REVIEW: Tomorrow Is a Latter Day as ‘The Book of Mormon’ Plays TPAC

By Matthew Stafford | Photo Credit Julieta Cervantes

Take the naivety of youthful, cockeyed missionaries, add the very difficult lives of Ugandan villagers, then mix in some witty songs and dialogue as seen through the eyes of the creators of “South Park,” and you get a major Tony Award winning masterpiece rife with the sort of shocking humor that would’ve been likely to make your grandparents and Archie Bunker either faint, blush, or simply explode in pangs of disbelief.

As with “South Park,” “The Book of Mormon” proudly wraps humor in brash stereotypes and playfully derogatory language and situations, delighting many audiences while certainly offending the sensibilities of some. That’s a combination that makes “The Book of Mormon” succeed as a story. In pointing out the palpable discomfort of absurdity which we witness through a crisis of faith and conviction, tests of loyalty, and the enduring power of friendship, creators Matt Stone, Trey Parker, and  Robert Lopez cleverly hold up a mirror to all of our lives, not unlike what the late Norman Lear gave us in the 1970’s with shows like “All in the Family” and “Maude,” albeit with far more cursing and shocking situations.

In the touring production at TPAC, we follow hopeful teenage Mormon missionaries, the ambitious Elder Kevin Price, played by Ethan Davenport, and hapless Elder Arnold Cunningham, played by Jacob Aune, as they travel to Uganda, where their mission is challenged by a warlord as much as disease and a general mood of resigned anger and restless survival.

It is here we encounter what must be one of the most “offensive” aspects of the musical in the song, “Hasa Diga Eebowai.” But in a village where people are constantly battling AIDS, female genital mutilation, and a dictatorial warlord, can we really blame them for proudly and loudly repeatedly exclaiming something roughly translated into English as a curse phrase that means shamelessly giving one’s middle finger to the Lord? It certainly makes for a crude awakening for a pair of young men who’ve grown up with a romanticized view of Africa thanks to Disney’s “The Lion King.”

While it’s not “Hakuna Matata,” it’s just as catchy, but in a make your Great Aunt Martha reach for the smelling salts and clutch her pearls kind of way. If that song doesn’t get your aunt going, then there’s also the sexualized “Baptize Me” later in the program. Thus, the scene is set for the major challenges facing the Mormon duo charged with bringing this village the good word of Jesus in his alleged time spent in America, just as the Mormon prophets crossed these United States and eventually ventured forth to proclaim that message throughout the world. Through their efforts and personal revelations, whenever things seem too challenging, we are reminded, through song, that “Tomorrow Is a Latter Day”.

As musicals go, “The Book of Mormon” has an infectious, fun, and energetic soundtrack that matches the dynamically motivated determination of the young Mormons setting out on their missions. “Hello!,” “Two by Two,” “Man Up,” and “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream” are some of the show’s gems.

“The Book of Mormon” is playing June 2 through 7 at The Tennessee Performing Arts Center.

What: “The Book of Mormon”
Where: TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall
When: June 2 – 7, 2026
How: Buy tickets here.
Note: Contains explicit language.