'The Book Of Mormon' At Tonys 2011: First Look At 'I Believe' (VIDEO)

The 'South Park' guys have done it again.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone's first Broadway show 'The Book Of Mormon' took home nine Tony Awards Sunday night, including the illustrious Best Musical. And during a special performance of the climactic song "I Believe," most watchers got their first look at the breakout musical of the year.

The parody musical follows two young Mormon missionaries sent to Uganda to spread God's word, only to find themselves in the most hellish situations imaginable. In the scene below, Elder Price (Andrew Rannells) has lost his faith and attempts to regain the courage to fight an evil warlord aiming to control the Ugandan people.

As you'll learn via the hilarious lyrics in "I Believe," "The Book Of Mormon" is as much about mocking Mormonism as it is about celebrating it.

WATCH:

Via Gotcha Media

Comments

[lendmeanear]

12:51 AM on 06/20/2011

Religion is the opium of the masses... but then again a pain killer every now and then is a awesome thing.

[tokyomary]

06:10 AM on 06/19/2011

I don't really care what anyone believes, as long as it doesn't involve killing or torturing people or animals, but I do have a problem when people try to force their beliefs on me, or on the country as a whole.

[Isenki]

06:06 PM on 06/17/2011

Here you go, more gold from The Book of Mormon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUZizkPCjfs

[rdk70816]

09:56 PM on 06/15/2011

All religions are based on faith. Adherents believe. Whether you believe or do not believe the particular Morman precepts of Christianity, you should examine the fruits of their belief. If you see their fruits as good for themselves and humanity, you should not criticize. You need not believe but you also need not criticize.

[wolfsvssarah]

10:47 PM on 07/07/2011

Mormon Doctrine is not Christian. They have their own set of beliefs about God, one being that God is only one of many and that man can be a god too by following all the rules. They also believe that God has many many wives with which he has sex and they have spirit babies who eventually become human. This is all true, don't believe me go look it up at www.utlm.org.

[NAMU2010]

01:56 PM on 06/15/2011

Funny song, but the Mormon Church leaders deserve the criticism. The Mormon Church was a driving financial force behind Prop 8in CA. The ads they ran were full of lies and half-truths meant to scare voters, and unfortunately it worked. The result was an unprecendented repeal of a civil right that Californians had won in court. IMO any mocking they are receiving in the show can't approach the amount of criticism they truly deserve for their Prop 8 antics.

[ElBruce]

09:56 PM on 06/17/2011

The show doesn't really touch on organizational decisions made the TCoJCoLDS. It's more about individual Mormons' experience of their faith.

[Grandma Koolfinger]

01:01 PM on 06/15/2011

Now that we have one doing well in the presidential polls, it's time to start bashing Mormons. I wonder how something like this directed towards Baptists would have played in 2007?

[ElBruce]

09:57 PM on 06/17/2011

You don't sense an affectionate underlying tone there? I do. If you can't accept Mormons despite their actual beliefs, then you don't accept Mormons.

In the long run (heck, even in the short run - see that Newsweek cover?) I think this musical is going to be a huge step forward for Mormons and their full acceptance in America.

[Assumed Name]

09:51 AM on 06/15/2011

By all informed accounts, this isn't anti-Mormon satire, and more than one Mormon has professed to appreciate the humor given their own experiences. That said, as a non-Mormon, it gives me more than pause about the two Mormon GOP presidential candidates (not that I'd ever vote for that party after the explicit racism during the 2008 presidential campaigns--ick!). Just a bit of honesty, and nothing more.

[Chuck Glidden]

12:33 PM on 06/15/2011

It is no more absurd than any other religion, just a little less popular.

[Assumed Name]

12:39 PM on 06/15/2011

I beg to differ: absurdity is not all of a piece...it admits degrees.

[Danlar]

05:08 AM on 06/15/2011

a good song.....this is one take on Mormonism, I like it.

It's deep and questions All religious belief and expereince...in that way it far trancends just Mormonism

while providing high quality entertainment

[Brautigan]

05:01 AM on 06/15/2011

My favorite from the show: "Turn It Off"

Hilarious:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWA_jr-AwyA

[Doug Whitinger]

09:07 AM on 06/15/2011

"No! Cuz then you're just keeping it down... like a dimmer switch on low!"

LOVE IT!

[danielnz]

02:45 AM on 06/15/2011

The thought provoking satire in this shows song is all true, as the mormon beliefs does seem to write their own juvenile out-dated by far comedy script, and still sells it on to those who let others do the real thinking for them. I know from experience in this blind faith. But, when (as a logical thinking adult) I asked (including myself) the hard questions on this fairy-tale believing dogma, I soon became secular and a Humanist.
“Living with dogma numbs your brain, you can’t cope, you’re high on hope".

[gx5000]

09:00 AM on 06/15/2011

Don't you wish you could be that high on hope once in a while too ?.....
It's the only thing that makes me not go all stupid on religious people.
It's not that I admire their faith, I wish I could just forget my understanding and join in.
All the Canadian Mormons I've met have always been the nicest of people.

