The Book of Mormon’s cast celebrates another milestone for the smash Broadway hit. (photo: Joan Marcus/Book of Mormon)
The idea of putting money into a Broadway musical about Mormon missionaries written by the creators of South Park may have seemed insane to some, but a few brave investors will now reap the rewards, as The Book of Mormon Twitter-announced today that it has earned back its initial $11.4 million investment.
The show has been an unlikely hit with critics and audiences alike, garnering nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and breaking the Eugene O’Neill Theatre’s box office record 22 times since its March 24 opening night.
Patrick Healy at The New York Times ArtsBeat blog attributed Mormon’s fast recoup to marked-up “premium” ticket prices as high as $477, allowing Mormon to earn, according to Entertainment Weekly’s Aubry D’Arminio, an average of $1.1 million a week, almost twice the estimated $600,000 it costs to stage.
Still wondering what all the fuss is about? The AP sums it up nicely:
It was crowned best musical for its offensive yet good-natured look at two missionaries who arrive in Uganda and get way more than they bargained for, including gun-toting warlords and a running gag about maggots in a man’s scrotum.
