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The Book of Mormon Tickets

The nine-time Tony Award-winning Best Musical.

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About The Book of Mormon on Broadway

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The Book of Mormon follows two young missionaries who are sent to Uganda to try to convert citizens to the Mormon religion. One missionary, Elder Price, is an enthusiastic go-getter with a strong dedication to his faith, while his partner, Elder Cunningham, is a socially awkward but well meaning nerd whose tendency to embroider the truth soon lands him in trouble. Upon their arrival in Africa, Elders Price and Cunningham learn that in a society plagued by AIDS, poverty and violence, a successful mission may not be as easy as they expected.

Know Before You Go

Composed by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Avenue Q’s Robert Lopez, The Book of Mormon is an old-style musical with a modern sensibility. This blockbuster show features several big song-and-dance numbers accompanied by some old-fashioned Broadway belting. An equal opportunity offender, the show playfully pokes fun at religion, sexuality, poverty and race, while inspiring an after-the-show discussion of religion in general.

"A spectacular, rather perfect Broadway musical not only grounded in a serious love and understanding of the traditions that make a Broadway musical great but also filled with love for the very flawed, mortal characters who populate this romp." Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

"Parker and Stone have created one of the freshest original musicals in recent memory. It has tuneful songs, clever lyrics, winning characters, explosive laughs and disarmingly intimate moments. " The Hollywood Reporter David Rooney

"While The Book of Mormon packs plenty of blissful profanity, sacrilege and politically incorrect mischief, the defining quality of this hugely entertaining show is its sweetness." The Hollywood Reporter David Rooney

"The show is blissfully original, irreverent, outspoken and hilarious. And all that's tucked inside good -- no, great -- old-fashioned musical." New York Daily News Joe Dziemianowicz

"These numbers are witty, ridiculous, impeccably executed and genuinely stirring." The New York Times Ben Brantley

Frequently Asked Questions

The Book of Mormon runs approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.

The Book of Mormon contains explicit language. We invite each family to choose what is suitable, however children under 4 will not be admitted.

You can connect to the internet using the network  -Eugene_ONeill_Free_WiFi-  for better service within the theatre.

There is no coat check at the Eugene O'Neill theatre, but there is an option to store a large bag or suitcase. Please speak to a member of the staff when you arrive. There is a $3 charge per item.

Restrooms are located down 1 flight of stairs from the lobby. For accessible, single-stall and/or all-gender restroom options, please speak with a member of the theatre staff who can guide you to The Time Hotel, located directly adjacent to the theatre at 224 West 49th Street. We encourage you to use the restroom that best fits your gender identity or expression.

Cast & Creative

Kevin Clay has been so fortunate to play this role on the North American Tour, as a founding member of the UK/European Tour, and is thrilled to be returning to Broadway. Other credits include Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera ( Gypsy, The Wedding Singer ), Music Theatre Wichita ( West Side Story, Catch Me If You Can, Joseph... Dreamcoat, 42nd Street ), and Wagon Wheel Theatre ( Shrek, 9 to 5, Forever Plaid ). A proud graduate of Penn State University with a BFA in Musical Theatre. Huge thanks to his family, friends, Hudson Artists Agency, and the whole team at  The Book of Mormon . Crew ‘15!

Cody Jamison Strand has played Elder Cunningham across the U.S., Canada and London and is beyond thrilled to be returning to Broadway. Sending huge love to Mom, Dad, Brother and Sister whose birthday I always forget. A thousand constant humble thanks to the brilliant creative and casting team for giving me countless, incredible, unimaginable opportunities. For my own elders: Betty, Bob and Donna.

Kim is beyond excited and extremely humbled to be making her Broadway debut with such an extraordinary show! Kim is a Baltimore native and proud VCU alum, who's recent credits include  For The Last Time  (off-Broadway), Central Avenue Breakdown ,(NYMF/DIMF), Seussical the Musical  (National Tour), and Bull  (CBS). Many thanks to Mom, Dad, Irene & DDO, and all my friends and family! "An artist's duty is to reflect the times"- Nina Simone.

PJ Adzima is overjoyed to be making his Broadway debut as Elder McKinley after playing the role in Australia and on the Jumamosi Tour. Select Credits:  The Panic of 29 (Less Than Rent ),  Volleygirls  (NYMF),  The Cobalteans  (NYMF),  The Bacchae  (La Mama),  The Tycoons!  (RAVE Festival- Winner Outstanding Performance). TV: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Girls5Eva, Madam Secretary, The Good Fight, FBI: Most Wanted . Love to Bobby, Anne, Adam, and the BOM family around the world. For Mom, Dad, Eric, and Julia.

Jacques C. Smith is grateful to join the Broadway company. Broadway:  Rent  (Benny). National tours:  The Book of Mormon, If/Then  and  Rent . Regional: The Old Globe, Goodman Theatre (Black Theater Alliance Award, Jefferson nomination), Pasadena Playhouse (FRED Award, NAACP nomination), Ebony Repertory Theatre (Ovation Award), Paper Mill Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse and others. TV: Marlon, Eagleheart, General Hospital, Oz  (series regular), CSI: Miami, American Masters, Law & Order, ER , among others. MFA from UCSD, BA from Princeton University. “The time is always ripe to do right” —MLK, Jr.

