In 2011, The Book of Mormon opened on Broadway and dominated the Tony Awards that year, winning nine awards in all – including Best Musical. Now Atlanta audiences will finally have the chance to experience one of the most successful musicals of the century when the troupe of tapping Mormon missionaries take up residence at the Fox Theatre Jan. 28–Feb. 9.
The musical The Book of Mormon, not to be confused with the holy scripture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with the same name, is the brain child of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, best known for creating the animated comedy South Park. Parker and Stone co-created the music with Robert Lopez, a co-composer/co-lyricist of Avenue Q. The story tell the tale of a pair of Mormon missionaries who are sent from Salt Lake City to Uganda to spread the word of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. When they arrive, however, they find that the locals have bigger issues than being spiritually saved – they have warlords, poverty and AIDS to deal with. Sounds like the perfect setting for an old fashioned musical comedy, right?
Audiences in New York have made The Book of Mormon one of the hottest tickets, destroying all previous box office records at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre. With some seats costing as much as $477 each, high attendance coupled with aggressive pricing allowed the financial backers to recoup their investment of $11.4 million after just nine months of performances.
After winning the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album, the original cast recording became the highest-charting Broadway cast album in over four decades, reaching #3 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart.
To say that The Book of Mormon is popular is a severe understatement, and tickets for the Atlanta premiere have been in high demand since going on sale this past fall.
The national tour has been dazzling audiences around the country for two years, and we talked to two of the boys you will ring the doorbell to you heart when the show comes to the Fox about life on the road. Grey Henson and Josh Daniel are no strangers to life upon the wicked stage. Both graduated from prestigious musical theatre programs (Henson in 2012 from Carnegie Melon and Daniel from Cincinnati Conservatory of Music just last year) and each have performed in dozens of musicals – everything from Sweeney Todd to Into the Woods to Assassins (and countless more). For the time being though, they are very happy in the white, short sleeve shirts and skinny black ties that America has come to recognize and adore.
David Atlanta: What makes people connect with and love The Book of Mormon so much?
Josh Daniel: It’s a show about hope. And also, it turns the mirror at you and makes you laugh at yourself, makes you feel uncomfortable, makes you question things. It’s what theatre should do.
Grey Henson: I think people love it because it’s so wild. It’s pretty shocking, which is exciting. People like to let loose and escape at the theatre – and that’s what happens here at The Book of Mormon.
DA: Of course, The Book of Mormon is an old fashioned style musical with a very modern sense of humor, but how do different generations of theatre goers react to it?
GH: Anyone – of a certain age, I’m not saying it’s for children – can appreciate this show, from major music theatre fans to people seeing a live show for the first time.
JD: Despite the fact that the show is a vaguely out of the ordinary journey for these characters and the situations are absolutely ridiculous, I’ve always felt that the show is about hope. Right at the top of the show, you meet this group of Mormon Elders finishing their training who are almost pitifully hopeful. Each and every one is so sure that they have the ability to change someone’s life through the Book of Mormon and will stop at nothing until each of them does. Then just a few songs later, you are transported to Uganda, transported to a community completely devoid of hope, having dealt with AIDS, poverty, famine, and the like for years. Watching these two communities come together and find a common language, a common knowledge of spirituality, and a common celebration of hope is what makes this show so universal. It’s what makes it appeal to all because it’s so intrinsically human. But you know what else is intrinsically human: laughter. And we’ve got that, too.
GH: I love seeing South Park fans or husbands that were clearly dragged to the theatre by their wives, up on their feet cheering at the end of the show.
DA: How do you think The Book of Mormon has given the Mormon church a new platform and exposed people to it?
GH: It’s definitely put the church in the spotlight. And I think they’re smart to jump on the success of the musical.
JD: Well, really any publicity is good publicity, and the writers of the show really strove to not poke fun at Mormonism, but to give it a theatrical pedestal.
