On April 7, I attended a matinee production of “The Book of Mormon” at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh, and it was amazing! Granted, my musical theatre production viewing is limited, but this was by far one of the best shows I’ve had the pleasure of viewing. The production focuses on Elder Kevin Price, a talented relic amongst the other young Mormons, and Elder Arnold Cunningham, who hasn’t read the Book of Mormon and appears a little…out there. These two are paired together to serve out their mission in Uganda, Africa, which is plagued by problems unbeknownst upon arrival. The task to convert the locals to Mormonism assumes place on Price’s shoulders. However, the task proves too difficult, and he decides to leave and Cunningham takes over. Unfortunately, this meant Cunningham needed to improvise his lack of Mormon knowledge with his wealth of knowledge on popular culture. Despite a few rough parts, the final notes crescendo to a happy ending. Although the show was offensive and inappropriate at certain times, that should not be the vantage point for judgement – which is where my mild concerns stemmed from. It was clear by intermission that the show should be acknowledged by its quirky and impressive dance numbers, impressive ability to make a theater full of people able to only take a breath during the more serious parts and the one-of-a-kind characters. The laughter, impressive staging and storyline remained as strong as Elder Cunningham’s ability to recreate the history of Mormons. Darth Vader, Yoda, dancing Starbucks cups and hobbits all found the time to make appearances in the show. Granted, the location of the seats offered a greater view of the area, and it appeared as though empty seats were as rare as moments in the show in which laughter wasn’t reverberating off the ornate walls of the theater. Moral of the story, take advantage of the fact that Pittsburgh is only a half hour drive away and houses theaters that feature touring productions for a week at a time. Broadway shows and plays aren’t as permanent as those in New York City. If a show looks interesting, jump on the opportunity and be impressed for two and a half hours.