Diego Enrico and Sam McLellan Photo by Julieta Cervantes

The Book of Mormon, its book, music, and lyrics a collaboration of Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the pair responsible for "South Park") and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q and Disney's Frozen), is about two young Mormons, fresh out of their training as missionaries for the Church of Latter Day Saints who are sent to do their two-year mission in Uganda. This is the farthest from what Elder Kevin Price had in mind. After all, he was the top and best-liked student, and had prayed hard to be sent to Orlando.

His companion, Elder Arnold Cunningham (Diego Enrico), cares less about where he is sent than who he is sent with. Arnold is what one would call a "nebbish" and has trouble making, let alone keeping, friends. He is elated to be paired with self-declared "awesome" Kevin Price (Sam McLellan), sure that since mission rules state that a missionary is never to go anywhere without his mission partner, he and Kevin will become best friends. Kevin deflects Arnold's gushing manner, but agrees that, together, he will accomplish great things in Uganda–"You and Me (But Mostly Me)."

Elders Cunningham and Price arrive at their mission in a remote Ugandan village plagued by warlords, hunger and AIDS. The young missionaries already based there welcome the two, hoping Price and Cunningham will help them turn around their dismal rate of success, having brought exactly zero local Ugandans into the church. But their message is at odds with the needs and experience of the locals, who see no need for religion when the simple phrase "Hasa Diga Eebowai" enables them to face all of their woes. While the clean-cut LDS elders refrain from words stronger than "gosh" or "darn," the Ugandans have no inhibitions about naming things exactly as they are, and in the strongest terms. Their profanity is not an act of immorality, but a completely honest response to the realities of life. And what is more innocent than speaking the truth?

Price and Cunningham have quite different approaches in reaching out to the Ugandans. In Arnold's inventive mind, stories of Jesus, Joseph Smith, and Brigham Young get curiously mixed up with <>Star Wars and Lord of the Rings,. As one would expect, things don't go so very well for the missionaries, but then after some surprising twists, things look up, only to fall apart again. The story ends with a new understanding of the source of truth that will turn your life around.

In addition to Elders Price and Cunningham, the show's engaging characters include Elder McKinley (Craig Franke), whose advice for dealing with unacceptable feelings is to "Turn It Off;" the warlord whose name is meant to intimidate, Butt Fucking Naked (DeWight Braxton Jr.); the skeptical village chief, Mafala Hatimbi (Lamont J. Whitaker); and his virginal daughter Nabulungi (Keke Nesbitt), whose openness leads her to believe the Mormon white boys' promises about a better life in Salt Lake City.

The score's songs, strictly in a musical-comedy vein, are exceedingly tuneful. Moreover, they do the tricks songs in a musical are supposed to do, advance the plot and reveal characters. On top of that, the lyrics are hilarious. They also affectionately lampoon bits from mainstream musicals like The King and I and The Sound of Music. Jennifer Werner stepped in to recreate Casey Nicholaw's and Trey Parker's original direction for this tour, keeping the enterprise moving seamlessly through its disarmingly outrageous paces. Werner also recreates Nicholaw's energetic choreography, which elevates a raft of eye-winking production numbers, fully aware of the absurdity of breaking into synchronized song and dance in the middle of a destitute village in Uganda, including a plum of a tap dance sequence.

The cast delivers in full throttle. McLellan and Enrico are wonderfully in synch as the mismatched Elders Price and Cunningham, respectively. McLellan especially soars in the anthemic "I Believe" and puts his character's ego on glorious display in "You and Me (But Mostly Me)." Enrico gives a fantastic account of the Mormons' story in "Making Things Up Again," hilariously shakes off his dweeb skin to become a veritable macho man in "Man Up," and is an adorable partner to Nesbitt's eager Nabulungi in "Baptize Me."

Nesbitt conveys a charming innocence and has a wonderfully versatile voice, from the wistfulness of "Sal-Tlay Ka-Siti" to her belt in "Baptize Me." Franke's take on Elder McKinley conveys the elder's failure to repress his actual feelings, even as he leads the charge in telling Price and Cunningham to "Turn It Off." The entire ensemble displays their full commitment in outrageously entertaining production numbers "Hasa Diga Eebowai," "Turn It Off," "All-American Prophet," "Man Up," "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream," and "I Am Africa." The Book of Mormon is exceedingly generous with its high spirits.

Scott Pask's sets brilliantly pivot from the tabernacle spires of Salt Lake City to the vine-draped village in Uganda, Ann Roth's costumes are sublime, making pains with the smallest detains–notice the change in neckties the elders are wearing for the finale–and Brian MacDevitt's lighting is marvelous, especially in creating a genuinely freaky "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream." Chad Parsley has recreated Brian Ronan's original sound design to good effect, with the show sounding clear and crisp in the cavernous Orpheum.

The song "I Am Africa," well into act two, may sum up what the creators of this monstrously entertaining show had on their minds: a line of white–and by that, I mean really, really white–boys from the USA, sing their own praise as they take credit for the African continent which they, from their proselytizing perspective, have tamed. As they do, they push back the actual African people trying to fit into the anthem. What great folly we commit when we try to convert others from who they actually are to fit an image of what we believe they should be. It isn't much later in the show that this presumption results in a nightmare scenario, when the villagers present their interpretation of "Joseph Smith American Moses" straight from the heart as they understand it. Let those who try to legislate against people's authentic nature take note.

And let the rest of us rejoice in the avalanche of song, laughter and dazzling insight that make The Book of Mormon a wonderful concoction of entertainment.

The Book of Mormon runs through December 15, 2024, at the Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis MN. For tickets and information, please call 612-339-7007 or visit www.hennepintheatretrust.org. For information on the tour, visit www.thebookofmormontour.com.

Book, Music and Lyrics: Trey Parker, Matthew Lopez and Matt Stone. Director and Choreographer: Jennifer Werner; Original Director Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker; Original Choreography: Casey Nicholaw; Scenic Design: Scott Pask; Costume Design: Ann Roth; Lighting Design: Brian MacDevitt; Sound Design: Chad Parsley, based on the original design by Brian Ronan; Hair Design: Josh Marquette; Orchestrations: Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus; Music Supervision and Vocal Arrangements: Stephen Oremus; Dance Arrangements: Glen Kelly; Associate Music Supervisor: Justin Mendoza; Music Director/Conductor: Mason Moss; Music Coordinator: John Mezzio; Casting: C12 Casting, Carrie Gardner, CSA; Production Stage Manager: Alina Goodman.

Cast: Dylan Bivings (swing), India Shelbi Boone (swing), Dewight Braxton Jr. (General), Kemari Bryant (ensemble), DeVon Buchanan (ensemble), Andrew Burke (swing), Trevor Dorner (Price's Dad/Missionary Voice/Joseph Smith/Mission President), Diego Enrico (Elder Cunningham), Justin Forward (ensemble), Craig Franke (Elder McKinley), Lars Hafell (ensemble), Alesha Nicole Jeter (ensemble), Kisakye (ensemble), Vance Klassen (ensemble), Evan Lennon (ensemble), Jarret Martin (ensemble), Sam McLellan (Elder Price), Joey Myers (ensemble), Keke Nesbitt (Nabulungi), Jewell Noel (ensemble), Alexis Ijeoma Nwokoji (ensemble), Connor Olney (swing), Thomas Ed Purvis (ensemble), Reynel Reynaldo (swing), Noah Silverman (ensemble), Loren Stone (swing), Bhrianna Veillard (swing), Dylan Knight Weaver (ensemble), Lamont J. Whitaker (Mafala Hatimbi), Brigham Williams (ensemble)