The Book of Mormon. Hilarious, Captivating, Catchy, Factually Correct, Controversial. All of these adjectives are correct representations of The Book of Mormon. Whether tackling the idea of ignoring negative/possibly blasphemous feelings with Turn It Off or blatantly giving the middle finger to God with Hasa Diga Eebowai, The Book of Mormon is an accurate representation of the modern American musical. In a time where the issues teenage sexuality, such as in Spring Awakening, and Mental Disorders, such as in Next to Normal, are openly discussed we can see that The Book of Mormon is just following the trend of pushing limits. In American Theatre today there is a movement away from the "fluff" of musicals like Oklahoma and The Music Man in which substance is severely lacking. This shift towards a more serious musical is positive. It incites audiences of my generation to seek out and watch musicals. As the audiences of the "fluff" generation of musicals age and eventually die this new era of musical keeps the art of Theatre flourishing by appealing to a new audience. In an age where we grow up fast, deal with issues such as war, terrorism, and biological threat we seek entertainment of a little more substance and a little less glitz and glam.
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