When The Book of Mormon first arrived on Broadway back in 2011, it felt downright dangerous. Not because of elaborate special effects or groundbreaking staging, but because it gleefully said the things most people wouldn’t dare say out loud. Fifteen years later, in a world where outrage often arrives faster than context and social media can turn a joke into a national controversy in warp-speed, one might wonder whether South Park creators Trey Parker & Matt Stone and Avenue Q’s Robert Lopez’s irreverent, bawdy and completely un-politically correct nine-time Tony-winning musical still lands with the same impact.
The answer, judging by the opening night audience at Nashville’s TPAC Tuesday evening, is an emphatic “Hello!”
Returning to Andrew Jackson Hall through June 7, The Book of Mormon remains exactly what its reputation suggests: outrageous, wildly inappropriate and frequently jaw-dropping. Yet, just as importantly, it remains what many of its detractors overlook—a surprisingly heartfelt story about friendship, faith, belonging and the stories people tell themselves in order to make sense of a complicated world.
For those somehow unfamiliar with the phenomenon, the musical follows an eager group of young Mormon missionaries dispatched from Salt Lake City to a remote Ugandan village facing poverty, disease and oppression. What begins as a fish-out-of-water comedy evolves into something considerably richer as the missionaries and villagers discover that belief, in all its forms, is often less about facts than it is hope.
And while the script remains largely unchanged from previous tours, this latest company brings fresh energy and personality to every role, making the show feel newly minted rather than a revival of a familiar favorite.
Leading the charge is Ethan Davenport, who takes on the pivotal role of Elder Price in this engagement. As Elder Price, Davenport embodies the character’s confidence, ambition and occasional arrogance with effortless charm. Blessed with a powerful Broadway tenor and an all-American leading man presence, he delivers “You and Me (But Mostly Me)” and the Act Two anthem “I Believe” with the kind of vocal confidence that anchors the entire production.
Opposite him, Jacob Aune’s Elder Cunningham is everything the role demands—awkward, lovable, wildly inappropriate and impossible not to root for. Cunningham is essentially a walking collection of half-remembered science fiction plots, social anxiety and misguided optimism & a bit of a walking, talking South Park character in human form, and Aune embraces every glorious second of it.
More importantly, he finds the humanity beneath the character’s compulsive storytelling. While the laughs come easily—and there are many—the emotional core of the show ultimately rests on Cunningham’s desire to matter. Aune never loses sight of that, making the character’s journey feel genuinely earned.
Yet it’s Craige Franke as Elder McKinley where Franke truly steals scenes. His performance of “Turn It Off” is a masterclass in comic timing, complete with dazzling choreography, impeccable facial expressions and enough jazz hands to illuminate Broadway itself. Heck, the featured ensemble during “Turn It Off” is simply tap-tactic. Having spent years with the company in multiple capacities, Franke understands this material inside and out, and it shows. His cheeky, campy cameo in “Scary Mormon Hell Dream”, helps make it a glittery, shockingly hilarious dream indeed, but more about that later.
One of the evening’s biggest delights comes courtesy of Rayna J. as Nabulungi, stepping in for Music City’s opening night for an absent Charity Arianna. Making her professional theatre debut on a national tour would be enough pressure for most performers. Doing so while carrying one of the show’s most beloved roles feels downright unfair. Fortunately, J. rises magnificently to the challenge. Her Nabulungi radiates warmth, optimism and sincerity, providing the show’s emotional center amidst the chaos. Her rendition of “Sal Tlay Ka Siti” is beautifully sung and genuinely moving, reminding audiences that beneath all the satire and profanity lies a story about people searching for something better. J. also electrifies her scenes with Aune’s Cunningham, particularly during “Baptize Me,” a number whose hilariously escalating misunderstandings remain one of the funniest sequences in modern musical theatre.
As The General, Shafiq Hicks delivers one of the production’s most commanding performances. Possessing a booming stage presence and undeniable authority, Hicks makes an immediate impression from the moment he appears. His performance of “Hasa Diga Eebowai” earns exactly the reaction one hopes for from first-time audiences: gasps, nervous laughter and a collective realization that The Book of Mormon intends to push every button it can find. Yet Hicks doesn’t just play the role as a caricature. Instead, he grounds the character in a reality that gives the surrounding comedy greater impact.