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“The Book of Mormon” still shocks and surprises 13 years after its trashily triumphant Broadway debut.

The unabashed and uncompromising satire of Broadway musicals, coming to the Waterbury Palace Theater April 26-28, has become one of the genre’s major mainstream successes.

The show was written by “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker with Robert Lopez of “Avenue Q” and “Frozen” fame. Still running in New York, “The Book of Mormon” is currently the 12th longest-running Broadway show of all time and one of the most profitable.

These days, a “Book of Mormon”  tour is greeted by audience members who come in costume, hold up signs and know every line by heart. That throng of devout fans has to co-exist with theatergoers who may be seeing this outrageous show for the first time. “The Book of Mormon” continues to do impressive business at theaters that have already booked it previously.

Neither Thomas Ed Purvis, who plays Mutumbo and is also the tour’s co-dance captain, nor Lamont J. Whitaker, who plays Mafala Hatimbi (the father of the show’s heroine Nabalungi) are old enough to have experienced that wave of amazement that met “The Book of Mormon” when this bad-taste-based musical spectacle exploded upon Broadway in 2011.

“I knew of the show, but it wasn’t one of the ones they taught at school,” said Purvis who attended the Boston Conservatory, a breeding ground for musical theater performers. “I first saw it when it reopened on Broadway after COVID.”

“I didn’t see it until we started rehearsals for this tour in 2022,” said Whitaker. “When I was in college, people would sing ‘I Believe,’ so I always knew what kind of show it was.”

That song, in which the show’s hero, a Mormon missionary named Elder Price, reaffirms his faith in his religion, includes lyrics like “I believe! That God lives on a planet called Kolob! I believe! That Jesus has his own planet as well. And I believe that the Garden of Eden was in Jackson County, Missouri. If you believe, the Lord will reveal it. And you’ll know it’s all true — You’ll just feel it. You’ll be a Mormon!!! And by gosh — Mormon just belieeeeeeeeves!!!!”

Elder Price (played on this tour by Sam McLellan) and his pesky fellow missionary Elder Cunningham (Sam Nackman) attempt to interest Ugandan natives in the Mormon faith and become involved in village disputes with a local warlord.

Purvis is a Norwalk resident who previously sang and danced on tour in Connecticut in the long-running tour of “Rent”. “The Book of Mormon” has visited the same big theaters that “Rent” did, namely The Bushnell, the Shubert and the Waterbury Palace, some of them more than once.

”I dreamed of going to some of these theaters around the country,” Purvis said. He looks forward to playing the Waterbury Palace, partly because family members from Connecticut will be coming to see it. His grandmother has seen the musical 10 times.

Whitaker’s grandmother has been an influence as well. “She was a chief in Ghana. She got crowned. I pay homage to her in the way I carry my character.”

Whitaker’s mother, stepfather and brothers have all seen him play Mafala Hatimbi. He sees some cultural relevance in the show. “There’s been a lot going on in Uganda recently. We’re putting certain things out there.”

When he began with the tour, Purvis was a “swing” (the company member who understudies multiple small roles in the show) and assistant dance captain. His current job as co-dance captain requires him to “set up the show and maintain it on the road.”

Whitaker has performed the role of Mafala Hatimbi around 500 times at this point. He said the character is “very special. He’s a single father who wants his daughter to have the life he’s never had. He really changes by the end of the story.”

That is a sweet, sentimental way of describing a show that is also a riotous, foul-mouthed and violent tale of culture clashes and religious dogma.

“You do try to find the humanity,” Whitaker said.

As for the raucous comedy, “Someone is still feeling that impact for the first time,” Purvis said. “We have to keep it fresh.”

Whitaker notes that the show has been around so long, and this particular tour has lasted so long, that it’s bringing “The Book of Mormon” to areas that haven’t experienced it before.

“We’re reaching cities that have never seen it, that would never get this type of musical. We’re pushing the barriers,” he said.

“The Book of Mormon” runs April 26-28 at the Palace Theater, 100 East Main St., Waterbury. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. $44-$148. palacetheaterct.org/shows-and-events/main-stage/book-mormon .

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Tours To You

Your home for information about the touring broadway productions in north america, ‘the book of mormon’ tour announces new cast and cities for 2023-2024.

NETworks Presentations and the producers of  The Book of Mormon  North American Tour have announced new casting as the musical prepares for another season on the road.

Winner of nine Tony Awards ® , including Best Musical, The Book of Mormon launched a new North American tour in September 2022, playing more than 50 cities since then. New cities for the 2023-2024 season include Providence, Ft. Lauderdale, Seattle, Boston, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Washington DC, San Antonio, and many more. The current tour route can be found at  TheBookofMormonTour.com or by clicking here .

