Why can't the musical “The Book of Mormon” be performed in Korea?
Good morning. Welcome back to Surviving in the World (SIW), your newsletter written by CI students for anyone interested in global affairs. We always try to present select topics in global news in an easy-to-understand format.
Today, we introduce the musical The Book of Mormon and explore why it is not performed in Korea.
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Brought to you by: Keonhee Ahn (’25).
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Word Count: 547 / Time: 5 minute read.
The Book of Mormon: Broadway's Bold Comedy​​​
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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Book of Mormon, which was screened at the Orpheum Theater in San Francisco, is loved by audiences around the world, unraveling religious and social issues with humor and satire.​(Source: TrustArts)
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Introduction: The Book of Mormon was a play first performed on March 24, 2011. In the following Tony Awards, The Book of Mormon won the award for Best Musical Script (Best Book of a Musical), Best Original Score along with awards in nine different categories. This production was created by co-producers of South Park Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and composer Robert Lopez. The hit songs of this play include “Hello,” “I Believe,” “Hasa Diga Eebowai” which were performed around the world gaining much celebrity.
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Story: The play begins with two Mormon missionaries, Elder Price and Elder Cunningham, being sent to Uganda, Africa to spread the teachings of Mormonism. However, as they soon find out, to combat the reality of war, poverty, AIDS, and a general apathy of the local residents, there must be more than mere religious doctrine. Through the use of satire and crude jokes, the play aspires to deliver an in-depth message about religion.
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The Characters:
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Elder Price: The main character. A tall, handsome and religious man who is admired by all.
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Elder Cunningham: The complete opposite of Elder Price. Cunningham is short and socially awkward but full of creativity and humor. ​
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The two lead actors in The Book of Mormon perform on stage with the Book of Mormon in hand, bringing the musical’s energy and humor to life (Source: madridmusicals.com)
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Why aren’t there any performances in Korea?
Due to the fact that the Book of Mormon is a play focusing heavily on the religion of Mormonism which Christians deem heretical, it could be too sensitive of a subject for Koreans to accept in a form of entertainment, especially in a country that has a high cultural sensitivity towards religion.
Anti-Christian Sentiment?
In all honesty, this play does not seek out the problems with religion nor does it try to lean towards atheism or anti-Christian rhetoric. On the contrary, the theme of this play is to show people why religion is crucial in people’s lives.
Why you should care?
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Robert Lopez: This play, composed by Robert Lopez, uses a medley of hip-hop, pop, and traditional musical styles to provide a wide arrangement of music that everyone can enjoy. Robert Lopez has also composed songs like “Let It Go” from the hit movie Frozen which had an unprecedented popularity in Korea as well as the song “Remember Me” from the movie Coco.
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To tackle the sensitive and heavy topic of religion, a satirical and humorous approach was taken to take the edge off the play. However, the various perspectives on religion and social issues shown by the characters in the play could be of great interest to Korean musical fans.
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Recently, the musical market in Korea has received adoration from many audiences as it embraces various themes and styles. According to the KOPIS Integrated Computer Network for Performing Arts, the total number of ticket sales increased 2.25 times from 3,563,790 in 2019 to 8,053,854 in 2023.​
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