Driggars: 'Book of Mormon' is hilarious, but not for everyone
Friday evening was opening night for the Lubbock run of "The Book of Mormon" national tour. When I took my seat in The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences, I spotted a friend from my (non-Mormon) church a section over. I waved, then sent her a text message.
"I'm so excited about this show," I wrote.
"I've heard mixed reviews about the show," she replied. "But our preacher is here, too, so we don't have to feel bad about watching it!"
Just a few minutes into the show, I wasn't sure if I agreed with that assessment. As the performance concluded, I wondered if I needed to call the aforementioned preacher and repent of what I had just viewed.
To be clear, "The Book of Mormon" is genuinely hilarious and entertaining. It is also extremely profane and rather sacrilegious. At least a dozen Lubbockites left at intermission, according to one security guard posted near the door.
The story unfolds just as one might imagine a story written by the creators of South Park that follows a pair of missionary companions who find themselves sent to a remote Ugandan village to unfold. Written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez, it's certainly no "Lion King."
This musical had me in stitches the whole time, though there were moments I felt the jokes tiptoed around and right over the proverbial line. Still, I'd go again.
For me, Sam Nackman in the role of Elder Cunningham stood out among the cast. His performance as Elder Price's awkward foil was not overdone, but appropriately flamboyant.
Keke Nesbitt shined as naïve villager Nabulungi, and Sean Casey Flanagan also deserves a mention for his hysterical portrayal of Elder McKinley.
Sam McLellan's performance as Elder Price got the job done, but I'd like to think he was not on his A-game Friday. There were moments of brilliance, but there were also sporadic intonation issues and a general feeling of "something's missing."
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Technically, my utmost admiration is for the lighting designers and operators. Illumination is an often overlooked, but critical part of any show, and this team nailed it with what is a somewhat complicated and rather unorthodox production. I was disappointed with what seemed to be several missed mic cues throughout the performance.
Overall, the ensemble was tight, the choreography clean, and the orchestra did not miss a note — a well-rounded performance.
So, if you're wondering whether you should go see "The Book of Mormon" while it's in Lubbock, I'd tell you to do it. That is, as long as you know what you are getting yourself into. If you object to profanity and religiously insensitive comedy, maybe skip it.
Remaining performances are Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The show runs about 2 1/2 hours, including a 15 minute intermission.
Tickets start at $30 and are available at www.buddyhollyhall.com.
Alex Driggars is a reporter covering government, education and public policy for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. He can be reached at adriggars@lubbockonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Driggars: 'Book of Mormon' in Lubbock is hilarious, but not for everyone