Elsewhere, Jonathan Grunert proves remarkably versatile while juggling multiple roles including Price’s Dad, Joseph Smith, Missionary Voice and Mission President. Jarius Miquel Cliett makes a strong impression as Mafala Hatimbi.
The entire ensemble deserves special recognition as well. From the opening strains of “Hello” to the curtain call, they maintain an infectious level of energy that never dips. Whether executing the show’s precise choreography, navigating lightning-speed costume changes or delivering some of the evening’s biggest laughs, this company operates like a well-oiled machine, or, in The Book of Mormon terms, like a bunch of maggots tunneling through one’s scrotum! Trust me, in this case, that’s a good thing!
Casey Nicholaw’s Tony-winning choreo remains as impressive as ever. “Turn It Off” continues to be an absolute showstopper, while the aforementioned “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream” remains one of Broadway’s most delightfully unhinged production numbers. Gotta love the updated addition to the list of hell-bound evil-doers joining the likes of Hitler, Genghis Khan and Johnny Cochran, but I’m gonna redact that name so as not to spoil the surprise. Suffice it to say, the audience reaction to this hellacious human was just as I hoped it would be. Keeping it fresh with updated references is just another way The Book of Mormon keeps their audiences on their toes. A running gag in the show features Elder Cunningham frequently calling Nabulungi the wrong name. Everything from Neutrogena to Necrophilia…a clever comical callback with each name, so much so that I found myself eagerly anticipating what he’d call her next. My personal favorite new addition to the list…Ozempic. Add in the hilarious spectacle of “I Am Africa” (gotta love a bunch of self-righteous white boys declaring representation and solidarity with the African nation) and the show boasts enough memorable musical moments to satisfy even traditional musical theatre fans.
What continues to impress most about The Book of Mormon, however, is how successfully it balances satire with sincerity. Yes, there are jokes that will make some audience members cringe. Yes, there are moments where you’ll likely find yourself laughing before immediately wondering whether you should have. And yes, Parker and Stone remain equal-opportunity offenders. Nobody is safe from ridicule in their The Book of Mormon world But beneath the profanity, religious satire and outrageous punchlines lies a surprisingly compassionate message about empathy, community and finding common ground despite differing beliefs.
When I first saw The Book of Mormon, I compared it to the classic CBS Norman Lear-driven sitcom All in the Family. Much like that boundry-pushing TV juggernaut, The Book of Mormon uses comedy not simply to provoke, but to hold up a mirror. The laughter may be loud, but the observations underneath it are often surprisingly thoughtful.
Fifteen years after its Broadway debut, The Book of Mormon remains one of the funniest musicals ever written. More impressively, it remains one of the smartest. And judging by the roar of laughter echoing through TPAC Tuesday night, Nashville audiences are still more than happy to answer the doorbell.
The Book of Mormon‘s latest return to TPAC runs Tuesday, June 2 through Sunday, June 7. CLICK HERE for tickets and more info. Not in Music City, but want to know more about Book of Mormon, CLICK HERE for tickets to upcoming tour stops including Miami, FL Erie, PA, Buffalo, NY, Willmington, NC and Chicago, IL and more as the tour continues. You can also follow the tour on Facebook, X, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.
Following Book of Mormon, it’s the return of another audience favorite as Hamilton plays TPAC’s Jackson Hall June 17-28. While these two shows close out the current Broadway at TPAC season, there’s always something happening at Nashville’s beloved three-theatre venue. CLICK HERE for the full calendar of events. TPAC’s 2026/2027 Season is just around the corner with its official kickoff September 16-20 celebrated by the return of yet another fan favorite, Jersey Boys. You can also follow TPAC on Instagram, X, YouTube and Facebook.
As always, if you wanna follow JHPEntertainment to find out who I’m chatting with for my next Rapid Fire Q&A, or for my take on the latest local and national theatre, music and movie offerings, find us on Facebook, Instagram and X.
In case you missed it, check out my recent Rapid Fire Q&A with The Book of Mormon‘s cast members Craig Franke, Charity Arianna & Safiq Hicks.
