Gavin Creel to Headline National Tour of The Book of Mormon

By Adam Hetrick
29 Mar 2012

Gavin Creel
Gavin Creel
Photo by Robert Mannis

Two-time Tony Award nominee Gavin Creel will ring doorbells across the country as Elder Price in the national tour of the nine-time Tony Award-winning musical The Book of Mormon.

Creel was last seen on Broadway as Claude in the Tony-winning revival of Hair, a role he repeated in London. He has also appeared in Thoroughly Modern Millie, La Cage aux Folles, Mary Poppins and the world-premiere musical Prometheus Bound.

"I think Gavin is one of the finest musical theatre performers in New York and I can't wait to hear him sing these songs,” said Tony-winning Book of Mormon choreographer and co-director Casey Nicholaw in a statement. "Finding people who have the talent and range to play the role of Elder Price has been a real challenge," said Tony-winning co-author and co-director Trey Parker added. "We're stoked to be working with him."

The role of Elder Price was originated on Broadway by Andrew Rannells, who earned a Tony Award nomination for his work. He can currently be seen in the Broadway production at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

Additional casting for the tour will be announced shortly.

The Broadway musical about a pair of Mormon missionaries who get shipped off to Uganda launches its U.S. tour Aug. 14-Sept. 2 at the Ellie Caukins Opera House in Denver, CO. The premiere engagement sold-out within five hours. Also announced is a Sept. 5-Nov. 25 run at Los Angeles' Pantages Theatre.

Previously announced tour stops also include the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines (Jan. 24-Feb. 3, 2013) and the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis (Feb. 5-17, 2013). Mirvish Productions will bring The Book of Mormon to Toronto in May-June 2013. It will also play a five-week San Francisco engagement.

A separate Chicago production will play Dec. 11, 2012-March 3, 2013, at the Bank of America Theatre. Group tickets are now on sale for the Chicago engagement.

Emmy-winning "South Park" creators-writers Matt Parker and Trey Stone and Tony-winning Avenue Q songwriter Robert Lopez collaborated on the script and score to The Book of Mormon, which earned Tony Awards for Best Book, Best Score and Best Musical.

Co-directed by Parker and Casey Nicholaw, The Book of Mormon opened to critical acclaim March 24, 2011, at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. Both earned Tony Awards for their work.

Visit www.bookofmormonbroadway.com.