The Book of Mormon: Twenty reasons you've got to see it, courtesy the cast and crew

By Kelsey Whipple Wed., Aug. 8 2012 at 6:53 AM

Categories: Arts and Culture, Deals, Theater

Continued from page 3

5. Last year, the show won nine Tony Awards -- including Best Musical.
"I knew it was a success, but then I saw the Tonys, and I was like, 'Yep,'" says Ware, who has taken many morals away from its story. "A big one is just being yourself, not being a prisoner to the world. I also get a family vibe from it."

4. You might see your grandma there.
"Though I knew right away it was going to be great. I remember thinking, 'Well, you know, we won't sell to older audiences or to families,'" Gertner says. "And then we did. Then we started doing Wednesday matinees and having older audiences coming and laughing like they hadn't laughed in years. I think it's been a really good thing for the show for people to open their eyes and stop making judgments and go see it."

3. Mitt Romney is also invited.
"Sure, we'd love for him to come," creator Trey Parker says. "I think he'd like it."

2. It's an open-minded mind-opener.
"I think it really pushes people to think about things," Ware says. "It's a beautiful story about finding yourself, and you have to take it for what it is. I hope that more musicals will branch out. Step over the line, but bring it back."

1. It's entirely original -- and that's a rarity.
"People want to see revivals, and they want to see movies or books they know adapted to the stage," Mambo says. "There's just a lack of highly engaging forward thinking, and I feel like this is that thing. They're seeing something they already know. They already have an opinion, and they're weighing it against what they're seeing. This is an opportunity to see something new."

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