‘South Park’ creators’ musical comedy ‘Book of Mormon’ gets Broadway dates
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Fans of ‘South Park’ creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have a lot to look forward to in 2011. The 15th season of their hit Comedy Central series is scheduled to begin in the spring. And in a bit of showbiz synergy, their new stage musical, ‘The Book of Mormon,’ will open on Broadway around the same time.
A religious satire with song-and-dance numbers, ‘The Book of Mormon’ is scheduled to open March 24 at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, according to reports Monday. Previews are set to begin Feb. 24. Casey Nicholaw, who received a Tony nomination for directing ‘The Drowsy Chaperone,’ will stage the new musical, along with Parker. Nicholaw most recently directed the premiere of ‘Robin and the 7 Hoods’ at the Old Globe in San Diego.
Also collaborating with Parker and Stone will be Robert Lopez, the co-creator, composer and lyricist for ‘Avenue Q.’
In April, New York Post gossip columnist Michael Riedel reported that the new musical tells the story of two young Mormon missionaries who are sent off to spread the word in a dangerous part of Uganda. Their tale is told in parallel with the story of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Parker and Stone are newbies to Broadway, but they have experience in the musical genre. They both worked on the movie ‘South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut,’ which featured a number of satirical song-and-dance routines, including the Oscar-nominated song ‘Blame Canada.’
-- David Ng
[Updated: the version of the post corrects Casey Nicholaw’s directing credits.]
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