Hasa Diga Eebowai.

Wheat must have forgotten that it's his birthday (not mine) this weekend because he surprised me with tickets to see The Book of Mormon last week. Of course, I'm not one to complain, so I gladly accepted his invitation and geared up for the perfect date night.

First, we had dinner at Weber Grill downtown and I can tell you - I'm still daydreaming about my meal. I ordered pulled pork and ribs (with cole slaw, cornbread, and mashed potatoes) and Wheat couldn't resist the crab cakes. So good.

After dinner, we made our way to the Murat for the show. When we stopped at will call to pick up the tickets, the box office attendant asked who was responsible for buying them. Wheat hesitantly responded that he was and the guy promptly turned to me and instructed me to thank him later because they were "the best seats in the house." He was right. We were front and center in the first row of the balcony.

I have been fantasizing about seeing this musical since it was showered with Tony awards in 2011 and I must say - it completely lived up to the hype. The music was fantastic, the acting was great, and I laughed the entire time. It was written by the creators of South Park, so you can imagine the language/joke material. But it was absolutely hilarious and you don't have to be an expert on Mormonism to understand the humor.

The musical tells the story of model Mormon Elder Price (originally played by Andrew Rannells) and his nerdy, imaginative sidekick Elder Cunningham (originally played by Josh Gad) as they travel to Uganda on a mission to spread their faith. Needless to say, Uganda and its people don't exactly live up to the preconceived notions held by the sheltered boys from Salt Lake City.

Aside from the humor and music, I love that this musical tackles loaded topics in a way that doesn't feel heavy-handed or super critical. Somehow, Matt Stone and Trey Parker deal with the tough issues of faith (and occasional doubt), the overarching purpose of religion, racial and ethnic differences (and the condescension that often accompanies it), and the plight of some people in Africa (ex. AIDS, genital mutilation, etc.) while making you laugh and leaving you with a sweet, heartwarming feeling.

Don't get me wrong: There were still moments that seemed straight out of an episode of South Park (Spooky Mormon Hell Dream, anyone?) and I loved that. I wouldn't hesitate to see it again, especially with this handsome guy as my date.