(Jeremy's text turning into the pixel font and getting more blue each time is to symbolise how much of the squips mannerisms/"advice" he takes and just how far he strays from himself🩵 ok bai
( this was my boyfriends idea @unoccupiedmusicstand7 )
i hate that when you try and look up shit for writing purposes it starts linking suicide hotlines and addiction advice articles like bro i just wanna know the information im not killing myself i promise. now tell me what i wanna know
You may tell me about the production if it will make you happy but I don't have any questions about it and I don't mind about spoilers at all :]
EXPLODES WITH JOY!!!!! (you do not have to read all this if you do not want. i just wanna yap. highlighted stuff is the more important bits if you wanna skim)
*also sorry for any typos
OKAY THERE ARE THREE MAIN CHARACTERS!!!
CHARACTER ONE:
Kevin Price!!
OBC actor:
Andrew Rannells
CURRENT FAVE!!!
Kevin Clay!!!
Kevin is a “golden child” sort of character- in the first few songs it’s revealed to us that he’s considered an INCREDIBLE mormon!!!! he’s the goat!!! he’s NOT autistic guys trust him 👍 he has an infatuation with orlando and is generally polite+what people would expect from the average mormon.
ARNOLD CUNNINGHAM!
OBC actor: Josh Gad
CURRENT FAVE!!!
Conner Pierson!!
Arnold is basically the OPPOSITE of kevin!! we learn in the first few songs that she is a compulsive liar, and is considered loud and obnoxious. AWFUL at reading a room, and kevin. doesn’t like her.
NABULUNGI HATIMBI!!!
OBC actor:
Nikki M James!!
CURRENT FAVE!!!
Kim Exum!!!
Nabulungi fits the “disney princess” archetype (shaking and holding myself back on going on a rant saved for later)! she’s sweet, kind, and her BIGGEST wnat (which is similar to kevin’s) is to go to Salt Lake City!! she’s loving and CUTE AND I LOVE HER!!!
COOL NOTABLE THINGS ABOUT THE WHOLE MUSICAL
it’s kinda a parody of a classic disney movie (came out in 2011 when disney was good…) by having the “classic main character” (kevin) be not such a nice guy, and the usual “bumbling sidekick” (arnold) be actually VERY CAPABLE!!! and the disney princess (nabulungi) whom usually comes from a place of privilege, (princess) coming from an impoverished town in northern uganda
WRITTEN BY THE SOUTH PARK FUYS AND ROBERT LOPEZ!!! so general crude/offensive humour
accurate to mormonism. anything you hear about the actual religion is not exaggerated or untrue
PLOT!
i’ll be pretty vague unless i want to explore specific parts that i find interesting!
opens with a religious story of mormonism (white jesus 🥀) and it then fades to the song “hello!” just giving us a little look into kevin’s character- first one to speak in the song, aka putting himself first- arnold LITERALLY lies as her first line.
we learn it is time for all the mormons to be going on their mission- kevin tells us about his LOVE for orlando, and how since he is such an INCREDIBLE mormon he is expecting to go there. he instead gets paired with an AWFUL mormon (aka arnold) and gets sent to uganda. this is the first instance of the disney/lion king motif (kevin: “sea word and disney” (when talking about orlando) and arnold: “oh boy! like lion king!” (when talking about uganda))
then in the airport we get a little deeper into arnold’s lying problem, and about how she is seen as inferior to kevin even by her own dad!
on the plane, we get the song You and Me (But Mostly Me) which is a great show of how it’s a parody, since the classic disney film would have this show how close the two companions are, but this further shows kevin’s egotism, having him make the whole song about himself. FUN!!
they arrive in kitilugi, and all their things get stolen, they are then introduced to mafala hatimbi, who tells them about how much it sucks here. Hasa Diga Eebowai song!! I consider this the ‘turning point”, because not only is it our first swear, but it just. impurfies arnold and kevin- kevin makes it clear he has never experienced any anguish before this (“you should really NOT be saying that” (about them saying fuck you god)
arnold is then enraptured by nabulungi as she takes them to mission headquarters we meet the other missionaries! we learn how they haven’t baptised ANYONE and are stressed about it. none of teh side elders are particularly important aside from mckinley, since he is used as a mouthpiece for the other elders. We get the song Turn it Off! which just shows how mormonism can be corrupt- but is another GREAT subversion of expectations for a disney, by not just having a gay character- but implying that the main character kevin, is gay. disney could NEVER!
