The Book of Mormon announces initial casting

Initial casting has been announced for The Book of Mormon, the first Broadway musical from the creators of "South Park". The production opens on Broadway on Thursday, 24 Mar 2011 at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. Previews begin 24 Feb 2011.

The Book of Mormon features book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. Parker and Stone are the four-time Emmy Award-winning creators of Comedy Central's landmark animated series, "South Park". Tony Award-winner Lopez is composer and co-creator of the long-running hit musical comedy, 'Avenue Q.'

The world premiere musical is choreographed by three-time Tony Award-nominee Casey Nicholaw (Monty Python's Spamalot, The Drowsy Chaperone) and directed by Nicholaw and Trey Parker.

The Book of Mormon, which follows a pair of mismatched Mormon boys sent on a mission to a place that's about as far from Salt Lake City as you can get, features Josh Gad as 'Elder Cunningham,' Andrew Rannells as 'Elder Price,' Nikki M. James as 'Nabalungi,' Rory O'Malley as 'Elder McKinley' and Michael Potts as 'Mafala Hatimbi,' with Scott Barnhardt, Justin Bohon, Darlesia Cearcy, Kevin Duda, Asmeret Ghebremichael, Brian Tyree Henry, John Eric Parker, Jason Michael Snow, Benjamin Schrader, Michael James Scott, Brian Sears, Lawrence Stallings, Rema Webb, Maia Nkenge Wilson and Tommar Wilson.

Additional casting will be announced soon.

Parker and Stone make their Broadway musical writing debut with The Book of Mormon. Parker and Stone have won four Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award for "South Park," the team's controversial, critically acclaimed series, which airs on Comedy Central. "South Park" recently aired its 200th episode and begins its 15th season in April, 2011.

Parker and Stone's credits also include the films, "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut" and "Team America: World Police."

Parker co-wrote the musical numbers for "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut." The film's accomplished and outrageous score surprised and delighted critics and audiences. Parker shared an Academy Award nomination for Best Song for the music and lyrics for "Blame Canada" from the film's score. The New York Film Critics Circle also honored "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut" with the organization's first award ever presented for Best Animated Film.

The Book of Mormon's creative team features set design by Scott Pask, costume design by Ann Roth, lighting design by Brian MacDevitt and sound design by Brian Ronan. Orchestrations are by Larry Hochman. Music supervision is by Stephen Oremus.

Josh Gad (Elder Cunningham) is a theater, television and film actor who got his start in the 2005 hit show 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' on Broadway. Currently, Josh is a correspondent on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart". His film credits include: 21, The Rocker and Love and Other Drugs, opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway. Josh was a series regular on the Steve Levitan/Christopher Lloyd Fox sitcom "Back to You," with Kelsey Grammer, Ty Burrell and Patricia Heaton and is currently voicing the lead character in David Gordon Green's upcoming animated MTV show, "Good Vibes"

Andrew Rannells (Elder Price) was last seen on Broadway as Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys, having played the role on the First National Tour and in the Toronto company as well. Prior to that, Rannells played Link Larkin in the Broadway production of Hairspray. Over the past year, he has been a proud part of the development of new projects including William Finn and James Lapine's Little Miss Sunshine (based on the film) and Douglas Carter Beane's new musical Give It Up! Rannells' work as a voice actor can be heard on several animated series and numerous television and radio commercials.

Nikki M. James (Nabalungi) recently starred in Romeo and Juliet (Juliet) and Caesar and Cleopatra (Cleopatra opposite Christopher Plummer) at Stratford Shakespeare Festival and as Dorothy in The Wiz at La Jolla Playhouse. Broadway: All Shook Up (Lorraine), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Other theatre: Adela in Bernarda Alba (Lincoln Center Theater), Otillie in House of Flowers (City Center Encores!), Walmartopia (Off Broadway). Workshops: Lizzie in Baby (Paper Mill/NJPAC), Beehive on Broadway and many more. TV: "30 Rock," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "Third Watch," "The Jury," as well as many national commercials and voiceovers. Holds a BFA in Drama from NYU's Tisch School.

Rory O'Malley (Elder McKinley) is the luckiest man on earth to be in this hilarious show. Broadway: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; Off-Broadway: Newsical. Regional: created the role of Richie Cunningham in Garry Marshall's Happy Days The Musical for Goodspeed Opera House, Paper Mill Playhouse and recorded the original cast album. Rory expanded his repertoire of pasty white dudes by butchering the song "Cadillac Car" as lead singer of 'Dave and the Sweethearts' in the film Dreamgirls.

Michael Potts (Mafala Hatimbi). Broadway: Grey Gardens, Lennon. Theater credits include: World premiere of Tony Kushner's The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide, to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures (Guthrie) The Tempest, Richard III, Oedipus, Highway Ulysses, The Persians, Twelfth Night, Romeo & Juliet, The Hostage, Love's Labour's Lost, Arms and the Man, Mud River Stone, The Rivals, Overtime, Rent, The America Play (OBIE Award). TV & Film credits include: "Damages," "Flight of the Conchords," "The Wire," "Queens Supreme," "Oz," "Law & Order," "NYPD Blue," "Thomas Jefferson," "The West," Conspiracy Theory, The Peacemaker, Diggers, Stonewall, Jocasta. Michael is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama.