, also in her professional debut, is endearing as Nabulungi, the ultra optimistic Ugandan princess who, blindly or not, believes everything Elder Cunningham says about Mormonism. Impressive, too, in “Sal Tlay Ka Siti,” which lays out, for all to see, Nabulungi’s hopes and dreams of a world where “human life has worth … a land where evil doesn’t exist.”
Craig Franke is sensational as Elder McKinley, the leader of the Mormon delegation already in Uganda that welcomes Elders Price and Cunningham. He steals the spotlight, perhaps unintentionally, every single time the literal spotlight is on him.
Werner’s choreography respects and preserves the original choreography by San Diego’s own Casey Nicholaw, who directed the Broadway production with Parker.
“The Book of Mormon,” presented locally by Broadway San Diego, runs for two hours and 30 minutes, but it zips along quickly, thanks to a bounty of catchy numbers and comedic bits that, for 150 minutes, transport you to a land of optimism and absurdity. It’s a trip to salvation that tests the bonds of fealty, faith and friendship.
For “The Book of Mormon” and its believers, 14 years later, the trip is still a triumphant journey.
Broadway San Diego presents “The Book of Mormon”
When: Through Sunday. 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Where: San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., San Diego
Tickets: $73.75 and up
Online: broadwaysd.com
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the actor who portrayed Elder Price in Wednesday’s production. Dylan Knight Weaver filled in for Sam McLellan in the role of Elder Price.