Kevin and arnold are a little unsettled, but soon get to bed. kevin refused to call arnold his best friend (something that has kinda been happening this whole time it’s just VERY noticeable now)
the next day, kevin and arnold go to town to try and convert the villagers, and witness general BFN (main antagonist) shoot a man, for disagreeing with him because he is an evil dictator. so when they start the villagers explain how they’ve seen it all before- christian’s come all the time! but kevin explains how they not christian, they’re a SPECIAL KIND OF CHRISTIAN.
they get no one on board :( EXCEPT from nabulungi- she is IN LOVE with the idea because she believes that it means she can leave africa and go to salt lake city (she sings the song sal tlay ka siti)
we learn that they about to get evaluated by the mission president- BUT THEYVE BAPTISED NO ONE! Kevin decided he shall speak with the mission president to get transferred. yaoi moment
as kevin goes to do that- nabulungi approaches arnold to ask if kevin can convert them all! arnold is like. uhhh kevin’s not here. and then nabulungi asks if arnold can convert them instead. then we get the PEAKEST song with Man Up. ITS SOOOO GOOD IT DISPLAYS EVERYONES CHARACTERS SOOO WELL BUT IM BAD AT ANALYSING SO :(
after the interval, we come back to arnold preaching to the villagers. but they’re finding it a little hard to connect. so arnold does the thing she’s good at- and lies about the religious text. cue the song You’re Making Things Up Again
hard cut to kevin- he’s there!!! he finally made it!!! to orlando!!!! YAY!!!! but then he realises- it’s not orlando. it’s a dream. a Spooky Mormon Hell Dream.
he wakes up!! yay! the hell dream encouraged him to stay and work the villagers. then cunnigham comes back to tell them he has TEN EAGER villagers ready to learn about mormonism! the attention is OFF elder price for once. which. annoys him a little. cunnigham has taken kevin’s spot as “golden boy” in the district.
everyone is scared of the general from before- he would NEVER want them to convert to mormonism! so kevin decides he will try to convert the general!
song “i believe”
the converting. does not go well.
BACK TO CUNNIGHAM AT THE VILLAGE! we get a little sneak peak of all the lies she’s been telling the villagers. it’s all a bunch of bullshit about star wars and stuff. nabulungi asks arnold if she will baptise her. cue the song Baptise Me
we learn that the mission president is coming to congratulate them personally for their success in uganda! we also find out in the song “I Am Africa” that the general shoved the book of mormon up kevin’s arse. general is NOT happy about finding out that they’re all converted.
kevin is having a moment- he’s at a cafe, and he can’t stop drinking coffee (mormons are forbidden from drinking tea and coffee, so this is kinda to show how he’s fallen off his high horse) we get his super emotional orlando monologue, how he’s completely lost faith in the church. then we find out arnold only came to tell him they both have to be together for the mission president evaluating them. offends kevin. he sings “orlando” to reprise what he sung earlier in the musical.
the villagers decide to put on a play for the mission president (Joseph Smith American Moses) which the mission president bans the whole district+villagers from mormonism due to its. inaccuracies.
this breaks nabulungis heart, and she again reprises Hasa Diga Eebowai.
kevin thinks it was BRILLIANT. he thinks it was to teach him a lesson while cunnigham is just. very confused.
the general goes to the villagers and tries to do his dictator thing, but they oppose him with religion. but nabulungi says there’s no point. since the promised land isn’t real, and the prophets (arnold and kevin) are dead (she’s lying here) then they tell her it’s more of an idea/metaphor. (this bit is kinda or tell the audience to go more easy on mormonism- if it helps some people, even if it’s stupid, that’s all religion is for)
then kevin and arnold come back and repel the general, and it’s just a happy ending after all. :] and to finalise, the song Tomorrow is a Latter Day plays! the general is converted to arnoldism! arnold gets a place in the spotlight! kevin learns to be off his high horse! and nabulungi gets what she always dreamed of, a happier life!
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