The current cast for the national tour of The Book of Mormon features Sam McLellan as Elder Price, Sam Nackman as Elder Cunningham, Keke Nesbitt as Nabulungi, Sean Casey Flanagan as Elder McKinley, Lamont J. Whitaker as Mafala Hatimbi, Trevor Dorner as Missionary Training Center Voice/Price’s Dad/Joseph Smith/Mission President, and Dewight Braxton Jr. as General. The Ensemble features, Gideon Chickos , Jarius Miquel Cliett , Matthew Dant , Justin Forward , Craig Franke , Lars Hafell , Kisakye , Vance Klassen , Evan Lennon , Joey Myers , Trinity Posey , Thomas Ed Purvis , Michelle Ray , Kyle Segar , and Chelsea M. Smith . Swings for the tour include Bernie Baldassaro , DeVon Buchanan , Matt Cosco , Tianna Davis , Aaron Chancellor Gilmer , Eliah B. Johnson , Connor Olney , and Reynel Reynaldo .

With twelve years and counting on Broadway and close to a decade on tour, The Book of Mormon has played to over 19 million fans to date. Produced by NETworks Presentations, the new tour has been built to play in even more theatres across the country.

The Book of Mormon features book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker , Robert Lopez and Matt Stone . The Broadway production is directed by Parker and two-time Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw and choreographed by Nicholaw. The tour is directed and choreographed by Jennifer Werner based on the original Broadway direction and choreography. Set design is by three-time Tony Award winner Scott Pask, costume design is by Tony Award winner Ann Roth , lighting design is by five-time Tony Award winner Brian MacDevitt , sound design is by two-time Tony Award winner Brian Ronan , and hair design is by Josh Marquette . Orchestrations are by Tony Award winner Larry Hochman and two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Oremus . Music supervision and vocal arrangements are by Stephen Oremus. Casting is by Carrie Gardner .

Since opening on March 24, 2011, The Book of Mormon has become one of the most successful shows in Broadway history, breaking the Eugene O’Neill Theatre house record more than 50 times. In addition to nine Tony Awards including Best Musical and the Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album, The Book of Mormon won five Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical, the NY Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, the Drama League Award for Best Musical and four Outer Critics Circle Awards including Best Musical.

The West End production opened in February 2013, winning four Olivier Awards including Best New Musical, and breaking the record for the highest single day of sales in West End history. The first-ever UK and European tour launched in Manchester in June 2019, winning ‘Best Theatre Show’ at the Manchester Evening News City Life Awards before touring throughout the UK and Europe.

The Book of Mormon has been performed on three continents and has won over 30 international awards. The musical has smashed long-standing box office records in New York, London, Melbourne, Sydney and in cities across the U.S. and the world.

The Original Broadway Cast Recording for The Book of Mormon , winner of the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, is available on Ghostlight Records.

NETWORKS PRESENTATIONS  (Producer) is an industry-leading producer of touring theatrical productions, committed to delivering quality entertainment to audiences worldwide for more than 25 years.  www.networkstours.com

Biographies

KEKE NESBITT  ( Nabulungi ). National tour debut! Penn State University – BFA Musical Theatre. Previous credits include  The Wild Party  (Kate),  These Girls Have Demons  (Dayna), and  Rent  (Joanne). Keke would like to thank her friends, family, mentors, and  The Book of Mormon  team for their love and support. Kekenesbitt.com @Keiona.Nesbitt 

TREVOR DORNER ( Price’s Dad/Missionary Voice/Joseph Smith/Mission President ) is thrilled to join the national tour cast of The Book of Mormon . Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, Trevor received a BFA in Musical Theatre from Ohio Northern University. National tour: Million Dollar Quartet . Regional: Murder for Two ; The Full Monty ; Sister Act ; Footloose . Special thanks to the family and friends who have supported me along the way. Trevordorner.com IG: @trevordorner

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Everything you need to know about 'The Book of Mormon' on Broadway

Say hello to one of Broadway's most popular musical comedies, which has been running for more than 10 years.

Hello! Join the congregation at  The Book of Mormon , the hit musical comedy that's been converting audiences into devout musical theatre fans since 2011. You might not think that the creators of the adult animated TV series  South   Park  and the musical  Avenue Q  would be the natural team behind a musical about religion, but it turns out that Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Robert Lopez were a match made in musical theatre heaven.

Though  The Book of Mormon  is about Mormonism, the musical is as irreverent as the creators' other projects, satirizing religion among a host of other topics. The plot revolves around two inexperienced Mormon missionaries who are sent to convert the residents of a Ugandan village, which proves a difficult task. In a rare move for a musical,  The Book of Mormon  premiered directly on Broadway — and the move paid off, as the show won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Consider this article your sacred text about all things  The Book of Mormon  on Broadway. Read on to learn about the show's plot, history, songs, and how Star Wars characters factor into it all.

Get The Book of Mormon tickets now.

