Sam Nackman and Sam McLellan in THE BOOK OF MORMON North American tour. Photo by Julieta Cervantes

Not just any musical wins nine Tony Awards, a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, and tours in 13 countries around the world, all while playing to packed audiences on Broadway for over 11 years. But then, The Book of Mormon, a musical comedy by “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Avenue Q co-creator/Frozen composer Robert Lopez, is not just any musical. The comedy has been seen by over 19 million audience members globally, with over 12,000 performances worldwide.

The conception of The Book of Mormon began after Parker and Stone met with Lopez after a performance of Avenue Q. They discovered a mutual interest in telling a story about Joseph Smith and the Mormon religion. A short time after that initial meeting, Lopez, Parker and Stone took a trip to Salt Lake City for inspiration, and The Book of Mormon musical was born.

Sam Nackman in THE BOOK OF MORMON North American tour. Photo by Julieta Cervantes

The musical follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word. When The Book of Mormon opened on Broadway in 2011, after nearly seven years of development, it instantly became a mega-hit. One of Broadway’s Legacy shows, and now in its twelfth year of performances, it just celebrated is 4,000^th performance, one of only four shows in Broadway history to achieve that goal. It has set house records at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre more than 50 times. Since then, The Book of Mormon has played in 40 U.S. states, six Canadian provinces and 134 cities across the globe. Critics dubbed the production “the funniest musical of all time” and the “best musical of this century.” In 2013, The Book of Mormon opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London’s West End. The day after opening, the show grossed a record $3.2 million — the highest single sales day in West End and Broadway history. The West End production subsequently won four Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical. The Book of Mormon has also toured in Australia, Ireland, Sweden, Germany and more.

What Stone, Parker and Lopez have created is a show that has influenced and entertained multiple generations. Audiences continue to enjoy an evening of humor and heart. The Book of Mormon is more than a success. It is now a global phenomenon.

Reprinted by permission of The Book of Mormon

DETAILS
The Book of Mormon
Jun 21 – Jul 2, 2023 • Buell Theatre
Tickets