RAPID FIRE WITH BOOK OF MORMON’s ELDER McKINLEY, CRAIG FRANKE
RAPID FIRE WITH BOOK OF MORMON’s NABULUNGI, CHARITY ARIANNA
RAPID FIRE WITH BOOK OF MORMON’s GENERAL, SAFIQ HICKS
RAPID FIRE WITH MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG‘s FRANKLIN SHEPHARD, GRAY MILLER
RAPID FIRE WITH MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG‘s CHARLEY KRINGAS, ELIJAH WALLACE
RAPID FIRE WITH MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG‘s MARY FLYNN, McKENZIE BRYAN
RAPID FIRE WITH MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG DIRECTOR JACOB WAID
JHPENTERTAINMENT:
RAPID FIRE WITH WATER FOR ELEPHANTS‘ 
RAPID FIRE WITH WATER FOR ELEPHANTS‘ ELLA HUESTIS
RAPID FIRE WITH WATER FOR ELEPHANTS’ 
RAPID FIRE WITH WATER FOR ELEPHANTS‘ CHRIS MARTH
At the center of the production is Zachary Keller as Jacob Jankowski, the grieving veterinary student who impulsively abandons his former life and jumps aboard the Benzini train. Keller anchors the production with a grounded sincerity and a soaring vocal performance that gives emotional weight to Jacob’s internal struggle between safety and risk, logic and passion. His voice carries a warm ache throughout the evening, particularly in moments when Jacob wrestles with the moral compromises surrounding the circus and his growing connection to Marlena. There are moments within Keller’s performance that the entire audience falls in love with his Jacob. Heck, there are moments his near-perfect pitch vocals fill the venue so melodically that you even wonder if he needs a mic. A true testament to his skills and those of the show’s sound designer Walter Trarbach and the entire technical team.
Opposite Keller (and Tully), Helen Krushinski delivers a luminous performance as Marlena, the circus star trapped inside an increasingly dangerous marriage. Krushinski possesses the kind of voice that cuts cleanly through the orchestrations without ever losing emotional nuance. She brings both fragility and fierce determination to Marlena, avoiding cliché and instead presenting a woman desperately searching for dignity and freedom amid chaos. Like so many of her ensemble cast mates, Krushinski also demonstrates a bit of impressive arial skills, adding a literal and figurative extra layer to her performance.
And yes — the aerial and acrobatic work is extraordinary. This production understands that circus artistry should not simply interrupt the narrative; it should become the narrative. Silks, balancing acts, lifts, and gravity-defying choreography emerge organically from the emotional life of the story. The transitions feel seamless rather than showy for the sake of applause. From the jump, as the circus ‘crew’ is setting up shop at their latest stop, even the pounding of the tent-stakes into the ground and the raising of the tent becomes a cadenced ballet of movement, acrobatics and mind-boggling balance and strength. This elegance of motion and bodily discipline becomes another character throughout.
Particular praise belongs to Yves Artières, whose physical performance as Silver Star, Marlena’s beloved show horse, becomes one of the evening’s unexpected emotional centerpieces. Through movement alone, Artières creates personality, loyalty, exhaustion, and tenderness in a way that feels almost impossibly expressive. In a key scene when Silver Star reaches his untimely end, the visual of his spirit leaving his body, by way of Artières ascending silks hanging from the rafters above the stage, then dramatically unfurling the silks as he descends to return to the earth–simply breathtakingly beautiful. The puppetry/animal work throughout the production is remarkably inventive, but Silver Star’s presence lingers long after curtain call.
The lighting design deserves enormous credit for shaping the show’s emotional landscape. Warm ambers, smoky blues, and stark silhouettes constantly shift the atmosphere from romance to danger to wonder. Combined with a richly textured sound design that captures both the intimacy of whispered confessions and the thunder of circus chaos, the technical package immerses the audience completely without ever feeling excessive.
