SALT LAKE CITY — “Product of their time” was the key phrase in Salt Lake Acting Company’s annual production of Saturday’s Voyeur—Mumpsimus the Musical. Updated with 2014 “Mormon Issues,” the show includes tributes to Ordain Women, the Boy Scouts of America, Fox News, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Corporation. With”guest appearances” from John Swallow, the Angel Moroni (the statue), Nephi, Joseph Smith, the former Miss Riverton and Gayle “God-Zicka” (aka Ruzicka), the satire of Saturday’s Voyeur is as biting as ever.
Show closes August 31, 2014.
Carefully crafted by Allen Nevins with Nancy Borgenicht and Kevin Mathie, this year’s Saturday’s Voyeur follows the story of Elder (Justin Ivie) and Sister Marriot (Olivia Custodio) and their biracial daughter MoPhilia (Latoya Rhodes) with frequent skits and interruptions from other characters in a Saturday Night Live style format. Sister Marriot catches her husband, who is a prominent leader in the church, in a homosexual relationship with another church leader named Fletch (Alexis Baigue) and uses this as blackmail to keep her husband silent as she pushes her liberal agenda on the church. MoPhilia, who longs to become “white and delightsome,” becomes heartbroken when she learns that she is the daughter of her mother and unnamed Lakers basketball player during an away game to Salt Lake City to play against the Utah Jazz, as her mother discloses during “Father’s Gay.” As Elder Marriot attempts to cover the various controversies and recent retractions in LDS church history with the popular phrase that former leaders were a “product of their time,” and the musical number “Corporations are People Too,” visits and cuts to other Mormon leaders and icons accentuate the humor in this popular musical satire, now in its 36th season.
Highlights of the production include the live Angel Moroni statue (Eb Madson), who frequently commented on the action throughout the production. Mornoi also put on a few pounds due to his alcohol and drug addictions from the pipe (i.e., trumpet) he carried with him, and his attempt to avoid being struck by lightning (considering he is a human lighting pole). The former Miss Riverton (Leah Hassett) and her homemade bomb was a periodic visitor to many of the scenes, and Hassett delivered with excellent comedic timing. Nephi Jensen (Austin Archer), the sex driven “young man” who was trying to lure unsuspecting “young women” into the “baptismal fount” for a “par-tay” was hilarious in “Baptize the Dead.” Archer further demonstrated his versatility as Elder Elder and Joseph Smith in “Hoodoo Gunna Fall.” Archer easily shifted between all three characters with fantastic characterizations and was a standout of the production. Jaron Barney’s appearance as John Swallow was also very funny, especially during the musical number “Swallow Hard.” But the greatest laughs of the evening came from Gayle God-Zicka (played by Janessa Bowen) in her rendition of “Whip It.” Bowen’s broad comedic choices in the creation of this Eagle Forum president were hilarious, and had an uncanny resemblance to the wicked witch.
Mathie (musical arranger) frequently parodied tunes from popular musicals, such as “Showtime for Mormons” and “Showtime for Modesty” (“Springtime for Hitler” from The Producers) where each of the “Miss Modesty” contestants appeared in order to compete in a satirized Miss Utah Pageant. This was a creative device used in drawing in additional comedic elements. His parody number “Beer with Buddha” with a laid-back country flavor was another favorite song of the production. Cynthia Fleming (who worked as both director and choreographer) successfully created entertaining scenes, transitioning between the various plots, subplots and characters with ease. I appreciated the touch of audience interaction she added during several scenes that was done at just the right level.
Though the show had great moments of witty comedy, the three acts and near three-hour production was excessive and indulgent. Many songs dragged on with unnecessary verses and repeated gags that were beat to death as they recurred over and over again in each of the acts. Brevity was greatly needed to keep the pace brisk in Saturday’s Voyeur. By the third act, I was more than ready to wrap it up; and the inclusion of new characters and content felt unnecessary and too late.
Despite its length, Saturday’s Voyeur is absolutely worth the trip. Many audience members will be entertained by the creative parodies that only Utahans will fully appreciate. Coupled with excellent performances, silly songs and dancing, Voyeur celebrates the “peculiar people” and society that exists in Utah. With the Book of Mormon musical tour coming to Utah this year, Salt Lake Acting Company reminds locals that Voyeur was the original. However, be advised that some rowdy humor, language and content makes this appropriate for mature audiences only.
