‘Book of Mormon’ returns to ring Denver’s doorbell

We can play modest. We can knock our knees together in our Lululemon yoga pants and coyly twiddle our Vibram-ed toes into the ground. “Well, we’re not New Yorkers,” we can humbly say. We’ll point to our value of nature and leisure. We love nothing more than a good beer, a good time and being amongst a good friend. Because we’re so friendly! It must be all of that sun.

But let’s be real — Coloradans are a fiercely prideful people.

We have all of the best of the best in our beloved state. Our food scene is so rad, even our fast food blows it out of the water. Chipotle burritos? You’re welcome, rest of America! Our Denver Art Museum can score the most coveted touring exhibitions in the world and give visitors vertigo at the same time. Can your art museum literally knock someone out? Speaking of art, what other international airport has a gigantic, anatomically correct, demonic, murderous (devil pony literally has a criminal record) blue stallion sculpture outside of its airport?

With the Book of Mormon, the hottest musical to hit the Broadway stage in years, Colorado has something else to boast about.

The Book of Mormon is the brainchild of Denver’s own Matt Stone and Trey Parker (South Park, Cannibal! The Musical) and Avenue Q’s composer and lyricist, Robert Lopez (who is not from Colorado, but brilliant enough to be an honorary resident). The musical tells the story of two missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who are sent to conflict-ridden Uganda, to be greeted by hostile and jaded locals and disillusioned and failing fellow missionaries. The Mormons struggle to bring hope into the lives of the Ugandan people, who are suffering gruesome violence, AIDS, poverty, and forced female circumcisions, while retaining their own faith in the church and their sunny, relentlessly optimistic spirits (the only weapon with which a Mormon missionary comes equipped). Yet, the missionaries manage and hilarity ensues.

Yes, it’s funny. Very funny.

The subject matter may be sensitive in nature, but the musical handles its story with a sense of humor and humanity that is undeniably brilliant. So brilliant, the show swept the 2011 Tony Awards with nine wins and would go on to score a Grammy. That award-winning genius and flair that marked the original Broadway production is certainly not missing from the current touring version, which is running in Denver until November 24.

The touring cast is eerily perfect. The Mormon missionaries cast all appear to be hardly out of their teens, an accuracy even the original performance did not get quite right (with all due respect to Andrew Rannells, of course). Real LDS missionaries are about 19 upon embarking on their two year missions. They are young, bright-eyed, naive and overzealous, and the fresh-faced cast captures and exaggerates this with a perfect dose of kitschy Stepford suburban realness. Leads Nic Rouleau and A.J. Holmes have voices as big as the show’s hype, while Holmes and Pierce Cassedy (a missionary whose true mission is to repress his homosexuality) are side-splitting and ab-toning funny. Syesha Mercado, the musical’s leading lady, belts out beautifully, and Christopher Shyer stands out as sadistic war lord General Butt F*cking Naked.

Songs like “Hasa Diga Eebowai” and “I Believe” will likely be stuck in your head (and soundtrack your dreams) for days, but that’s not all that leaves The Book of Mormon unforgettable. From start to finish, the performance packs in so much humor and heart- it is everything that makes a musical right. It’s smart. But of course it is, The Book of Mormon was produced of Coloradan minds.

Colo-mrads, beam with pride.

Book of Mormon shows at the Buell Theatre at The Denver Center for the Performing Arts through Nov. 24, Tues. through Sun. at 7:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Sat. and Sun. Find more information about the show or purchase tickets online at the DCPA website here.