photo by Joan Marcus

“The Book of Mormon” opened last Wednesday to a celebrity-laden crowd at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. The high-energy production elicited howling laughs, reserved gasps and a plethora of applause as the Tony award-winning cast brought the house to its feet at the final curtain. Gavin Creel (center) leads the show as Elder Price, with Jim Carrey-esque mannerisms and flexibility. His sidekick, Elder Cunningham, (far right) played hilariously smart by Jared Gertner, travels to a far away country with Elder Price on their required Mormon mission, after “graduating” from “mission school”. Without giving away too many plot points – and side-aching, irreverent dialogue – the story offers plenty of history on and tenets of Mormonism and serves up a very large platter of social commentary. My take away was, while the show is called “Book of Mormon” the overall message points fingers at organized religion in general, and how it impacts – or not – the issues (war, famine, AIDS) of the world. This incredible Broadway production is must-see theatre, so hurry to purchase tickets. The show is playing through November 25. Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd. For tickets, visit www.broadwayla.com.