HOW TO GO:
What: The Book of Mormon
When: Jan.7-26. Performances at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, Friday at 8 p.m, Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and on Sundays at 1 and 6:30 p.m.
Where: Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut Street, Cincinnati
Tickets: Prices range from $47.75 to $157.70. There is a one-time order charge of $4.50. Tickets are available at the Aronoff Center box office, on line at CincinnatiArts.org or by phone at (513) 621.ARTS (2787)
HELLO! I would like to share with you the most amazing news.
“Book of Mormon” is coming to Cincinnati.
The popular and irreverant musical captured nine Tony Awards — including Best Musical — and won the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. The New York Times called it the “Best Musical of the Century” and Rolling Stone dubbed it ” the new gold standard for Broadway.”
Fans of “South Park” and “Avenue Q” will love it.
But be forewarned: “Book of Mormon,” is not for the easily offended. There’s lots of profanity, and plenty of shocking songs and scenes.
The first stage musical by South Park partners Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the show is written in collaboration with Robert Lopez, co-creator of “Avenue Q.” The touring troupe rings the doorbell at Cincinnati’s Aronoff Center on Jan. 7 and the show will run through Jan. 26. It’s slated to open at the Ohio Theatre in Columbus in May.
“It’s incredibly creative and there are surprising moments that make you smile,” says Marilyn Klaben, education director of The Human Race Theatre Company, who saw the show when it first opened on Broadway and loved it.
“Book of Mormon” has been touted as a blend of the old-fashioned Broadway show — the kind where you could leave the theater humming a favorite tune — and a new kind of musical that’s fresh and inventive.
The plot revolves around two 19-year-old Mormon missionaries who are assigned to Uganda to spread the word about their faith.
Cincinnati native Ron Boehmer will be playing the multiple roles of Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, The Mormon Mission President and Elder Price’s Dad.
Here’s what Boehmer has to say about the show and his theatrical career:
Q: What do you think has made Book of Mormon such a hit?
A: The show is brilliantly funny, but at it's core it has what many recent musicals have been missing — it has heart. You care about the characters.
Q: What's your favorite song in the show?
A: My favorite is "HASA DIGA EEBOWAI!" You'll have to see the show to find out what that means — it's celebratory, shocking, angry and hysterical all at once.
Q: How long have you been touring with the show? Does the audience response vary in different parts of the country?
A: I joined the show in Washington D.C .in August of 2013. Every city reacts a little differently to the show — DC was crazy for it. Texas was even crazier for it. New Orleans, surprisingly, was very cool and conservative in their response. Florida is an older crowd, so a little quieter — except for Orlando, where they went bananas! It really is an honor for me to perform in a piece that is so loved by audiences.
Q: Do you think there's an underlying message in Book of Mormon?
A: The show is extremely pro-faith. It points to the absurdities in all religions and essentially says, "if believing this helps you, so be it." Do no harm. Love each other.
Q: How familiar were you with Mormonism before auditioning for this show?
A: I had performed in Salt Lake City previously and several members of the local cast were Mormon. I was intrigued by some of the peculiarities (to me) — no caffeine and drinking "clubs" instead of bars where you had to become a member to drink alcohol. But Mormons didn't have three heads — they were essentially just really nice people.
When rehearsals started we were given a healthy amount of research pertaining to the show. Amazingly, other than the characters and the circumstances, pretty much everything in the show is factual, on both the Mormon side and the Ugandan side. I also read a fascinating biography of Joseph Smith — “No Man Knows My History” by Fawn M. Brodie.
Q: Have you spoken or interacted with Mormons who have seen the show?
A: We have one Mormon in the show. He graduated from Brigham Young U. His family has come several times — they enjoy it, basically taking the things they don’t agree with as comedy.
Q: How and when did you audition for this road show?
A: I was first asked to audition while I was in St. Louis Playing the role of George in “Sunday in the Park with George.” It’s a very demanding role. I would have had to fly in for the audition on my day off, and I was just too worn out to do it.
