Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Church on Sunday



On Sunday we went to the Van Wezel, a big purple performance venue in Sarasota. 
The first time I saw it, I wondered what would possess someone to create basically a massive plum on the ocean, but I’ve since learned that it’s celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. 
That explains it all.
 It was the 1970s.

          Regardless of the color, we’ve seen some excellent shows. Sarasota is a pretty fancy town, with some high-end entertainment, and the performance we saw on Sunday was worthy of Broadway.

         
 Sunday’s play was The Book of Mormon. I wondered at first how it would go; how offensive would a satire about the Church of Latter Day Saints be to them? As it turned out, it was very funny, and even though the language was pretty blue, it was mostly just sort of a friendly elbow-in-the-ribs to the Mormon church.

          The dichotomy of a story about a church filled with the F word and scatological references was epitomized by the two women who sat in front of me,


 one who looked like a good-times gal who’d just wandered in from the beach, 




and the second her more straight-laced neighbor.  

7 comments:

  1. I will have to look up that play. I had heard about its existence but know nothing about it. It sound really interesting! I like your dichotomy of observers. :-)

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  2. It's not a plum; it's a scallop! Performances at the Van Wezel tend to be very good. I loved "Book of Mormon" when I saw it in London years ago.

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  3. I had read that even many Mormons liked that play. I have not seen it...maybe some day. Love the two photos of the ladies in front of you. That say it all!

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  4. That is a building you couldn't miss. I have heard a lot of good things about the show. I did like your dichotomy of viewers - and hope that it continues. Art (in all its forms) SHOULD be enjoyed by all.

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  5. I thought you were going to write that you attended a mega church.

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  6. That "beach" hair would drive me crazy. I can't stand uncombed hair.
    I remember wanting to see The book of Mormon when it was here in Australia, but I'd forgotten when it was actually arriving and then it was gone and I hadn't even saved up for the tickets. I'm wondering if it will be made into a movie eventually, because then I'm sure to see it.

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