What is  The Book of Mormon  about?

The Book of Mormon  centers on two Mormon elders in training to be missionaries. Elder Kevin Price has dreams of changing the world with his work, so he's excited to be sent on a two-year mission, which he hopes will be in Orlando, Florida. However, he is instead sent to a remote village in Uganda to convert its residents. He's even less excited to discover that he'll have to share whatever glory he gets with Elder Arnold Cunningham, another missionary-in-training that's assigned to go with him.

Upon arriving in Uganda, they discover from a local tribal leader, Mafala Hatimbi, that the village is in awful condition, is wracked by AIDS, and is ruled by an oppressive General. The townspeople, angry at their situation, had forsaken God long ago and aren't easy converts. On top of it all, Price and Cunningham can't get along, making their job even harder. Price even abandons him at one point, leaving Cunningham, who's stayed in Price's shadow the whole trip, room to step up. With the help of Nabulungi, Hatimbi's optimistic daughter who believes in the Mormons' word, the villagers eventually start to listen to him. He mixes religious teachings with stories from science fiction and fantasy, like Star Wars , but he gets the message across all the same.

Where is  The Book of Mormon  playing?

The Book of Mormon  is at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre , located at 230 West 49th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue. The theatre is named for legendary American playwright Eugene O'Neill, who has won more Pulitzer Prizes (four) than any other writer and whose play  Long Day's Journey into Night  is oft-regarded as the best American play of the 20th century.

How long is  The Book of Mormon ?

The Book of Mormon  runs 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission. This is a standard running time for a Broadway musical; most tend to run between two and three hours long, with either a 15- or 20-minute intermission between Acts 1 and 2.

What days is  The Book of Mormon  playing?

The Book of Mormon  plays eight performances a week at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. The show typically runs Tuesday to Sunday, with two performances on Saturdays and Sundays.  The Book of Mormon  does not perform on Monday. For the complete performance schedule and up-to-date weekly show times, please visit the  The Book of Mormon  page  to learn more.

When did  The Book of Mormon  premiere?

The Book of Mormon  made its Broadway debut in 2011, but the show was in the works for years before then. Discover how the hit musical came to be as we know it today, from its early inception in 2003 to its post-pandemic reopening in 2021.

• 2003: Trey Parker and Matt Stone see  Avenue Q  on Broadway and run into the musical's creators, Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, while there. Over post-show drinks, they discovered that all four wanted to incorporate Mormonism founder Joseph Smith into a script, so they started developing initial ideas that would become  The Book of Mormon .
• 2006: After a few years of research and tossing around ideas, Parker, Stone, and Lopez spent three weeks in London and wrote the basic plot and the first few songs for  The Book of Mormon . Marx left the project that year after a dispute with Lopez.
• 2008: The Book of Mormon has its first reading. Even though only six songs and most of the first act were written, Lopez wanted to see early on whether their material had potential. It did, and five more readings and workshops followed to further refine the show. The first reading was also the first time original Broadway cast member Josh Gad played the role of Elder Cunningham.
• 2010:  The Book of Mormon  is scheduled to have an Off-Broadway tryout in summer 2010 before the show was to move to Broadway. However, months beforehand, producer Scott Rudin suddenly canceled the run to give the creators more uninterrupted time to work out the remaining kinks, and decided to premiere the show directly on Broadway instead.
• 2011:  The Book of Mormon  premieres on Broadway. The show was a critical hit and received 9 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, out of 14 nominations. Andrew Rannells starred as Elder Price alongside Gad as Cunningham, and Nikki M. James won a Tony for her portrayal of Nabulungi.
• 2012:  The Book of Mormon  begins its first national tour, starring Gavin Creel and Jared Gertner as Price and Cunningham, respectively.
• 2013:  The Book of Mormon  opens in London's West End, with Creel and Gertner reprising their roles. In addition, the second national tour launches in the U.S. Nic Rouleau and Ben Platt were meant to star, but they both transferred to the Broadway production instead.
• 2017: The original Australian production of  The Book of Mormon  opens, breaking box office records before opening and winning multiple Helpmann Awards (the Australian equivalent of the Tonys).
• 2021:  The Book of Mormon  reopens on Broadway after shutting down alongside the rest of the industry amid the pandemic. During the hiatus, the show's script was revised to center and deepen the Ugandan characters, especially Nabulungi; clarify satirical points; and remove "white savoirist" depictions of the Mormon missionaries.

Who wrote  The Book of Mormon ?

Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matthew Stone collaborated on the book, music, and lyrics for  The Book of Mormon . Parker and Stone are the co-creators of the animated series  South Park , and Lopez co-wrote the score for the  Avenue Q  musical, both of which employ a similar brand of politically incorrect, flippant brand of comedy as  The Book of Mormon . Parker and Stone teamed up with Lopez after seeing  Avenue Q .

