“Eternal life is super fun, and if you let us in, we’ll show you how it can be done.” This catchy line from the famous song “Hello” of “the best musical of this century”—at least in the lens of New York Times’s Ben Brantley—will surely echo loudly in the walls of the Procter & Gamble Hall this February. This controversial and award-winning musical will make waves again this 2024, and Cincinnati theatergoers will be delighted to know that they will experience the unapologetic comedy and a night of pure entertainment. Get ready for an incredible adventure full of hilariously offbeat characters, infectious music, and surprising turns. Produced by the same folks that brought you “South Park” and “Avenue Q,” “The Book of Mormon” is a humorous and thought-provoking satire that will have you in stitches the whole time.
Considered by a few to be a blasphemous take on Mormon beliefs, The Book of Mormon is the brainchild of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the same Colorado-born duo who brought the world the adult-animated series South Park. They asked the help of the Grammy award-winning Robert Lopez, the man who was responsible for the smashing hits “Let It Go” from Frozen and Coco’s “Remember Me.” With a simple yet unique premise and catchy yet meaningful songs, the musical showed the creative genius of three middle-aged guys working together. And cliche as it may sound, the rest is history. With nine Tony awards, five Drama Desk awards, four Laurence Olivier awards, and a Grammy win for “Best Musical Theater Album,” to name a few, Book of Mormon is definitely a musical Broadway phenomenon.
The Book Of Mormon Tickets
“The best musical of this century.” – New York Times
The musical premiered in 2011 on Broadway’s Eugene O’Neill Theatre. Choreographed and directed by the Tony Award-winning choreographer Casey Nicholaw and co-directed by Trey Parker himself, the musical was an instant success. In its first year, the musical broke 22 weekly sales records at the Eugene O’Neill Theater and remained among Broadway’s top five most popular productions. This initial success foreshadowed the musical’s trajectory in the years to come.
The year after it was shown on Broadway, a North American tour followed suit. The tour’s previews for the inaugural tour kicked up in August 2012 at Denver’s Denver Center for the Performing Arts. From then on, the production has gone on to be performed in many cities across the country, including Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and Honolulu. Apart from this cross-country Broadway tour, a replica production began previews and officially opened in December 2012 at the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, as part of Broadway in Chicago. This production was a sought-after one as one of the main characters was played by the iconic Ben Platt. After a successful run in the “Windy City,” another tour with the entire production toured the United States. The tour went on to be a massive success, which ran from 2012 to 2020. The tour concluded on March 11, 2020, in Los Angeles, ending earlier than planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like any other successful Broadway musical, Book of Mormon also had a West End production. The London production opened in March 2013 and was received warmly by theatergoers. It was even voted as the “Funniest West End Show” in the West End Frame Awards the year after It opened. With several changes of main characters in its entire West End run, the musical would become a mainstay in the London production from 2013 until its suspension in March 2020 due to the pandemic. Today, the West End production of the beloved musical is currently playing.
Moreover, Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and other countries also have their productions and adaptations of the Book of Mormon. Non-English adaptations in Sweden, Norway, Germany, and Spain were also well-received, highlighting the universal appeal and laughter-inducing qualities of The Book of Mormon. The musical’s capacity to resonate with many audiences worldwide has been demonstrated by its multinational productions, which have effectively overcome language and cultural barriers. The witty satire, memorable tunes, and irreverent humor have transcended language barriers, earning praise and accolades in each country.
tony award winning
The Book of Mormon follows the accounts of the two main characters, Elder Kevin Price and Elder Arnold Cunningham. The two naive Mormon missionaries are sent to a remote village in Uganda to spread the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What started to be optimistic, wide-eyed missionaries who are out to convert Ugandan people’s faith, the two are exposed to the harsh realities of the third-world country they are in. They quickly discover that, rather than being concerned with knowing Jesus Christ and their religion, the villagers are concerned with solving their problems, which include poverty, famine, and the oppressive warlord General Butt-Fucking Naked.
The locals react negatively, indifferently, or even violently when the Mormon missionaries try to teach them about the scriptures. Elder Cunningham’s famously creative mind begins to include pop culture references in his lessons, resulting in a funny and unique take on Mormon doctrine, drawing inspiration from “Star Wars,” “The Lord of the Rings,” and other works. Well, knowing that the duo from South Park is behind this musical, we won’t be surprised that such pop culture references are integrated into a musical about a religious and cultural group.
Complete with clever, catchy, and memorable songs like “I Believe,” “Hello,” “Turn It Off,” “Tomorrow is a Latter Day,” and “Hasa Diga Eebowai,” to name a few, the Book of Mormon is known for its daring and unabashed approach — and the songs add to that reputation by humorously tackling taboo issues. The boldness to use music to examine taboo subjects is a hallmark of the musical.
Love it or hate it, the musical is a clever testament to the creative genius of Parker, Stone, and Lopez. By deftly combining satire, music, and unique storytelling, The Book of Mormon achieves its goal of being both uproariously funny and thought-provokingly insightful — touching on themes such as friendship, faith, and the human condition.
Brace yourselves because the controversially beloved musical will come to Cincinnati, Ohio, this February for an evening of laughter, music, and heart-warming lessons. Catch the incredible ensemble from February 20 to 25 at the Procter & Gamble Hall. Tickets are now on sale, and you can reserve yours here by hitting the “Get Tickets” link. Get yours now and say “Hello” to the musical that can help with your salvation … or not. See you there!