GH: In almost every city we visit, there are real missionaries standing outside of the theatre waiting to talk to audience members.
JD: Obviously, the theatre is an art form that thrives on larger than life situations, but the reason “I Believe” kills every night is because every lyric is true.
DA: What has been the toughest audience you have faced during the tour?
GH: 99% of the time everyone seems to love the show, but every now and then we’ll get a subscription audience that has no clue what the show is about, and they can’t get into it. This show is an equal opportunity offender. I think we all have to be able to laugh at ourselves.
DA: From your time on tour, what have been some the more memorable experiences on and off the stage?
GH: Opening night in LA was a star-studded event. Taking a bow that night and looking out into the audience to see Kathy Griffin sitting next to Cher was pretty magical.
JD: Oh, this show is full of memorable experiences, so it’s so hard to pick. The first thing to come to mind was when we were in San Antonio at the beautiful (and very old) Majestic Theatre. During Turn It Off, there was a live bat on stage. I had to run down at one point and sing the line, “just go bap!” and it took everything in my power to not say, “just go bat!” Needless to say, there were lots of giggles on stage that night.
DA: What is your favorite part about being in the cast of this show?
JD: The company is so amazing, I can’t stand it. Amazing talents, no doubt, but more important, amazing human beings. I have felt so embraced, particularly being one of the younger ones in the cast, from day 1 by cast, crew, company managers, stage managers, music directors, and everything in between.
GH: The sense of community. It can feel a little like summer camp on the first day in a new city when we’re all huddled as a group together preparing to open in a new theatre. You get to know everyone really well after a while, and they become like a family. That’s why I started performing in the first place, the sense of community.
JD: Also, getting to do this show is just a dream come true. I saw it in preview on Broadway on a whim my sophomore year of college, and I’m still pinching myself daily now that I’m a part of this amazing show.
DA: Being on tour for months at a time is hard on a personal life, so how do you deal with that? Do you have anyone special some place that you are away from?
JD: It is such a different and unique existence – that’s for sure. I graduated from college this past April, so this has been a really amazing time for me to figure out me and to start my young professional life on the right track. That said, I have very many special someones far away, none of which are romantic, but all of which I miss daily. Home will be where the heart is!
DA: Why do you think gay men have connected to musical theatre for so long, and why should this show be one of the ones they treasure the most?
GH: You know, I’m not sure why gay men connect to musical theatre so much, but I can say that this show is one that should be appreciated by everyone who loves musicals. At the heart of this show is an old-fashioned, all-American musical that raises some hot button 21st century questions, what’s not to love?
JD: I’ve always felt that every musical is about community, about finding where you belong, even if it means fighting against impossible odds. As human beings in general, each of us is always searching for a family, a home, and a place to belong, but those who have been oppressed know the beauty of finding this home, community, or place to belong in a way that some others don’t. It is so dear once you’ve finally found it. Like I said, watching these two communities come together in The Book of Mormon is a (albeit hilarious) beautiful, beautiful sight. You watch as two groups are changed for the better without following societal norms or rules, and you are reminded of the joy of finding where you belong. Also, I promise you 100% you’ll laugh so hard you may pee your pants. No joke, I thought I did the first time I saw it. And that’s a guarantee.
DA: What about The Book of Mormon speaks to gay fans?
JD: I think we’ve all known the challenge of having to “turn it off” for many years, so that’s a clear reason why the gay community connects to the show. It’s such a hilarious way to recall what was so challenging for so many of us growing up, and laughter truly is the best medicine.
GH: Well, it’s a musical. (Laughs) It’s such a feel-good, “love yourself” kind of show. The characters overcome some surprisingly big obstacles over the course of 2 ½ hours. There’s a big message of hope, kindness and acceptance in the end. It’s really special.
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The Book of Mormon premieres at the Fox Theatre on Jan. 28 and runs through Feb. 9. Tickets are available at foxtheatre.org.