By: Brianna Bonham
I went into “The Book of Mormon” as a super fan who had never seen the show, expecting only the greatest, side-splitting show I had ever seen. I was not disappointed and plan to see it for a second time as soon as they swing back to Portland.
The exciting journey of the unlikely companions Kevin Price (played by Billy Harrigan Tighe) and Arnold Cunningham (A.J. Holmes) took the audience on a hilarious journey to Africa where the Elders set out to be heroes.
Tighe and Holmes both played their characters brilliantly. Tighe played the haughty, egotistical character of Elder Price perfectly. He made him loveable at times and obnoxiously self-absorbed in others. He performed with very strong vocals throughout the show while maintaining the goofy choreography, and his enunciation was always spotless.
Holmes brought Elder Cunningham to life from the moment he rang his first doorbell. He was very consistent with his character voice and movement during the run of the show, and I never once noticed it waver. He made the audience sympathize with Cunningham and root for his eccentric ways.
The supporting characters and ensemble were all entertaining and performed as a strong unit. The blend of their voices was beautiful as many spoke and sung in a character voice or with an accent throughout the performance. Alexandra Ncube, who played Nabulungi, had a beautiful voice that gave the audience chills as she sang her ballads.
The set, lighting, sound, and pit were all astounding as they were quick with changes and cues. There were a couple moments where microphones cut out but the actors and technicians worked to overcome the obstacle and carry on the show.
The lighting was very effective in many scenes, and really impressed me during a tap number in “Turn It Off,” and in “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream.” The lights brought the stage to life and accentuated the scenes nicely. Sound was always right on time with actor’s signals, and sounds such as the gunshots were very effective.
The show is absolutely amazing and one that I would not mind spending money on again. It brought lots of laughter and a great story to Portland.
