The Ohio Theatre will have a friendly knock at its front door starting May 13.
That’s when Tony Award-winning musical The Book of Mormon makes its way to Columbus for a 16-show stay.
The show features Elder Price, the perfect missionary candidate – handsome, charismatic and dedicated to the faith – and his companion, Elder Cunningham, who is not so cut out for the mission.
“He is the big dork,” says Chris O’Neill, who plays Cunningham. “He has ADHD, he’s spastic and has a problem with making things up.”
Opening number “Hello” sets the tone for the production. It portrays the familiar, door-to-door Mormon evangelizing the public is used to and Cunningham’s habit of lying and straying from the official Mormon script.
The show tells the tale of the two missionaries in their late teens whose painstakingly positive view on the world comes into question when, instead of heading to Florida, they are relocated to the war-torn and AIDS-stricken nation of Uganda.
“There are warlords, diseases and real-world problems,” O’Neill says. “The two realize they’re not prepared for the real issues. The comedy comes out of them being faced with these problems. It’s a comical contrast between the cookie-cutter and happy Mormons and life in Uganda.”
Price and Cunningham find themselves in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable bind when village locals are more concerned with survival than they are with converting.
Two of the three writers of the musical, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, initially gained critical acclaim when they created South Park in the late 1990s. Their brand of comedy is particularly abrasive, but this musical is done in a tasteful manner and it keeps offensive content to a minimum, says Chris O’Neill.
“Obviously, there’s some risqué language, but it’s necessary,” he says. “It can be shocking, but once you get past it, you see the heart behind the show and realize it’s not trying to be offensive. That’s why it’s so successful.”
In fact, in some cities, Mormon groups have taken out full-page ads inside the playbill.
“Some think it’s all about Mormon bashing, but it’s not,” O’Neill says. “(Mormons) wouldn’t be supporting something that did that. It’s more about faith in general and organized religion; Mormonism is a good jumping-off point.”
Since the opening of the show in 2011, The Book of Mormon has won an array of awards, including Tony Awards for best musical and best original score and a Grammy for best musical theater album.
“I urge people to come with an open mind,” O’Neill says. “It is much more than what you see on the surface. By the end, you’ll end up singing and clapping along. I’ve seen a 95-year-old couple singing and dancing. You wouldn’t believe it was a South Park musical.”
O’Neill originally took the audition for the show just to brag to his friends about the opportunity, but it quickly turned into quite the undertaking.
“I started out performing comedy shows, improv and sketches,” he says. “The casting director saw me performing, literally, inside a cave with dripping walls. He asked if I could sing and I lied and said, ‘of course.’”
Under the mindset that there was no way he would land the part, O’Neill was shocked when he was offered a leading role.
“I convinced myself I wouldn’t get it, so I didn’t have to worry about it,” he says. “I really didn’t put pressure on myself.”
Performing the role of an inexperienced Elder Cunningham came easily for the 31-year-old.
“I’m basically him offstage – a big kid,” he says. “I get to act like an idiot on stage.”
And touring with the cast and crew has served as a rewarding experience, O’Neill says.
“When you’re touring, the cast becomes your family,” he says. “Everyone is always hanging out. Sometimes you have to step back and realize you’re with your best friends. It’s so surreal to see all these amazing cities in such a short time. It’s hard to process.”
The Book of Mormon opens May 13 and tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com.
Stephan Reed is an editorial associate. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Broadway Across America presents The Book of Mormon
May 13-25
Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St.
