84. The Book of Mormon  episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 16, 2026 · 1H 53M

84. The Book of Mormon

from Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast · host Mackenzie Horner

This week, Mackenzie is joined by his two amazing co-hosts, Scott Hurst and Maris Lyons, for the first time ever as the trio tackles one of the most divisive musical comedies of the 21st century: The Book of Mormon.In this penultimate episode of Season 6, they dig into why the show still brings audiences to their feet while sparking serious discomfort. From satire and shock comedy to religion, race, and “white savior” narratives, the conversation asks who gets to laugh—and why. They also examine how the show lands in a post-2020 world and whether its hopeful ending actually earns its payoff.All this, and a bold conversation about laughter, unease, and responsibility in musical theatre—because tomorrow is a latter day.Don't forget to leave us a review and share your thoughts on this episode on our social media pages. Follow the links below to reach our pages.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week, Mackenzie is joined by his two amazing co-hosts, Scott Hurst and Maris Lyons, for the first time ever as the trio tackles one of the most divisive musical comedies of the 21st century: The Book of Mormon.In this penultimate episode of Season 6, they dig into why the show still brings audiences to their feet while sparking serious discomfort. From satire and shock comedy to religion, race, and “white savior” narratives, the conversation asks who gets to laugh—and why. They also examine how the show lands in a post-2020 world and whether its hopeful ending actually earns its payoff.All this, and a bold conversation about laughter, unease, and responsibility in musical theatre—because tomorrow is a latter day.Don't forget to leave us a review and share your thoughts on this episode on our social media pages. Follow the links below to reach our pages.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

NOW PLAYING

84. The Book of Mormon

0:00 1:53:23

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast?

This episode is 1 hour and 53 minutes long.

When was this Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on January 16, 2026.

What is this episode about?

This week, Mackenzie is joined by his two amazing co-hosts, Scott Hurst and Maris Lyons, for the first time ever as the trio tackles one of the most divisive musical comedies of the 21st century: The Book of Mormon.In this penultimate episode of...

Can I download this Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!