Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011
Trey Parker and Matt Stone
Trey Parker and Matt Stone have been satirizing American culture with profanity-laced South Park skits and songs for nearly 15 years now, but they've outdone themselves with "The Book of Mormon," which opened on Broadway earlier this year. The musical, about two Mormon missionaries sent to Uganda, deftly balances Parker and Stone's unique brand of caustic humor (the show actually includes a tune called "F--- You, God") with the sunny optimism of traditional song-and-dance numbers. This isn't just a silly, blasphemous production by guys who enjoy poop jokes. No, this is a genuinely poignant production that asks us to reassess the value we place on organized religion — and, OK, also laugh at some poop jokes.