The critically acclaimed, nine-time Tony Award winning musical The Book of Mormon recently finished a two week run at Kansas City Music Hall.

The New York Times called the show “the best musical of the century,” and Jon Stewart of The Daily Show calls it “so good it makes me angry.”

For a touring Broadway production surrounded by accolades, it is not hard for one to see why both critics and lay people find it enticing. Filled with satire, crass humor, and a surprisingly optimistic tone, Mormon navigates through risky subject matter in a somewhat thoughtful way. This being said, the musical is not for the faint of heart- or those easily offended.

From the creators of the television show South Park and one writer of the Broadway production Avenue Q, Mormon throws punches at everyone. No one or institution is safe from being made fun of- women, Mormons, and Orlando, Florida included. Filled with four-letter words and middle fingers, Mormon holds true to its creators’ style.

The music is catchy, the choreography delightful, and the characters prove to be more than simple parodies of young, white, Mormon missionaries. The show definitely walks a fine line of creating characters that are endearing, as opposed to ignorant and obnoxious.

Despite the many enjoyable aspects of Mormon, I did find myself wincing when presented with the show’s depiction of Africa, particularly the African people. Leaving the jokes at the expense of AIDS, genocide, and poverty by the wayside, Mormon portrays Africans as uneducated, helpless products of a third-world country. I have to think that the show’s creators do not derive this portrayal of Africans from the satirical elements of the show, but instead through thoughtlessness and a lack of modern understanding of the continent.

From creators who denounce the existence of a God, as well as religious institutions, Mormon presents audiences with the idea that religious faith can be used to make the world a better place. Its enjoyable music, choreography, and characters make it an entertaining piece of musical theater.