Book of Mormon Chicago cast?

[rhdery]

It's interesting. They have cast a very wide net in seeking people to fill the casts in these shows. Maybe just another example of Parker and Stone doing it their way.

[neonlightsxo]

Disagree that it isn't a "hard role to cast." It seems to be quite difficult to find exactly what they're looking for. Have to actually have acting chops, not just a Jack Black impression.

[ACL2006]

should be interesting down the road in a few years to see what kind of replacements they get for all of these companies considering the trouble they're having now.

[blondie23456]

i assume they'd just stay on for long periods of time?

they're really cutting it close it seems. why not take someone from the NY show and place them in the Chicago show?

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Yeah, rehearsal starts in a matter of weeks. They are being silly. Unless they are adding circus tricks to the role requirements, none of the roles in this show are hard to cast--especially when you have pretty much every stage actor in America at your disposal. For Cunningham, find a fat young funny guy with charm and heart. Done.

[otis33]

Not that this show needs the press, but could all these auditions just be a PR event? I remember when the first national of CATS was hitting cities for the first time, open calls were held in many of the major cities - and that show didn't need the PR at the time, either. I went to one of the open calls and it was chock full of tv and radio crews. Just a thought. Not necessarily a good one. :)

[bwaylvsong]

At all of the BoM auditions I've been to, most of the guys that weren't tall/thin (including myself) got typed out. They must be looking for something incredibly specific.

[LizzieCurry]

Otis, that'd occurred to me too, but if you do a google search and restrict to the past month or so, there's been little-to-no coverage of this giant Cunningham call.

[dontevenstart]

Rehearsals began yesterday. The reason for no press release was that they only got their Price about 2 weeks ago (even though he's coming from the bway cast) and their Cunningham found out 3 days ago (and is potentially a name people may recognize, or at least a face you might recognize from a recent movie)!

Cast has been asked not to post anything about rehearsals or who is in the show. Press releases should be out any day now.

[shrekster224]

It has been floating around, though. At least we are in good hands with Price and haven't seen "that recent movie" but the Cunningham looks like he'll be good. Curious about Nabulungi and McKinley.

[neonlightsxo]

Ben Platt tweeted that he was Cunningham, and Skylar Astin retweeted it. Looks as if it was deleted but it was out there.
https://twitter.com/BenSPLATT

[shrekster224]

Yea, it is Ben Platt, and I think Stephen Mark Lukas is Price (hence why there is a new Price standby on Broadway).

[themonkeybananaking]

^ That's exactly what I was thinking! And I think he retweeted a tweet saying congrats on getting Elder Price...

Could Asmeret be Nabulungi? I mean all the current SIPs are about her leaving.

[CATSNYrevival]

Ben Platt isn't playing Elder Cunningham, right? I must have read that wrong. This guy? How can that be?

[LizzieCurry]

Broadway.com ran a story based on that now-deleted tweet from Ben Platt, and then deleted that story.

Even though the story's gone, you can enjoy the URL!

www.broadway.com/buzz/165112/pitch-perfects-ben-platt-to-star-in-chicago-run-of-the-book-of-mormon/

[shrekster224]

Asmeret could be Nabulungi! Hadn't thought about that. I was thinking she booked another Broadway show. Saw her in the role in April with Nic and Jared as Price and Cunningham when they were still standbys and she was fantastic, almost identical to Nikki James in quality with her own spin.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Wow. Well since they took that long to cast it at least it looks like it was because they were trying to do something new. I'll be at the first preview and will share my thoughts then...

[LizzieCurry]

http://timeoutchicago.com/arts-culture/theater/15850576/casting-announced-for-the-book-of-mormons-chicago-company

[greensgreens]

I'm confused as well. I cannot judge his talents, but Ben Platt doesn't look like a Cunningham at all. I guess it's kind of nice that they're not typecasting "fat, funny, young guys" in the role, but there's nothing remotely schlubby about him, which I always assumed was a role requirement. It will be interesting to see how this plays when the two leads are much more similar in physical type. I imagine it will be exponentially less humorous without the physical component of the odd couple-esque match. I hope to be proven wrong.

[Starship]

Why did that article say it was sold out through March 3...there's plenty of tickets available before then.

[Smaxie]

> I imagine it will be exponentially less humorous without the physical component of the odd couple-esque match. I hope to be proven wrong.<

Ben Schrader, who is regularly in the Broadway Mormon ensemble, also understudies the role of Cunningham. He's lanky and not at all the same body type as the "schlubby" Cunninghams, but basically plays the sci-fi geeky misfit angle and is wildly funny in the role. And the show's one reference to Cunningham's weight - the lyric in "Man Up" where the Ugandans sing "We must listen to the fat white guy" - gets changed to "weird white guy". The show works just fine with a thin Cunningham.

[LizzieCurry]

That's what I was thinking, that they'd go the Ben Schrader route. I still think it's a little weird, though.

[shrekster224]

Stephanie Umoh is amazing! Great choice. Surprised about Nic Roulaeu, though. Who will be the next Broadway Elder Price?

Also cool to see Corey Hummerston is in the cast, and original Papermill Newsie.

[shrekster224]

Website updated

http://www.bookofmormonbroadway.com/show_cast_chicago.php

[Smaxie]

>Who will be the next Broadway Elder Price?<

Matt Doyle.






Matt Doyle to play Elder Price

[shrekster224]

Woah! Heard he was joining the show but thought it was for McKinley, if O'Malley had to leave for 1600 Penn or something.