The Wandering Foodie

The attic space was cramped and dirty. Dust and cobwebs clung to the corners as we stepped carefully across the wooden beams trying not to fall through the plaster ceiling just below. It was one of the last construction jobs that my father, a skilled roofer and carpenter, and I worked together. We were endeavoring to reinforce the wall holding up the roof of the old house on Francis Street.

One of Dad’s job site non-negotiables was the radio. The old radio, beaten and busted, but still broadcasting, was always tuned to NPR. It gave us a window into culture and stories the world has to tell. I became a public radio junkie thanks to Dad. That day, as we hunched over, swinging hammers and awkwardly positioning 2-by-4’s, I was captivated by an interview by Fresh Air’s Terry Gross with the creators of a new musical called The Book of Mormon.

Listening to the creators talk about this interesting, satirical show that mocks Mormonism, I never thought that I would one day live in New York and find myself attending the show itself on Broadway.

I had listened to the show’s original soundtrack many times and so I was a little disappointed with the opening number “Hello” as the vocals felt a little weak. The Mormon ensemble made up for this with the second number “Two by Two” in which the young men are given their mission assignments. The song matches the lively, catchy rhythm I was expecting and this is also where we are properly introduced to Elders Price (played by Kevin Clay) and Cunningham (played by Cody Jamison Strand), the main stars of the show. Two young Mormons eager to prove themselves in their mission to Africa.

But, things don’t go as planned and we follow the two Mormons through an hilarious journey that challenges their beliefs, prejudices, and misconceptions about the world. Indeed, I had not fully appreciated the depth in this story when I first heard about it on NPR. Dad and I had listened with a curious detachment to an essentially irreverent mocking of a religion we had no connection to. Even more ironically, given some of the perhaps less-than-G-rated aspects of the script, Dad would not have enjoyed the show itself, though the content would surely have provoked an intellectual discussion about religion.

Yet, Book of Mormon isn’t so much about a religion and its right or wrongs, as much as it is about a journey of self discovery. Two young men who have been taught to believe and approach the world in a narrow, biased way are forced face their own shortcomings and the realities of society and the limits of their upbringing.

Indeed, it is as a reflection of life itself. My own upcoming taught me to view the world a certain way and placed certain expectations upon me that didn’t necessarily pan out. I understood what Elder Cunningham felt when he looks at the audience in one scene and wistfully sings of his hope that if he succeeds in baptizing the heathen Africans, perhaps his father will finally be proud of it. It’s a desire any son has, to please and live up to his father’s expectations. But, just as the young elders confront failure and challenges to their beliefs in Africa, my evolution as an adult taught me that we must define and find our own path.

This said, the entire show is quite entertaining. Both Clay and Strand excel in their roles giving life to the entire narrative. They are complimented well by the Mormon make chorus, but the African mixed chorus quickly outshines them with superior vocals. Kristen Jeter is especially good as Nabulungi, a young African girl that grows close to Cunningham. Her voice soars in my favorite duet of the show, “Baptize Me,” alongside Strand. The entire cast does an excellent job and the Mormon chorus’ choreography is better than I expected, downright impressive.

I greatly enjoyed the show. And, perhaps ironically, I have Dad and his love of NPR to thank for that. Thanks, Dad. Happy Father’s Day.