2013 Tony Awards Clip Countdown: #14 - THE BOOK OF MORMON, Hello!

Today we are continuing BroadwayWorld's 2013 Tony Awards Clip Countdown with a special spotlight focused on a recent Best Musical winner and the subject of last year's stupendous Tony Awards opening number - "Hello" from THE BOOK OF MORMON!

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Hello

The rare water-cooler Broadway show, THE BOOK OF MORMON captured the cultural zeitgeist and racked up more Tony Awards than nearly any other Broadway musical ever - nine, all told; including Best Musical - and it continues to leave audiences rolling in the aisles with laughter on Broadway, in the West End and on tour around the world. Sure, it's not your grandma's Broadway musical - there are way too many F-bombs for that - but it is a thrilling tribute to the possibilities of theatre as they still exist, even in this cynical day and age.

And, the show is solid proof that Broadway can still strike a chord with the general public, as well.

Last year, we were treated to Elder Price and Elder Cunningham and company offering forth their sacred Mormon texts on the dressing room doorsteps of a slew of starry players, in THE BOOK OF MORMON's paean to Stephen Sondheim's COMPANY and its game-changing opening number, with the catchy "Hello". Ricky Martin, Matthew Broderick, Cynthia Nixon, James Earl Jones, Judith Light and recurring Tony Awards host extraordinaire Neil Patrick Harris figure into the sensational opening sequence, ending with the presentation of the one and only NPH as our master of ceremonies.

Hmm... call him: Elder Harris, perhaps?

Of course, previously, at the 65th Annual Tonys, original THE BOOK OF MORMON lead Andrew Rannells offered a spirited and superbly sung "I Believe" from the Tony Award-winning Trey Parker/Matt Stone/Robert Lopez score to delight and entertain us all. So, could another musical moment from MORMON be in the cards for this year's ceremony?

Either way, given the success of THE BOOK OF MORMON around the world, it looks like a new musical religion not unlike the subject matter of the show itself has been born with this modern musical theatre phenomenon! Hello!

The 2013 Tony Awards air Sunday, June 9, at 8 PM on CBS. More information is available at the official site here.

We Believe

So, today, let's look at the best Tony Awards moments pertaining to the popular and enduring THE BOOK OF MORMON, including last year's opening number and their 2011 night of many big wins.

First up, here is last year's stupendous opening number featuring members of the new Broadway cast of THE BOOK OF MORMON - and a particularly arousing array of 2012 Tony Awards presenters, too!

Next, enjoy Andrew Rannells performing "I Believe" from THE BOOK OF MORMON at the 2011 Tony Awards.

Now, here is the heartfelt acceptance speech from 2011 Best Featured Actress In A Musical recipient Nikki M. James, taking top honors for her turn in THE BOOK OF MORMON.

Last, witness SOUTH PARK creators and BOOK OF MORMON masterminds Trey Parker and Matt Stone accept Best Score along with AVENUE Q previous Tony-winner and MORMON musical collaborator Robert Lopez.

As a special bonus, here is the acceptance speech for Best Musical by the MORMON crew.

So, what showstopper from THE BOOK OF MORMON would you like to see appear on a future Tony Awards telecast? Could anything match the persuasive power of "Hello" or "I Believe" in your humble estimation? Who knows, perhaps we will see yet another BOOK OF MORMON number on this year's big show!