Lopez has a unique distinction: He is one of only 17 EGOT winners, or people who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award. Lopez is also the youngest person to achieve the status (he did so at 39), the person who did so the fastest (within 10 years), and the only person to ever "double EGOT," or win each of the four awards twice. (He is actually one Oscar away from a triple EGOT.) Besides  The Book of Mormon  and  Avenue Q , he is known for co-writing songs for the Disney films  Frozen, Frozen II,  and  Coco.

Parker and Stone are each an Oscar away from reaching EGOT status. The two were nominated for an Oscar for writing the song "Blame Canada" for the  South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut  movie based on their TV series.

The Book of Mormon  characters

The main characters in  The Book of Mormon  include the Mormon missionaries and the residents of the Ugandan village they're sent to convert. Here are the main characters in  The Book of Mormon .

• Elder Kevin Price: A devout missionary in training. He wants to be sent on a two-year mission to Orlando, Florida, but is sent to Uganda instead with Elder Cunningham. He resents Cunningham and wants the glory of success for himself.
• Elder Arnold Cunningham: A missionary in training assigned to Uganda with Price. He's insecure, so he resolves to follow Price around and act merely as his sidekick. However, his way of teaching of the Book of Mormon — even though it's not all accurate — ends up resonating with the Ugandan people.
• Elder McKinley: Another Mormon missionary and the district leader of the Ugandan area. He's in charge of Price, Cunningham, and all the other missionaries assigned to the Ugandan village, who have all been unsuccessful in their conversion efforts. He tries to repress his homosexuality and suffers from regular nightmares, but he teaches the other Mormons that they can just "turn off" their negative thoughts.  
• Nabulungi: The daughter of Hatimbi. She's outspoken and bold, and she is inspired by the missionaries' message. She convinces the others to listen to them and rise up against the General.
• Mafala Hatimbi: A member of the Ugandan tribe, who welcomes the missionaries to the village. He is very protective of Nabulungi, his daughter, and wants to keep her hidden away for her safety.
• General: A Ugandan warlord who rules the village that the Elders are sent to convert. He rules with an iron fist and imposes oft-oppressive rules, and the villagers will not convert out of fear of his reaction. His character's full name is General Butt Fucking Naked.
• Joseph Smith: The founder of the Mormon church, whose story is dramatized in the song "All-American Prophet." The actor who plays Smith also plays Jesus, Elder Price's dad, and the elders' mission president.

The Book of Mormon  songs

The songs in  The Book of Mormon  are mostly upbeat musical theatre-style showtunes, and most are at least somewhat comedic. The opening number, "Hello," is one of the show's most famous songs, along with "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream" and "I Believe." Here are all the songs in  The Book of Mormon.

• "Hello" - Mormons
• "Two by Two" - Price, Mormons
• "You and Me (But Mostly Me)" - Price, Cunningham
• "Hasa Diga Eebowai" - Mafala, Price, Cunningham, and Ugandans
• "Turn It Off" - McKinley, Mormons
• "I Am Here for You" - Cunningham, Price
• "All American Prophet" - Price, Cunningham, Joseph Smith, Angel Moroni and Company
• "Sal Tlay Ka Siti" - Nabulungi
• "I Am Here for You" (Reprise) - Cunningham
• "Man Up" - Cunningham, Nabulungi, Price, Doctor, Company
• "Making Things Up Again" - Cunningham, Cunningham's Dad, Joseph Smith, Mormon, Moroni, Uhura, Darth Vader, Hobbits, Ugandans
• "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream" - Price, Lucifer, Hitler, Genghis Khan, Jeffrey Dahmer, Johnnie Cochran, Ensemble
• "I Believe" - Price, Ensemble
• "Baptize Me" - Cunningham and Nabulungi
• "I Am Africa" - McKinley, Cunningham, Doctor, Mormons
• "Joseph Smith American Moses" - Ugandans
• "Hasa Diga Eebowai" (Reprise) - Nabulungi
• "You and Me (But Mostly Me)" (Reprise) - Price and Cunningham
• "Tomorrow Is a Latter Day" - Price, Cunningham, McKinley, Nabulungi, Company
• "Hello" (Reprise) - Company
• "Encore" - Company

What awards has  The Book of Mormon  won?

The Book of Mormon  may be irreverent, but the musical's various productions were revered by awards committees all over the world. Here are the prizes  The Book of Mormon  has won, which include three Best Musical nods, at major awards ceremonies in multiple countries.

• Tony Awards:  The Book of Mormon  swept the 2011 ceremony, receiving 9 Tony Awards out of 14 nominations. The categories it won include: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Featured Actress in a Musical (for Nikki M. James), Best Direction of a Musical, Best Orchestrations, Best Scenic Design, Best Lighting Design, and Best Sound Design.
• Drama Desk Awards: Also in 2011, received 12 Drama Desk nominations and won five: Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Lyrics, Outstanding Music, Outstanding Director of a Musical, and Outstanding Orchestrations.
• Grammy Awards:  The Book of Mormon  won the 2012 Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.
• Olivier Awards:  The Book of Mormon  in London won four awards of its six Olivier nominations in 2014: Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical (for Gavin Creel), Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical (for Stephen Ashfield), and Best Theatre Choreographer (for Casey Nicholaw).
• Helpmann Awards: The Australian production of  The Book of Mormon  received two awards: Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical. The show got six additional nominations.

