Andrew Rannells plays the central character Elder Price in the Broadway…
September 07, 2011|Chris Jones | Theater critic
"The Book of Mormon," the sweetly satirical and gently profane hit Broadway musical from the creators of "South Park" and the co-composer and the co-lyricist of "Avenue Q," will dedicate a new mission in Chicago in December 2012.
Snagging a point-of-origin-Chicago production of the massive Broadway hit — tickets in New York are pretty much sold out well into 2012, and tickets routinely re-sell for $500 or more — represents a coup for Broadway in Chicago and, by extension, the administration of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, which has placed an early focus on using the arts as a tool for economic growth in the Loop.
"Producers understand what Chicago is, and the benefit of Chicago to a show," said Lou Raizin, the president of Broadway in Chicago, "but nothing good like this comes easy."
Powered by the force of the South Park brand and the widely acknowledged quality of this musical story of two naive but well-meaning Mormon missionaries trying to help an impoverished African village, “The Book of Mormon” is by far the most sought-after Broadway property of the last two or three years. Penned by “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and “Avenue Q's” Robert Lopez, “The Book of Mormon” is that rare, one-of-a-kind show that should attract tourists to Chicago from throughout the Midwest, and well beyond. It won nine Tony Awards in June.
"We're ready" said Parker, "to have fun with the show again in Chicago."
The producers of the Chicago company, slated to perform in the Bank of America Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.), have announced an initial run of 12 weeks. But that's standard, cautious operating procedure, protocol that has been followed in the past by shows like “Jersey Boys.” Assuming sales are strong — and, given the situation in New York, that appears to be as good a showbiz bet as you'll find this side of Salt Lake City — that will be a fluid figure.
“We would love the run in Chicago to be longer,” said Scott Rudin, one of the lead producers, in a telephone interview Tuesday.
The show has not, the producers said, been booked anywhere else. There will be time for that if ticket sales disappoint. And any such notice will be received well in advance. Group sales start immediately. On Sept. 18, subscribers to Broadway in Chicago's yet-to-be-announced 2012 season can get tickets. Individual tickets likely will go on sale next spring.
Chicago will not have the first “Book of Mormon” outside New York. The previously announced national tour will begin in Denver in August. That new date, plus the Chicago schedule, are both where they are because of the need to fit in rehearsals in the gaps between “South Park” production. According to Anne Garefino, the other lead producer, Parker, Lopez and Stone are determined to stage both the tour and the Chicago production themselves, rather than leaving them to assistants. “If we worked that way,” Parker said, “we'd have handed off ‘South Park' about 12 years ago. This has our names on it.”
As Broadway musicals go, “The Book of Mormon,” which reportedly cost around $9 million to stage, is not especially large or expensive. Nor is it driven by star names — beyond its creators. On Tuesday, those involved all pledged that the Chicago production would be the same size and quality as the show in New York. “We're hoping,” said Stone, “to really do something great there and dial it in to that venue in Chicago.”
In New York, the show routinely grosses more than $1.2 million per week. But the Bank of America theater has close to double the capacity of the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. That could well mean “The Book of Mormon” pulls in close to $2 million a week in Chicago. Assuming a year-long run, that would translate into a $100 million Chicago gross.
Prior economic impact studies conducted for Broadway in Chicago (using federal criteria) have determined that such a run means an economic impact for Loop business of $500 million or more. In the case of previous shows like “Wicked” and “Jersey Boys,” 42 percent of the audience came from more than 100 miles away.
Granted, there is some risk in rolling out this show beyond the island of Manhattan, where audiences are known for a progressive liberality that is not always matched in the rest of America. Indeed, the producers of “Billy Elliot,” a hit in London and New York but a disappointing financial performer in Chicago and elsewhere on the road, found more resistance to such things as profanity once they left New York (although the show's producers recently announced that some of the swearing is now coming out of the show in New York, too).
None of the profanity will be coming out of “The Book of Mormon.” Few of the lyrics would be left.