Opposite him, Grammy nominee Mykal Kilgore delivers a mesmerizing Judas. From the opening notes of “Heaven on Their Minds,” Kilgore refuses to portray Judas as a simple villain. Instead, his Judas feels conflicted, frightened, frustrated, and heartbreakingly human as he watches events spiral beyond anyone’s control. His powerhouse vocals soar effortlessly through the score, but it is the emotional vulnerability beneath the performance that lingers longest.
As Mary Magdalene, powerhouse vocalist Olivia Valli comes by her talents naturally. Granddaughter of The Four Season‘s founding member Fankie Valli, she’s a legacy entertainer. As Mary Magdalene, Valli brings warmth and aching sincerity to the role. Early on During “Everything’s Alright,” Valli’s calming presence provides a needed emotional balance amid the increasingly chaotic atmosphere surrounding Jesus. Soon after, her rendition of “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” avoids unnecessary theatrics in favor of emotional honesty, allowing the heartbreak within the song to quietly unfold. Under Cassidy’s direction, Valli explores the often-avoided attraction between Mary the woman and Jesus the man, once again offering yet another layer to the humanity of the piece.
As Pontius Pilate, Geoffrey Davin offers one of the evening’s smartest tonal shifts . Presented as a gaudy, self-important joke of a man sporting an intentionally terrible hairpiece (kudos to the show’s wig designer Meredith Schieltz for just simply going for it), Davin leans fully into the absurdity of performative power. The portrayal initially earns plenty of laughs, but underneath the comedy lies another sharp reflection of the production’s larger themes—people desperate to appear more important than they truly are. His “Pilate’s Dream” balances nervous humor with growing dread, while sinisterly daunting presence during “Trial Before Pilate/39 Lashes” becomes genuinely unsettling.
W. Scott Stewart’s thunderous bass vocals as Caiaphas roll in like a deep fog, brilliantly setting the stage for the dread and darkness to come. Robert Parker Jenkins‘ Annas perfectly snarky glances peering over those disturbingly small, dark glasses, brings an unspoken self-righteousness to his role as a high priest. As other members of Caiaphas’ doom squad, Garris Wimmer‘s sinister voice and Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva‘s snide presence all come together perfectly to present a united and terrifying quartet who initiate the plot to end Jesus.
Then there’s the most intriguing of Whitcomb-Oliva’s multiple roles, her dazzlingly, gloriously commanding presence as King Herod. Landing somewhere firmly between Tina Turner’s Auntie Entity from Mad Max: Beyond the Thunderdome and Elton John’s Pinball Wizard from yet another rock opera, Tommy, Whitcomb-Oliva’s Herod is the true definition of the villainous character we know we’re not supposed to love, but we just can’t help ourselves. Combine the stage presence and spectacular wardrobe with Whitcomb-Oliva’s undeniable talents and you’ve got yourself a show-stopping performance and another of Studio Tenn‘s Jesus Christ Superstar‘s truly magical cast members. There is no role this mega-watt talented performer can’t handle and she proves it show after show after show.
Other ensemble members like Bakari King, Garris Wimmer, Maya Antoinette Riley, Matthew Hayes Hunter, Savannah Stein, Lane Adam Williamson, Victoria Griffin, Emma Rose Williamson, Connor Adair, Nikki Berra, Christina Ledbetter and Patrick Jones each contribute to the overall energy, emotion and beauty of the piece. From the full ensemble Act 1 favorite, “What’s the Buzz’ to a shining, glittering all-in late-hour moment, the entire cast brings everything they’ve got, resulting in a feast for the eyes, the mind, the heart and soul. 
Likewise, Joi Ware’s choreography injects continuous movement and urgency into the production. There are moments where subtle Bob Fosse-inspired isolations seem to collide with flashes of Michael Jackson-inspired movement during larger ensemble sequences, creating choreography that feels simultaneously nostalgic and contemporary. Even those ensemble moments reinforce the power-in-numbers juxtaposed to the isolation of one theme found throughout the piece. Coupled with Cassidy’s direction, Ware’s choreography fills the stage with passionate movement, whether the entire company is on stage for a group number, or the action slows for a solitary moment from Pascal, Kilgore or Valli.