Major productions of  The Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon  hasn't traveled to Uganda like its characters yet, but the show has traveled far and wide across North America, Europe, and Australia to success. Here are the major productions of  The Book of Mormon  around the world.

• 2011 Broadway production: Besides a 2008 staged reading, the Broadway premiere was the first full-fledged production of  The Book of Mormon . The show was originally meant to debut off Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop, but the run was canceled. The Broadway production won nine Tonys, including Best Musical, and is still running today.
• 2012 U.S. national tour: The first national tour of  The Book of Mormon  ran from 2012 to 2016, beginning in Denver, Colorado and ending in Honolulu, Hawaii. In July 2015, one of the stops was Salt Lake City, Utah, marking the first time  The Book of Mormon  would be performed there.
• 2012 Chicago production: The Chicago production was the first iteration of  The Book of Mormon  besides the Broadway one and its national tour. Nic Rouleau and Ben Platt starred. The pair were supposed to lead the second U.S. national tour when the Chicago run ended, but they ended up moving to the Broadway production instead.
• 2013 West End production:  The Book of Mormon  received four Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical, after opening at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London's West End. That production is still running.
• 2017 Australian production:  The Book of Mormon  at Melbourne's Princess Theatre debuted in January 2017, but advertisements went out beginning in January 2016. The musical became the theatre's highest-selling show in its history and won two Helpmann Awards, including Best Musical. The production toured multiple Australian cities before closing in 2020.
• 2017 Swedish production: When  The Book of Mormon  hit the Chinateatern in Stockholm, Sweden, it was the first production of the musical to be performed in a non-English language.

Celebrities who have appeared in The Book of Mormon

Multiple celebrities stepped into the Mormon missionaries' dress shoes early on in their careers and have since skyrocketed to widespread stage and screen fame. Learn more about the celebrities who got their starts in  The Book of Mormon  and the other projects you might recognize them from.

• Andrew Rannells: Rannells played Elder Price in the original Broadway production of  The Book of Mormon . He received a Tony nomination for his performance, and a second for playing Whizzer in the 2016 Broadway revival of  Falsettos . He's also a screen actor known for playing Elijah on  Girls  and starring on the series  The New Normal  and  Black Monday .
• Josh Gad: Besides his Tony-nominated role as the original Elder Cunningham in  The Book of Mormon , Gad is best known for voicing the snowman Olaf in Disney's  Frozen  and  Frozen II  films. He also played Le Fou in Disney's live-action  Beauty and the Beast  and has appeared on shows like  Modern Family  and  New Girl.
• Ben Platt : Platt first played the role of Elder Cunningham in the Chicago production of  The Book of Mormon  and later reprised the role on Broadway. He's best known, though, for his Tony-winning performance in  Dear Evan Hansen  on Broadway, a role he reprised in the 2021 film adaptation; his Golden Globe-nominated role as Payton Hobart on  The Politician ; and as Benji Applebaum in the first two  Pitch Perfect  films.

Fun facts about  The Book of Mormon

Did you know that  The Book of Mormon  was almost a film and that Act 1 almost had a wildly different ending? Find out these and more fun facts about  The Book of Mormon  below.

• Early on in developing  The Book of Mormon , Parker, Stone, Lopez, and Marx traveled to Salt Lake City to interview Mormon missionaries and ex-missionaries as research. The characters sing about the city often during the show, and famous Salt Lake City buildings, like the Salt Lake Temple and Crown Burger, are incorporated into the set.
• Parker and Stone, having the most experience in TV and film, initially envisioned the story of  The Book of Mormon  as a film centered on Joseph Smith. Lopez vouched for it to be a musical from the start, and though Parker and Stone were hesitant, they eventually agreed after seeing a live audience interact with the material at the first developmental reading.
• Early drafts of  The Book of Mormon  were a lot darker than the end result. Act 1 was originally supposed to end with the General killing Elder Price! The show's creators, with the support of producer Scott Rudin, decided killing the main character wouldn't work in a musical comedy.
• The character of General Butt Fucking Naked is loosely based on two real-life African warlords. His violent characterization is taken from Joseph Kony, the founder of a Christian fundamentalist group in Uganda. His name takes after Joshua Milton Blahyi, a Liberian former warlord whose alias was General Butt Naked.
• The Mormon church wasn't a fan of the musical at first, but years into the show's Broadway run, the church purchased ad space in the  Book of Mormon  program to actually promote the church.
• An eclectic mix of figures from pop culture and history, real and fictional, appears in  The Book of Mormon . They include Jesus, Satan, Genghis Khan, Jeffrey Dahmer, Adolf Hitler, Johnnie Cochran, Joseph Smith, Lt. Uhura, Darth Vader, Yoda, and more.
• Two of The Book of Mormon 's original cast members — Andrew Rannells and Rory O'Malley — would eventually go on to play the same role in a different show: King George in  Hamilton .