[danielnz]

02:45 AM on 06/16/2011

Mormons I've met (including my Mum) have mostly been nice people too, but seriously deluded about this one life we've got and preach endlessly on how we should robotically live it towards a fictional fantasy eternity, which they will never know they never arrived. Seize the moments I say!

[NoSandwiches]

10:16 PM on 06/14/2011

hysterical? not really. I think I know this guy....

[Norm K]

10:03 PM on 06/14/2011

Several people who have posted here in opposition to the musical as being anti-Mormon have said it's cruel to attack Mormons, essentially because Mormons are too polite to fight back and thus don't deserve it. Some have even have proposed that Matt & Trey should attack Muslims instead.

First, to paraphrase Geroge Carlin "do what you want to the girl, but leave me alone" is NOT a solution to criticism or (supposed) hatred. "South Park" HAS targeted Muslims on numerous occassions. Just like it has targeted Catholics, Jews, atheists, and particularly Scientologists. If you've said "aim at somebody else", your logic is faulty. Either it's wrong to target religion in general, or its not.

Second, it you think Matt & Trey have it in for Mormons, answer me this: Why is it established canon on the show, going back almost 10 years, that God is a Buddhist, but that the only people who actually get in to Heaven (at least initially) are Mormons? God even said something to the effect that he lets Mormons in BECAUSE they are so likeable.

[SpaceboySD]

12:00 AM on 06/15/2011

Anyone who thinks Mormons are, "...too polite to fight back...", must not have met any of the Mormons I've come across. And I don't mean that in a good way.

[gx5000]

09:01 AM on 06/15/2011

I guess they have their bad apples too...

[ElBruce]

10:02 PM on 06/17/2011

Well, I've found them to be quite nice. Shame you ran in to some mean ones.

[GDedrick]

07:44 PM on 06/14/2011

Having seen the show twice I would say it is less about "mocking* it as it is gently poking fun at it -- at Mormonism and all religious faith based on miracle and revelation. It is a pro-faith show.

[gx5000]

09:03 AM on 06/15/2011

I guess I'll have to try and catch it, get on a plane and all...
I just can't see how a good natured comedy show that "reveals" ridiculous beliefs could be termed "Pro Faith". (The Natives used to be white ? c'mon).

[GDedrick]

11:20 AM on 06/15/2011

It illustrates how everyone's religious stories, taken out of context, can sound ridiculous. That it is the faith that is important and brings meaning. Faith in something better and bigger than yourself. Whether than be the humanity or metaphors or whatever. Hey, but don't take my word for it. You can see what Josh Gad, one the stars has to say: http://www.clicker.com/tv/morning-joe/-mormon-star--at-the-end-of-the-day-it-s-a-pro-faith-musical-1860885/

[ElBruce]

10:06 PM on 06/17/2011

"The natives used to be white" is an explicit belief of Mormons. It really is. That's part of their actual belief system. Matt & Trey aren't being mean to Mormons by pointing this out.

Check out the roadway cast recording sometime. Although "I believe" is (IMO) a perfect representation of the ribbing and affection that TBOM shows towards Mormons, listening to the rest of it gives you a bigger picture (probably not as much as seeing the whole thing, especially considering they also won the "best book" Tony).

You aren't doing Mormons any favors by pretending to like them while refusing to admit that they believe what they believe. You can only say you like Mormons if you know what they believe and like them anyway. This is that TBOM challenges you to do.

[canuckdjs]

05:12 PM on 06/14/2011

What would America do if a person today rose up and made the claims Joseph Smith made? Today, we quickly file them under "Coo-Coo For CocoPuffs". Important to note that in Smith's day, he was a notorious con man. However, he managed to get enough folks (with little education it would appear) to follow him West. More con men came after (Brigham Young for one) to carry the torch, and Mormonism took hold. Scientology miraculously sustained itself despite an even crazier doctrine - but celebrities led that charge, and celebrities are never wrong.

[gx5000]

09:04 AM on 06/15/2011

It's scary how humanity is fooled.

[Chuck Glidden]

12:35 PM on 06/15/2011

The same can be said about Jesus.

[canuckdjs]

12:55 PM on 06/15/2011

Excellent point. And look what happened to him (allegedly)...

[lglglg]

04:09 PM on 06/14/2011

Is there anyone who COULDN'T write the "music" of this and other selections in this show? All the "composer" had to do was put his finger on a piano keyboard blindfolded, and THAT'S the note that will be chanted throughout the piece. Why do so many people reject black-and-white movies, photos and TV, but are perfectly comfortable with monochromatic "music"?

[canuckdjs]

05:06 PM on 06/14/2011

It's a joke. Lighten up.

[ElBruce]

10:09 PM on 06/17/2011

I look forward to seeing your musical, O maestro.