On 3/325 I went to see the musical The Book of Mormon at the Eugene O’Neill Theater on Broadway. The Book of Mormon was written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone (the creators of South Park) and Robert Lopez (the writer of Avenue Q and Frozen). The Book of Mormon has won numerous awards from various groups, including a Tony for Best Musical. The story begins with the introduction of Elder Price and Elder Cunningham at a Mormon Missionary Training Center. Elder Price, the devout, friendly and intelligent Elder, is paired with Elder Cunningham, who is anti-social and lies to cover up his insecurities, to go on a Mission trip to Uganda. Upon arrival in Uganda, the two are robbed by the local warlord, General BFN. The Elders are welcomed by the …show more content…
After the missionaries receive a letter from the mission president requesting a status report, Price abandons the mission in hope of getting assigned to a mission in Orlando. After Price leaves some of the villagers show interest in the book and ask Cunningham about it. However, Cunningham had never read the Book of Mormon, so he makes stories up, relevant to the villagers, including characters from Star Wars to Lord of the Rings. Price meanwhile, is lost in the desert and is having a “hell” dream, in which is Hitler, Lucifer, Jeffrey Dahmer and others and dancing Starbucks cups. After Jesus calls Price a dick, Price awakes and decides to return to his mission. Price attempts to convert General BFN, but is unsuccessful and is later seen having the Book of Mormon removed from his body. Price and Cunningham then hear that the Mission president is visiting due to the success of the operation (due to the falsities Cunningham was telling). At the celebration, the villagers perform the “Book of Mormon”; however, it is nothing like the actual book of Mormon and has various …show more content…
The characters were very funny and were developed well over the musical. The costumes were excellent for the musical and were not only well made but fit the musical perfectly. One costume that stood out to me was Jesus’s costume, which was a simple white robe but had a cross like pattern of lights on his body. The Mormons were also dressed in the stereotypical Mormon missionary outfit with the pants and the tie. The set was very well made and I really like the interactions the people had with the village set. However, the best aspect of the show was the music. Each song not only contributed to the development of the story excellently, but also had the audience laughing at every song. The pit orchestra (the heroes of every musical) had many very talented musicians and contributed significantly to the musical. Personally I loved this show. By seeing it in the very theater it opened in, I saw the best possible version and the performance was incredible. Everyone involved was very talented and helped make the musical an incredible piece of art. I found the music to be extremely enjoyable and extremely hilarious and I felt even more connected to it coming from the city of Fort Collins, which has a large Mormon population. I would give this musical a 9/10 and would recommend it for everyone that is not easily
The set of the play was built decent and looked the same. The only thing I didn't like was some of color of the stones that were painted on the walls. But, that’s just my opinion. However, I did have fun splatter painting those walls and the stairs during class. I liked how there was platforms and different ground levels, that made it more interesting. Rather than just having the stage ground there were stairs you could go up or down which set it apart. Overall, I liked the set and I thought it was built well and sturdy.
A handsome boy kneels down for prayer beside a tree in his father’s orchard. It is a nice sunny spring day with the warm rays of the radiant sun gently kissing the boy’s face. “God, give me a sign,” he pleads to his heavenly father. He is only 14, yet religion fascinates him. Confused by what Christian faith to believe in, he was not sure whether he wanted to become a Baptist like his parents, or a Methodist, which church’s teachings appealed more to him. A slight cool breeze passes through his chestnut colored hair. In a moment he finds himself paralyzed, unable to move, at the mercy of some evil force. A shadowy mist surrounds him. The boy is afraid and does the only thing he could think of: he prayed, “God save me!” Immediately a pillar of light descends over his head like a crown of gold. A strange calmness overcomes the boy, and the shadows around him recede. To the boy, who questioned God’s existence, this was a sure sign that his heavenly father was still there. That boy was Joseph Smith, who had just experienced the first of a series of visions that he would receive throughout his faithful life. Soon after his first vision, he received another in which he the angel Moroni visited him, who presented him with a map. Smith traveled to a nearby hill where he found several golden tablets, etched with mysterious characters of ancient languages long forgotten. Smith was ordered by the angel to translate the plates into what is now known as the Book of Mormon (from which the Mormons gained their name), the cornerstone of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or simply abbreviated as the LDS Church. (Millet 6-8).
Exploring Why the Mormons Settled in Salt Lake City Salt Lake City is located in the west of North America. It was a desolate wilderness, dry, and a place where many people assumed was uninhabitable. So why did the Mormons ‘relocate’ to such an area? unattractive and diverse place? Brigham Young, in 1845 organised the mass movement of 15,000 men, women.