How to get  The Book of Mormon  tickets

The Book of Mormon  may not be church-approved, but with catchy songs and plenty of laughs, the musical is heaven-sent. Adults looking for a divinely funny theatre experience will enjoy  The Book of Mormon , whether they go one by one or two by two.

The Book of Mormon  tickets are available now. Get tickets to  The Book of Mormon  on New York Theatre Guide today.

Originally published on Sep 29, 2022 13:15

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A dozen years after its debut, ‘Book of Mormon’ hasn’t lost any of its irreverent charm or biting satire

“book of mormon” isn’t puerile or shocking simply for the sake of being so. good satire has a point, and “the book of mormon” has enough for a solid crown of thorns..

Sam McLellan (left) and Dewight Braxton Jr. in “The Book of Mormon,” now playing at the Cadillac Palace Theatre.

Julieta Cervantes

“The Book of Mormon” is a show of profane extremes.

Take, for example, the gleefully lewd musical satire’s two fundamental views of religion.

On the one hand, there’s the teenage Mormon missionaries. At the climax of the zealously evangelical, doorbell-ding-donging opening number, the socially awkward Elder Cunningham blurt/grunts with the zeal of a quarterback making a Hail Mary pass: “Would you like to change religions? I have a free book written by Jesus!” Switch out the proper noun and you’ve got a sentiment every evangelizing religion in the world has expressed.

On the other hand, there’s “Hasa Diga Eebowai,” the first musical number set in Uganda, where Cunningham (Evan Lennon) and his mission companion Elder Price (Sam McLellan) are sent to bring new Mormons on board. The number is not wholly unlike “The Lion King’s” chill “Hakuna Matata,” but instead shrugging at woes beyond your control, “Hasa Diga Eebowai” involves flinging expletives that cannot be printed here.

With book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker and Matt Stone (of “South Park” fame), along with “Avenue Q” songwriter Robert Lopez, “The Book of Mormon” remains as hilarious and unapologetically offensive as it was when it swept the Tony Awards in 2012. The plot follows Elder Cunningham and Elder Price as they are transformed in Uganda, a land they are initially befuddled to learn bears no resemblance to “The Lion King.”

Throughout, sacred cows are rendered sausage, stereotypes soar higher than the golden Angel Moroni who perches high above the set, and characters are as stereotypical and underwritten as last-ditch campaign fliers. It’s all done with defiant glee that thumbs its nose at pearl-clutchers. Consider yourself warned: Among the miracles on parade here, a nose transformed into a clitoris and a disease-curing sex frog.

In this world “Africa” and “Africans” are used interchangeably with “Uganda” and “Ugandans” while a clutch of ivory-skinned folk boldly and un-ironically declare “I Am Africa,” swaying with Live Aid righteousness.

But “Book of Mormon” isn’t puerile or shocking simply for the sake of being so. Good satire has a point, and “The Book of Mormon” has enough for a solid crown of thorns. Nowhere is this clearer than in the showstopper “Turn it Off,” wherein a cadre of Mormons (anchored by the fabulously charismatic tapper Sean Casey Flanagan) teach Elder Price that the secret to dealing with unpleasant emotions — like when you’ve just seen someone shot — is simply to turn them off “like a light switch.” It’s an attitude hardly exclusive to Mormonism.

Sean Casey Flanagan (front, center) and the company of “The Book of Mormon.”

Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Werner (original co-direction by Parker and choreographer Casey Nicholaw), the cast and the design team haven’t cut a single sparkly corner since the show’s Chicago debut over a decade ago.

McLellan’s journey from insufferable, self-proclaimed savior to someone in possession of a modicum of critical thinking skills and humility is well-played, his pivot point coming with the anthem “I Believe.” The number is trickier to deliver than a rich man’s camel through the eye of a needle — it’s got to be at once ardent, empathetic and patently ridiculous. McLellan nails it — earnest and faithful that “a Mormon just believes” — before reaching the comedic rafters with the lyrics that “God changed his mind about Black people in 1978” and “the Garden of Eden was in Jackson County, Missouri.” In all, the song captures a foundational element of organized religion: Its ability to make people unshakably loyal to ideas that confound history, science, facts or all three.

Cunningham is a terrific foil as a classic dork who finds power in independence and imagination. “Baptize Me” might be a one-joke duet with the winsome local Nabulungi (Berlande), but it sounds gorgeous. Berlande also delivers the sole completely serious moment in “Book of Mormon,” a poignant reprise of “Hasa Diga Eebowai” that is cut through with grief and disillusionment.

It’s a brief moment that has impact but doesn’t last because this, after all, is musical comedy. And its core values — music and comedy — remain wickedly intact.