So I sent a Youtube audition tape. I didn’t get the part, but I must have done something right because a year later my role opened up and they asked me to come in again. This time I was in Pittsburgh playing The Phantom in “Phantom of the Opera” and would again have had to fly in on my day off.
But I had seen the show on Broadway since my “taped” audition and knew that I really wanted to do it. So I did fly in this time. The audition took about a minute-and-a -half. The next day they called my agent and said “we think Ron is going to get this, everyone in NYC wants him, we just have to send his audition taper to Matt Stone and Trey Parker in L.A.
Day after that, the job was mine. I was … glad I made that flight.
ABOUT ACTING
Q: Where did you grow up and how did you first become interested in acting?
A: Cincinnati Ohio, Cheviot, Ohio to be exact. I used to love the Variety shows of the 70’s — Sonny & Cher, Dean Martin. I loved watching performers who could do it all — sing, dance act and be funny. That’s what I wanted to do.
Q: What were some of the earliest theatrical experiences you had?
A: I played the lead (Anthony Newley’s role) in “The Roar of the Greasepaint: The Smell of the Crowd” for a Catholic youth group. I was neither Catholic nor old enough to be in the youth group. But they couldn’t cast it and I was the only kid on the west side of Cincinnati who could sing the demanding score. (Or who was wiling to show up for rehearsals is more like it.) So they let me do it. Best time of my life — I got to impress and date older girls.
Q: Who was your mentor over the years?
A: My dance teacher (since I was six) and the former Artistic Director of Cincinnati’s School for Creative and Performing Arts — Jack Louiso. Jack taught all of his students that performing was a privilege not to be taken lightly. It required discipline and hard work, an athlete’s commitment to always push yourself farther.
I went to Webster University and was one of their first Musical Theatre graduates. My daughter, Austen Danielle Bohmer, is now a freshman Musical Theatre major there.
Webster was the best — an intense actor training program that I credit with my career success. Certainly singing has been a big part of my career, but for me, learning to be a truthful actor was the key to playing lead roles.
Q: What did you do after college?
A: Worked at for Disney World for a year. Moved to New York. Became a waiter. Got fired in front of my customers after nine days. Struggled. Drove a carriage in Central Park for two years. Finally got a break in “Forbidden Broadway.”
Q: What have been some of your favorite experiences in the theater?
A: My Broadway debut was “Fiddler on the Roof” starring Topol, I played Fyedka. From there I played Alex in the National Tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Aspects of Love.” Then two years as Enjolras in the Broadway cast of “Les Miserables.” Joe Gillis in the National Tour of “Sunset Blvd.” The Phantom in the National Tour of “Phantom.” Title role in the Broadway and National Tour of “The Scarlet Pimpernel.” Father in the Broadway revival of “Ragtime.” Frid in Broadway revival of “A Little Night Music” with Bernadette Peters.
Favorite? Joe Gillis in “Sunset Blvd.” — a sarcastic, self-loathing screenwriter from Dayton, Ohio. What could be better?
Q: What advice would you give to parents whose child is interested in acting?
A: If they are great at it and deeply want to do it, find a way to help them achieve their dream. Same advice I’d give to parents whose kids want to be anything at all. It used to be that acting was the toughest thing to break into, but nowadays, let’s face it, any good job is hard to break into. If they love it, then love them and get behind them.
Q: What is your goal in theater, what would you like to be doing in five, 10 years?
A: I want audiences to relate to every character I play. I’ve done my work if people are moved to laugh or cry, if they are drawn in. Theatre is transformative at its best and my mission is about taking audiences to that place.
In 10 years, God willing and if my knees hold out, I’ll still be finding roles that make people laugh or shake them to their core. Doing this brings me joy and keeps me young, so I hope to be lucky enough to be at it 25 years from now.
Q: What do you especially like about musical theater?
A: Music makes any message more accessible. So musical theatre delivers all the umph of a great play with the added joy and pain of melody. And it remains a handmade art form — it’s created live in front of you. There is absolutely nothing like it.
About the Author