RAPID FIRE WITH GOD OF CARNAGE’s ALAN, WANDERSON REZENDE
WANDERSON REZENDE: I don’t think Alan is pretending. I think he does everything but pretend. And yes, I do think he’s the most honest person in the room. I had conversations with our director Diane Bearden and with Ben, Abby, and Beth about this. Alan understands that children and adults have fundamentally different tools for solving conflicts. He’s interested in the adult dimension of what happened between their sons: the dentist, the insurance, and giving the kids space to work it out themselves. What he refuses to do is inject adult morality into a children’s fight. He knows that life and time will already do that job. Alan is the kind of parent who wouldn’t stop his kid from sticking a fork in an outlet. He’d say, “Go ahead, then let’s talk about what happens next.” There’s actually a twisted kind of respect in that.
RAPID FIRE WITH GOD OF CARNAGE’s ANNETTE, BETH HENDERSON
JHPENTERTAINMENT: By the end of the play, who holds the most power in the room—and does Annette ever truly lose hers?
RAPID FIRE WITH GOD OF CARNAGE’s MICHAEL, BEN GREGORY
BEN GREGORY: To avoid letting the degree of his resentment reveal itself too quickly, I focus on his attempts to make light of things, his efforts to be a peacemaker. He wants so badly to avoid conflict. Though the tension eventually breaks, he tries to restrain it as much as possible, often with offhand remarks intended to make light of things.
RAPID FIRE WITH GOD OF CARNAGE’s VERONICA, ABBY WADDOUPS
The tension is high and rehearsing is exhausting, draining, but fun. I feel like I’m in college again, doing an intensive character study in a cutting edge drama. Shows like this, roles like Veronica and working with these wonderful people – are all what I love most about acting. We are always in good hands with Diane and her expertise.
RAPID FIRE WITH GOD OF CARNAGE DIRECTOR, DIANE BEARDEN-ENRIGHT
RAPID FIRE WITH JAGGED LITTLE PILL‘s MARY JANE, LEE CHAIX MCDONOUGH
RAPID FIRE WITH JAGGED LITTLE PILL‘s FRANKIE, SHALIA FUENTES-MATTHEWS
RAPID FIRE WITH JAGGED LITTLE PILL‘s JO, ANNA MARSHBURN
RAPID FIRE WITH JAGGED LITTLE PILL DIRECTOR, BRADLEY MOORE
Leading this beautifully doomed endeavor is Joshua Mertz as Chris, the director/star/producer/everything-else of the show-within-the-show. Mertz plays Chris with just the right mix of puffed-up authority and slow-burn panic. As The Inspector within the mystery, watching him try to maintain control as things unravel faster than a cheap sweater is half the fun—and when he finally snaps, it’s worth the wait. Mertz, in his sixth show at The Keeton is proving himself to be a valuable asset the the company.
Aaron Gray’s Robert is the kind of community theatre actor who clearly believes he’s performing in Masterpiece Theatre, even as the world collapses around him. The fact that Gray is in or involved with nearly every Keeton production somehow added a if you know you know aspect to his role as Robert. As Thomas Collymoore, his dead-serious commitment in the face of utter nonsense makes every moment land harder, especially as the physical comedy ramps up and refuses to let him off easy. Kudos to his library scene. While the Keeton stage area does limit the intensity of the prospect of the second floor of the set completely collapsing, Gray’s physicality while keeping himself and all the props around his from falling away as the floor beneath him gives way, is gasping, belly-laughing joy to behold.
Keeton newcomer, Connor Boggs is tasked with the key role of Max. Initially cast in another role, Boggs stepped into the role of Max after the original actor had to drop out of the show. As Max and his mystery counterpart, Cecil, he figures out very early on that subtlety is overrated. Within the supposed seriousness of the murder mystery, for Cecil, once he gets a taste of audience laughter, it’s game over. He milks every moment for all it’s worth, turning even the smallest slip into a full-blown bit. That said, dressed in wardrobe that can only be described as a technicolor travesty—yes, the character is typically a bit of a dandy, but not quite so…flamboyant. Usually played as an overly confident community theatre actor with at least an initial modicum of subtlety, Bogg’s Cecil starts at 100mph and never slows down doing everything short of cartwheels from his stage entrance right on through to the final curtain. Under the direction of Bailey, Bogg’s Cecil is amped up and definitely played for laughs so much so that it runs the risk on a SNL skit that just doesn’t know when to
demanding physical comedy without ever dropping character. In one scene in particular, she’s pulled and flopped around by her cast mates as if her joins are made of bendy straws. Her physicality is slapstick at its best.