Review: THE BOOK OF MORMON National Tour Presented By Broadway In Chicago

The national tour runs through April 16, 2023 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre

I was curious about the changes to Trey Parker , Robert Lopez , and Matt Stone 's THE BOOK OF MORMON, which underwent revisions before its post-pandemic return to Broadway in 2021. I imagined a substantial overhaul of the material, along with input from co-director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw (Parker also co-directed). After seeing the show, I can state the changes are minimal. All of the musical numbers are the same, and some of the dialogue may have been altered. But I don't buy that the Ugandan characters have been given more agency or power.

Rewatching this musical in 2023, I conclude that THE BOOK OF MORMON has an identity crisis. The claim that a musical from the SOUTH PARK creators should be no holds barred and spare no one isn't justifiable. Instead, the musical is essentially bifurcated: One major part of the concept works, the other is problematic and unfunny. THE BOOK OF MORMON remains a brilliant satirization of organized religion, and of course, specifically Mormonism. When the musical punches up specifically to make fun of the earnest young white men setting off on their Mormon missions, it works and the laughs come easily. I was reminded especially of how astutely the musical depicts religious suppression, particularly in the number "Turn It Off." When golden child Elder Price and his goofy mission companion arrive for their mission in Uganda, the former is particularly dismayed that it's nothing like the sunny Orlando, Florida of his dreams. In an effort to cheer him up, regional leader Elder McKinley leads his fellow Mormons in a number about turning off those bad feelings like a light switch. The number is uproarious, and it's a microcosm of the blatant skewering of organized religion. THE BOOK OF MORMON reminds us that many of the most devout will go to absurd lengths to cling to their arbitrary beliefs.

When it comes to the portrayal of the Ugandan characters, however, THE BOOK OF MORMON is deeply problematic. Even with the revisions, the Ugandan villagers are reduced to broad stereotypes, and it's these characters who give voice to the most uncomfortable jokes in the show. The narrative threads about 80% of the villagers having AIDS, the myth that raping virgins or babies will cure said AIDS, and a General who performs female genital mutilation are still alive and well in this revised version. The crass jokes seem racist, especially given that the Mormon Elders are entirely clueless when it comes to these situations. The Uganda villagers are depicted as without agency, means, or opportunity. It's uncomfortable, and because there's no nuance, it's racist. Even Nabulungi, the show's female protagonist and the most fully fledged of the Ugandan characters, still lacks pretty much all agency.

THE BOOK OF MORMON has some self-awareness when it comes to its problematic elements. Take the number "I Am Africa" in which the missionaries revel in their successes converting many of the Uganda villagers to Mormonism. The missionaries spew their problematic beliefs and triumphs in the song, while the Ugandan villagers look on with disgust at their complete lack of awareness. The number works well, but the irony is that that same understanding isn't carried throughout the show.

While the show has it successes and its major problems, this tour cast is superlative across the board. Sam McLellan is a phenomenal Elder Price; he's cocky, flamboyant, and embodies the character's real go-getter energy. He also has excellent face play. Understudy Evan Lennon took on the role of the goofy Elder Cunningham at the performance I saw, and he was fantastic. Lennon has a great elasticity to his movements, and it's particularly fun to see him strut on stage with his scrawny stature and Star Wars backpack. Together, McLellan and Lennon are a great study in contrasts for the show's dynamic duo. As Nabalungi, Berlande is the best belter in the entire cast; she nails both of her solos. And while his character is problematic, Dewight Braxton Jr. makes the most of it and has great comedic timing as the General.

Ultimately, the satirization of organized religion at the core of THE BOOK OF MORMON is hilarious and exceedingly clever. But even with changes to the show, that main narrative thread doesn't negate or solve for the problematic parts of the musical.

THE BOOK OF MORMON national tour runs through April 16, 2023 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 West Randolph Street.

Photo courtesy of Broadway In Chicago

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Official Website: https://thebookofmormonmusical.com

WHAT IS THE BOOK OF MORMON ABOUT?

The musical tells the story of two Salt Lake City Mormons sent as missionaries to Uganda, hoping for a few baptisms and a couple of conversions. Instead, they are welcomed by some very harsh realities and a particularly unpleasant warlord.

The lyrics are guaranteed to have you weeping with laughter.

Written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone , the comedy giants behind South Park and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q and Disney’s Frozen), The Book Of Mormon is a hilarious musical that breathes three-dimensional, all-singing, all-dancing life into the absurdities of Mormon dogma, whilst simultaneously being incredibly rude, potentially offensive and above all, unexpectedly endearing.

Since making its world premiere in March 2011 at New York’s Eugene O’Neill Theatre, where it won nine Tony® Awards, including Best Musical,  The Book of Mormon  has been performed on three continents and won over thirty international awards. The musical has smashed long-standing box office records in New York, London, Melbourne, Sydney and cities across the U.S.

The London production opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre in February 2013 when it set the record for the highest single day of sales in West End history and went on to win four Olivier Awards® including Best New Musical. 

THE BOOK OF MORMON MUSICAL 2022 CAST - UK TOUR

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