The Book of Mormon, 2nd National Tour
PrivateBank Theatre | Chicago, IL | 5th & 6th July 2016
Rating: 5/5
Reviewed by: Kim
Despite touring the US and Canada for four years with two concurrent companies the Book of Mormon still draws sell out crowds in each city. Chicago alone has now seen the show three times, the first being an 11 month stint. It’s quite hard to comprehend as an Australian where shows are lucky if they get a national tour and if so, they last one to two years at best tackling the capital cities (bad news if you live beyond Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth). Talking with audience members on various nights most had seen the show before, some were coming back to see a different lead cast, others were tourists like me and there were the rare few that had never seen the show before. Many take advantage of the ticket lottery 2 hours before the show, selling seats off at $25. It makes theatre affordable, keeps audiences coming back and helps build the fan base which has been incredibly effective throughout all Book of Mormon companies.
The touring production of the Book of Mormon is identical to the Broadway production. It transfers to the tour beautifully, not losing any of the set elements that make it so fantastic. Ann Roth’s costumes are also just as brilliant as Broadway, particularly those in the Spooky Mormon Hell Dream number. It would be a mistake to assume that this touring production is of a lesser standard than Broadway because it’s not. Musical director and conductor David Truskinoff keeps the cast on track and lifts them beyond audience expectations.
The company is led by Ryan Bondy (Elder Price) and Cody Jamison Strand (Elder Cunningham). Bondy is exceptional as Elder Price, tackling the big songs with ease. He also adds a new dimension to the character, perhaps making him more relatable to the audience than previous Prices. Having been a standby for a few years it’s wonderful to finally see him take on the role full-time. It should also be noted that Zach Hess, the standby Elder Price, is incredible in his own right. Hess led the Tuesday night show with a standard that would be on par with Broadway. Strand has been Elder Cunningham on this tour for almost three years now and is still finding quirky additions to the character. His scream, haunting laugh and high pitched voice will follow you beyond the theatre but I say that in the best way possible. He’s unique and has deviated away from the risk of being a Josh Gad impersonator.
Daxton Bloomquist (Elder McKinley) is one of the best McKinley’s to grace the stage. Vocally he soars above the others and combines this with perfect comedic timing and dancing. His big number Turn It Off is a hit with the audience with help from the fantastic ensemble. Candace Quarrels (Nabulungi) plays a young and sweet Nabulungi in her professional debut. Her voice is delightful and she works well with Strand in their scenes together. Nabulungi’s father, Mafala Hatimbi, is played by Sterling Jarvis. Jarvis delivers arguably the most offensive song in the show, somehow with a straight face. David Aron Damane (The General) has stayed with this company since its opening in 2012 and continues to standout with his stage presence. Edward Watts (Mission President/Joseph Smith/Jesus) is hilarious in his supporting role and whilst he doesn’t have as much stage time as others in the ensemble he still makes an impact. Most notably during the Spooky Mormon Hell Dream as Jesus and Price’s Dad.
It’s very hard to fault this lead cast and the same goes for the ensemble. David Aron Damane, Jake Emmerling, Eric Huffman and Monica Patton have been with this company since the beginning almost four years ago, a sign that this company must be doing something right. There are also others that have been associated with the show for many years, past understudies and swings stepping up into bigger roles. Evidently this pays off with a young but experienced cast that are nothing less than enthusiastic to tell this story eight times a week, even if some have performed it over 1000 times. The current touring company exceeds their counterparts on Broadway and the West End. They’ve set the bar high and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the Australian production in January 2017.
Book of Mormon is currently playing across the US and Canada with the 2nd National Tour. Visit http://bookofmormonbroadway.com/tour for cities and dates. The Australian production opens at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne in January 2017 with casting yet to be announced. Details can be found here.
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