Wanderson Rezende’s Trevor Watson, stationed at the tech booth, proves that sometimes less is more. His distracted, couldn’t-care-less approach to running the show results in some of the night’s most perfectly timed “mistakes,” and when he’s finally dragged into the action, it’s awkward brilliance. And yes, Denese Rene’ Evans (the show’s costumer) I did indeed appreciate that Trevor is sporting a Duran Duran t-shirt! 
name, by the way), tasked with playing a corpse who…isn’t exactly great at the whole “lying still” thing. Fonville’s physical comedy—mistimed reactions, missed cues, and all—adds an extra layer of delightful absurdity to a role that could just be…well, dead.
Bottom line, if you like your theatre polished, pristine, and predictable…this ain’t it. But if you’re in the mood to laugh until your face hurts while watching a cast absolutely commit to the bit—even as the set tries to take them out—The Play That Goes Wrong at The Keeton is exactly the kind of beautifully disastrous night out you’re looking for. Just don’t expect anything to go right, because…Where’s the fun in that?
One notable change is the role of Sweet Sue, bandleader of the all-girl band that serves as the perfect hiding in plain site destination for our two unintentional leading men, or should I say leading ladies? Little more than a brief appearance in the source material, Ruffin and Lopez wisely fleshed out Sweet Sue and as played by DeQuina Moore, we’re glad they did. Moore’s Sweet Sue doesn’t just open the show—she detonates it. Her “What Are You Thirsty For?” lands with the kind of electrifying force she herself described in our recent 
Leandra Ellis-Gaston’s Sugar Kane arguably comes with the steepest climb. Not because of the technical demands—though those are certainly present—but because Marilyn Monroe’s original Sugar remains so indelibly iconic. Wisely, the creators of the stage adaptation “understood the assignment,” sidestepping imitation entirely. By reimagining Sugar as a strong-willed, career-driven woman of color, the role becomes instantly unshackled from direct comparison—and Ellis-Gaston runs with it. With a speaking voice that lands somewhere between The Color Purple’s Squeak and legendary chanteuse Lena Horne, her Sugar is equal parts vulnerability and resolve. Sweet? Absolutely. But never simple.
As G-man Mulligan, Matt Allen plays the essential “straight man” with surgical precision, anchoring the show’s more outlandish antics while quietly setting up some of its biggest payoffs. As he said in our recent Rapid Fire 20Q, that role is not only necessary but foundational in launching the show’s farcical momentum. And when he finally gets to dip into the madness—particularly in that delightfully ridiculous undercover sequence—it’s a payoff worth the wait.
Minnie, Sweet Sue’s right-hand woman is revealed throughout as a bit of a sticky-fingered gal. One of the show’s running gags is her revelations of accidentally entering the wrong apartments thinking they were Sue’s and taking things that weren’t hers. To that end it makes perfect sense that Devon Hadsell’s Minnie is a scene-stealing delight, leaning fully into the character’s charming chaos and absconding with laughs each time she’s on the stage. There’s a lived-in sense of loyalty and mischief here, making Minnie far more than just comic relief. She’s an essential part of the heartbeat of the band. And that ever-present cigarette dangling from her ruby red lips, the kind of subtle sight gag that again perfectly pays homage to that 1930 prohibition-era Hollywood spirit. Side Note: When that Gregg Oppenheimer I Love Lucy play makes its way to Broadway, Hadsell has my vote for the Vivian Vance/Ethel Mertz role!
And then there’s Edward Juvier’s Osgood, who may just be the show’s most quietly radical reinvention. As he shared in our recent Rapid Fire 20Q, what drew him to the role was Osgood’s ability to lead with curiosity rather than judgment—and that ethos radiates throughout his performance. Where the film played him as the punchline, this version is in on the joke and, more importantly, in on the love. That shift—from caricature to fully realized romantic—becomes one of the production’s most meaningful evolutions.