Unlike cynical children or action hero-cliché puppets, our protagonists here are Elder Kevin Price, an ideal Mormon, plus cohort, Elder Arnold Cunningham, an archetypal nerd. As characters they lack depth; their Herculean flaws are, respectively, egomania and lying, which end up being the crutches of the plot. Price, played by Gavin Creel, progresses somewhat over the course of the musical, his cosmetic sheen chipped away by his predicament. Cunningham, played by original understudy Jared Gertner is a substantially weaker character. He is continuously relied upon to chuck out a funny reference to Star Wars or simply to mispronounce a name foreign to himself. The second act is weaker as he is the focus.
Imperialism is laughed at tepidly, as when the white Mormon missionaries sing ‘we are Africa.’ However, the temptation to assign right-wing beliefs to the work of Parker and Stone, their worldview helping spawn the South Park Conservative after all, is overwhelming. It seems that in their fascination with Mormonism, Parker and Stone have taken a shine to the happiness of its adherents and wish to spread it to others in a rather dubious way. This is reflected in their representation of the villagers. All too often the unwashed denizens are nameless and faceless, assigned to being shot in the face by General Butt-Fucking-Naked — and living amongst an infant rapist — until the plucky American lead comes along. In short, the musical doesn’t look or sound like it belongs in the 21st century.
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