NOM

1) Why are we not talking about this???
2) Maybe I missed it and it's already been discussed.

At the current showing of the BoM Musical in SLC, alcoholic drinks are not permitted in the theatre during the performance of BoM. When I first heard about this, I thought there were just plain no alcoholic drinks allowed in the theatre - ever. Alas, 'tis not so. Only the BoM has been singled out to disallow adult beverages during the performance. All other performances so far have permitted drinks.

It comes from a Utah law that alcohol is not allowed for shows that are 'Sexual'. Maybe someone can find an actual copy of the law language.

If you have seen the BoM musical - it's not sexual. Yes, it does have innuendo, sexual topics (rejecting gay feelings) and extreme sexual satire, but I didn't at any point feel sexually stimulated.

This is just another way the church is forcing it's way into public life, especially those who don't even belong to it. The Church is not happy about this production only a few blocks from its headquarters and is making it's displeasure known. Even the musical "Kinky Boots" was permitted to serve drinks. Note, I haven't seen Kinky Boots, but I'm told that it is much more sexual than anything in the BoM.

Side note - so what if a show is sexual? What does that have to do with prohibiting alcohol?

Korihor wrote: ↑Thu Aug 10, 2017 9:53 am
Side note - so what if a show is sexual? What does that have to do with prohibiting alcohol?

Cant have some sort of show turning into an alcohol driven orgy. Apparently that was on the mind of some church official in an earlier time. Patterns patterns...

Ugh! Only in Utah!

Korihor wrote: ↑Thu Aug 10, 2017 9:53 am. Only the BoM has been singled out to disallow adult beverages during the performance. All other performances so far have permitted drinks.

I saw Spamalot in the same theater and it easily had as much sexual innuendo, although hot as much R-rated language, as the BoM Musical. I'm trying to remember if the Castle Anthrax episode from Holy Grail was in musical. If so it would definitely take the prize.

I don't think this law was aimed at TBOM musical. It was meant to discourage strip clubs. Something to do with the state not able to limit free expression of that kind legally, but it can regulate what happens where booze is served. It is the reason that gentleman's clubs in Utah are dry. Another Utah culture lesson for you folks out there.

This does seem an odd application of the law, though. I would not rule out back channel influence from the church in anything that occurs in Utah, including this.

DPRoberts wrote: ↑Thu Aug 10, 2017 10:33 pm I don't think this law was aimed at TBOM musical. It was meant to discourage strip clubs. Something to do with the state not able to limit free expression of that kind legally, but it can regulate what happens where booze is served. It is the reason that gentleman's clubs in Utah are dry. Another Utah culture lesson for you folks out there.

This does seem an odd application of the law, though. I would not rule out back channel influence from the church in anything that occurs in Utah, including this.

Strip clubs makes more sense than a theatre (not that I agree with it). Good to know.
Note to self, check out a strip club next time I'm in Utah, for research.

Korihor wrote: ↑Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:46 am Strip clubs makes more sense than a theatre (not that I agree with it). Good to know.
Note to self, check out a strip club next time I'm in Utah, for research.

I imagine that strip clubs in Utah require all outfits to be "garment worthy".

The balancing act of church influence over he Utah legistlature has produced this and many other strange occurrences in Utah. The 3% beer and the atmosphere in state liquor stores is another instance of this. It's a strange dichotomy out of the LDS church when faced with cultural issues like the simply desire for non-Mormons to drink alcohol.

I have to give a tiny bit of credit to the LDS church for a couple of their ideas. The church actually buys ad space in the theater program for the "Book of Mormon" musical that shows a remarkable amount good humor, humility, and an understanding of human nature. Sam Harris, well-known atheist and critic of religion, called this "a genuinely charming sign of good humor, given the alternatives". Of course, he proposed that readers guess the reaction from a certain major religion if Stone and Parker had decided to create a musical called "The Quran" instead of "The Book of Mormon".

Sounds rather weird. Maybe they thought drunk exmos at a BOM theatrical could lead to incivility.

2bizE wrote: ↑Fri Aug 11, 2017 11:01 pm Sounds rather weird. Maybe they thought drunk exmos at a BOM theatrical could lead to incivility.

My husband and I have season tickets for an off broadway theater (we've seen BofM musical there twice) and they serve alcohol at all the plays we've attended. I mainly see people getting glasses of wine before the show or during intermission and no drinks are allowed in the theater. Therefore, it would be very difficult for anyone to get drunk at these plays. So, it's pretty ridiculous to ban alcohol for any performances, IMO.

DPRoberts wrote: ↑Thu Aug 10, 2017 10:33 pm I don't think this law was aimed at TBOM musical. It was meant to discourage strip clubs.

Yes, interesting how such laws can be twisted into acts of counter-persecution in a behind-the-scenes theocracy.

If I remember right you can get alcoholic drinks at the new Eccles Theater after they installed the new Zion's Ceiling, which looks much more Mormon than seeing flashy bartenders at a glitzy bar.


The new "Mormon Look" ceiling for this otherwise glitzy bar in this swankiest of Utah theaters. The ceiling shouts out, "Pure, Delightsome and Righteous."

moksha wrote: ↑Sat Aug 12, 2017 2:13 pm If I remember right you can get alcoholic drinks at the new Eccles Theater after they installed the new Zion's Ceiling, which looks much more Mormon than seeing flashy bartenders at a glitzy bar.


The new "Mormon Look" ceiling for this otherwise glitzy bar in this swankiest of Utah theaters. The ceiling shouts out, "Pure, Delightsome and Righteous."

I saw that hideous apparatus - I think drinks are only allowed in confined area in the restaurant section, but any other performances, you can take your drink inside.

A friend of mine won tickets to this a few days ago and asked me to attend with her. She's been ExMo for 10 years and is anxious to aid and abet my transition. She took me to the Beerhive Pub across the street, and I had my very first alcoholic drink: rum & Coke. It tasted like cough syrup and Coke. I didn't drink enough to get a buzz, but just crossing that threshold was an enormous feeling.

And the show was fantastic. Elder Cunningham was the spitting image of me 20 years ago when I was a stupid kid on a mission. Very cathartic.