Has anyone ever encountered Mormons who, in complete innocence, purchased tickets to the see the Broadway Musical called Book of Mormon?

I imagine now it has received attention at the Tony Awards, that's more unlikely. Is there a hushed warning at the local wardhouse "do not go see the play," for instance?

Stories to share, anyone?

[just purchased my tickets for this Fall to a nearby stop on the nationwide tour....this will be my second time to see it and I'm excited!]

But then again, never underestimate Man's capacity for ignorance. These days, they sometimes station real mishies outside the theater (You've seen the play, now read the book!), and I'm sure they would warn anyone looking too Mollyish or Petery that the light would go out of their eyes if they see the play.

I wondered the same thing.

It was a great for me to hear how much they thought they loved they movie at first, then.... Well, you all know the movie/story.

They didn't say anything bad about the movie (probably, because they could see how it could really happen as depicted. Unfortunately or fortunately C.Jay Cox decided to leave out the attempted suicide scene).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0345551/

One of my friends saw it on broadway with her family and said there were advertisements offering a free BOM on almost every other page.

She thought they were either really ballsy or just plain stupid.

I have been twice in two non-Utah cities. In both there were some people who walked out pretty early in the show. Hard to know if they were offended of course, but they were noticeably intentional as they took all their coats.

In one there was a group of very LDS looking people a few rows away that hardly laughed at all during the show. It was really quite weird since everyone all around them was laughing uncontrollably -- but I suppose they could have been foreign and missed many of the jokes, since they stayed through the whole performance.

I agree with those that suggested that there is a fair amount of LDS ignorance concerning the substance of the musical.

I had a conversation with a TBM who was suggesting that the musical was a light-hearted story about faith that also poked a little fun at the quirks and culture of the religion, and compared the BofMM to "Nunsense".

Of course nothing in "Nunsense" is at all like the BofMM where entire songs are laughing at mormonism's truth claims and directly at its doctrine and at those that "Just Believe".

I agree also with Minnieme about the stupidity of advertising in Playbills or (in the case of NYC) on huge expensive billboards on the street.

Hey mormons, guess what, we're not laughing WITH you . . . . .

You know they may not object to the majority of the play simply because it really matches what they believe, take 'turn it off, like a light bulb'. Isn't that pretty much what they want?

Someone in student government at my university was Mormon. He saw the play with his mom and sister, knowing full well what it was. They looked happy in the pic they took afterwards.

I needed his help with something school-related, and he couldn't have been nicer. But then again, we're not in the belly of the beast.

I can tell you for a fact that there are missionaries handing out Books of Mormon outside the theater before the show starts.

The playbill not only features ads from TSCC about themselves, but there was also an ad from the local stake inviting people to a local meeting telling more about TSCC in person, at a local library.

There were just four in attendance, all of them older Jewish women who sympathized with them.

I hope so.

One spoof deserves another! :)

I'm sure it happens, but it's not like a movie. Those are awfully expensive tickets not to have some idea what you're getting into.

But then, Mormons pay a lot more than that for admission to the temple with no idea what's in store. I guess some people don't mind expensive surprises!

I doubt it.

1) Shows are expensive--Mormons are cheap.
2) I have never known a Mormon to attend a play or musical in San Francisco, the area where I live. Probably some do, I just never know any.

I knew a few (doctors, executives) but the only show they went to was when Donny Osmond was on Broadway doing "Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat".

Otherwise Mormons don't seem to go to shows unless it's a Roadshow or a Pageant ran by the Mormons (some probably go to Branson to catch the Osmond Brothers).

If they did, they can't be active mormons. I can't imagine anyone who moves in mormon circles who hadn't heard to stay away or they'd be needing the bishop to cast the evil spirits out of them the next day.

It's been to our Southern city twice. Sold out for every show. I went with a group of friends the first time and there were a few people who walked out. However, I doubt they were mormons, but rather Christians who were all into seeing a play bashing mormons but not prepared for the language and adult themes.

Every person I know who has seen it had to tell me afterwards, since I'm the only (ex)mormon they know. But every one of them has told me how impressed they were with the young people (mishies) who were outside and smiling and nice and giving them handouts, etc. They asked me if I thought those kids had ever seen the show. Um, that's an easy one to answer. NO.

I don't think many Mormons would see that musical, because show tickets in general are expensive, and the closest they get to seeing something like that is the MoTab choir, or when their high school students perform in the school musical. Besides that, their idea of culture is going to Disneyland.

I know I miss the old "roadshow" days which gave us "My Turn" and "Saturday's Warrior". Thanks to Boyd K. Packer's teachings and beliefs that arts and music were only to be hymns and the benefit of the church; many talented Mormon actors, singers and artists have left the church. Yet it also gave us so much fun with movies like "Latter Days" and "Plan 10 From Outerspace" http://www.echocave.net/plan_10_from_outer_space.html

I mean Karen Black singing "Nehor's Song" is too campy... https://youtu.be/aM-PeBnCLx4

My wife and I attended the play in SLC last year. The vast majority of the attendees knew exactly what the play was about and the laughter throughout the play was an uproar. Sitting in the second row of the balcony we noticed several couples below us leave mid-play. There was a couple just in front of us who sat motionless, never laughed once that we could tell, but they didn't leave. From the looks between them, and occasional shaking of heads, it was clear they were not having much fun.

I'm sure there are some who think they know the material and can handle it, but then realize the satire is a bit more than they bargained for. What I found more interesting was the number of people in SLC who got every nuance of that satire, and laughed and loved every minute of it.

I thought it was hilarious, but DH told me afterward that he wanted to vomit at the irreverent treatment of the faith he has cherished since childhood.

he has been inactive for over a decade (since I resigned) so I sometimes deceive myself into thinking that he is "over it." He isn't.

I should have invited an exmo or nevermo friend instead. I feel as if I have been insensitive to his beliefs, and I feel bad about it.

It's apparently coming back to Calgary. I won't be buying tickets for several reasons. 1. I would be going alone as my wife isn't interested, 2. I hate musicals, 3. I'm too cheap plus it ain't worth the drive and the hassle.

RB

Just saw it in London last week. The programme had at least 3 or 4 ads from the Mormon church saying things like "the book is always better." I doubt there were any Mormons in the audience but during intermission I did overhear a couple discussing their family member that had recently joined the church. They were baffled that anyone could be so gullible.