Every performance was presented with charm. The flashing, changing colors seem to go along with the performances. The director was humorous. The performers outfits were on point too. I liked the color coding of the vocalists, Jeremy, Jordan, and Rowan. Also, Julie wore a pretty suede dress and had a great voice. It was nice to see her come out for the 2nd time to sing. When Spencer kept playing his saxophone in some of the performances, it was just amazing. Some of my favorite performances were Sittin on the Dock of the Bay, Ain’t too Proud to Beg, In a Sentimental Mood, and more. It really made me feel like I was in New Orleans all over again. I absolutely love Otis Redding and The Temptations music, so I wasn’t new to these songs they played. I was sitting in the back (R-125) where I felt comfortable to bob my head to the music. If I ever come back to see another concert, I will make sure to get a seat in the back again. I adore Jordan that did sung the Temptations song. I thought it was exciting to see his enthusiasm while on stage keeping us engaged, but everyone did great in their own way. The song by Duke Ellington made me feel melancholy, the piece was soft. I just couldn’t believe how well everyone contributed and gave an outstanding
...te Choir did a very poor job with emotional projection (tone); they never smiled or even suggested a hint of feeling in their voices. I found that this made their performance somewhat uninteresting because it wasn’t relatable or something that made me curious. It think that the conductor did a good job making sure that the choir watched her and she guided them through the songs, but I thought it was a bad idea she joined them in the mambo during “One Goal”. The choir did a good job holding up their harmonies and staying in tune. I think that if this choir had a better knowledge and understanding of dynamics it would have made their performance a lot better, especially if they had taken chances. I wish that this choir would have annunciated more so that we could hear the message that they were trying to convey. Still, I think that the choir did respectably overall.
One of its numerous strengths was the costuming and set. This musical would not have been the same had these elements not come together to transport the viewer. In addition to the costuming and the set, the actors were very well cast. Each actor was in a role that fit them and they portrayed their characters very well. For example, the man who played Glen really seemed like a greedy Wall Street worker. The choreography was also well done. It fit true to the style of dance in the 1980s and added to the immersion experience. The only thing that could have made this experience better would be to add more music. This may just be a personal preference, but when I see a musical I like for the music to be central like it is in Hamilton or Les Miserables. However, this musical was very good and not much could be added to enhance the
The church is a hierarchy that is lead by the priesthood. In order to receive the priesthood, one must be male. In The Proclamation, it says about men “By divine design fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families” (lds.org). The word preside means to have authority over something, in this case the family. Since the church is a similitude of the family, almost all the leaders are men. The only general leadership positions held by women are in the individual youth and children organization, and Relief Society, the leading women’s organization in the church. When The Proclamation talks about mothers its say “Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children” (lds.org).To many, this is a negative claim and sits as a point of opposition from feminist groups. Till this day, the gender roles of men and women continue to be debated in the Mormons church, and society.
Alma 36 is one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon because of the personal meaning it has in my life. It is a great story filled with lessons, and if you look you can even find a chiasmus. After returning from his mission to the Zoramites Alma calls all of his sons together and spoke with them one by one giving them council and commandments in what could be looked at as a missionary exit interview.
The choreography kept things interesting and the dances in a musical can make or break the performance. Overall, Cherie and Abby did an amazing job directing each person to have a place among a crowded stage. Last but not least, the costumes! This play was set in the 1890s, meaning it is very important to have correlating costumes so the audience can be aware of what time period they are in.
Overall, I enjoyed this play. Even with the dull ending, I found it to be entertaining and a good use of my time. The cast was great and they made good use of a decent
Their acting chops were very impressive whether it was comedic, emotional, or just stunning overall. Yet, on the other hand, some minor characters weren’t as well heard as others. I feel as the play could be better if some of the minor characters had projected their voice more, allowing their character to be known. However, although some voices were much stronger than others, all actors were full of talent, capable of dealing with script’s requirements, and did a good job
The Mormon population holds true to their unique religious beliefs. Most Mormons are similar to those who practice Christianity, however there are some differences. Over the past two centuries that Mormonism has been founded by Joseph Smith, this faith has expanded across the United States. Even though the faith has been powerful to many believers it is becoming less frequently practiced. This religion not only practices God and Jesus as separate people but also believes that God is seen in everyone. Since, Mormons are very religious and godlike we have to be competent to these differences when working with this population. There is very little information about how to perform Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with a child that is practicing
The production had many elements which for the most part formed a coalition to further the plot. The characters, the three part scenery and costumes represented well the period of time these people were going through. As far as the performers entering and exiting the stage, it could have been more organized. There were a few times when the performers exited at the wrong times or it seemed so due to the echo of the music. At certain moments the music was slightly loud and drowned the performers. Many of the songs dragged on, so the pacing could have been more effectively executed. Though the music was off at times, the director's decision to have most of the songs performed center sage was a wise one. Also the implementation of actual white characters that were competent in their roles came as a great surprise to the audience and heightened the realism.
Since this is a review and its based on my opinion, I would have to say this was one of the worst plays I've ever seen in my life. I wasn't entertained by the play at all. The only good parts were the good-looking girls in the play. I like the main character Marisol based only on her looks. She played on ok job of acting. I realize she had a lot of lines to memorize which she had down, but she just didn't get to me. I think the costumes were ok. They had nothing special, or out of the ordinary except for the angel's wings, which were pretty nice. I didn't like the lighting or the scenery. I didn't know where the scene was supposed to be at some points.