Make a day out of 'The Book of Mormon' in New York City

The long-running Broadway musical is a heaven-sent show that will make you laugh like hell — here are other NYC spots for its devout congregants to visit.

Hello! At first glance, musical theatre and Mormonism don't sound like a match made in heaven — but in 2011, three writers proved the world wrong. The Book of Mormon, from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Avenue Q co-creator Robert Lopez, won nine Tony Awards that year and has converted countless audience members at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre into Broadway fans.

The Book of Mormon follows Elder Price and Elder Cunningham, a pair of Mormon missionaries sent to a Ugandan village to convert the locals, which proves quite difficult. The story is anything but pure and holy — like the creators' other work, it's raunchy and irreverent, but also hilarious.

If any of those things appeal to you, The Book of Mormon is but one place in New York to get your comedy fix, travel the world without leaving the city, or engage in some inspiring reading. We've curated a New York itinerary for fans of this devilishly divine musical — which, of course, must include getting tickets to see it.

Get The Book of Mormon tickets now.

The Africa Center

Want to travel to Africa like Price and Cunningham do, but without leaving New York? Visit the Africa Center in East Harlem. The Book of Mormon presents a satirical portrayal of Africa by way of the Ugandan characters, but this cultural center is your gateway to truly engage with African culture via a rotating lineup of exhibitions, talks, film screenings, educational programs, and more community events.

The Africa Center is located at the north end of Manhattan's "Museum Mile," a stretch of Fifth Avenue encompassing numerous museums like the Met, the Guggenheim, the Museum of the City of New York, and El Museo del Barrio. You could make a whole separate day (or multiple) just out of museum-hopping!

Address: 1280 Fifth Ave. between E. 109th and 110th Streets
Price: Free (certain events required paid tickets)

New York Comedy Club

If you like South Park on Comedy Central, then why not see today's comedy stars that have appeared — or may soon appear — on that very channel? New York Comedy Club provides "the quintessential New York stand-up comedy experience": an intimate, brick-walled room filled with a comic, a mic, and a small crowd.

Shows are for ages 18+ (or 16+ with a guardian), so you might experience irreverent or raunchy humor on par with that in The Book of Mormon. The club has three locations: in Midtown East (a 10-minute subway and a short walk from the theatre), the East Village (likewise), and on the Upper West Side (15-minute subway ride).

Get tickets to shows at each New York Comedy Club location at the above links.

Address: Various locations
Price: $

Eight Is Never Enough

The Book of Mormon flies in a particularly zany direction when Elder Cunningham, realizing the locals aren't interested in his and Price's teachings, decides to improvise. He mashes up stories from the actual Book of Mormon with plot points from Star Wars, Star Trek, and Lord of the Rings — and it works.

If you like improv as much as Cunningham, check out Eight Is Never Enough at Broadway Comedy Club. It's an interactive musical comedy show where the audience gets to decide the topic of every scene and song, and a group of comedians come up with the numbers on the spot. Maybe you can suggest Star Wars or Salt Lake City!

Get Eight is Never Enough tickets now.

Address: Broadway Comedy Club, 318 W. 53rd St.
Price: $

New York Public Library and Midtown Comics

If the "book" part of The Book of Mormon is most appealing to you, New York has you covered tenfold. Near the Theatre District, we'd recommend visiting the iconic flagship location of the New York Public Library, adjacent to Bryant Park on 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. Curl up with a good book (perhaps from the religion and spirituality section?) in one of its elegant reading rooms and enjoy some downtime in the bustling city.

If you're like Elder Cunningham and are into all things nerdy, then Midtown Comics is the place to go for your sci-fi and fantasy fix. The two-story Times Square branch — only a 10-minute walk from the Eugene O'Neill Theatre — is America's largest comic book store, also offering a wide selection of graphic novels and manga.

Address: 476 Fifth Ave. (NYPL), 200 W. 40th St. (Midtown Comics)
Price: Free

Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song

Nothing is safe from The Book of Mormon's lampooning, from historical figures (religious and not) to religion itself. The show also lovingly spoofs other musicals ranging from Wicked to The Sound of Music to The Lion King to The King and I. But it's not the only show in town that's doing so.

Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song is a revue of parody showtunes, lampooning classic shows and new hits from the most recent Broadway season. Non-theatre buffs might not get every niche joke the Forbidden Broadway performers make, but you'll get a sampling of what the current slate of Broadway shows each sound like. And we guarantee you'll still laugh plenty at the over-the-top performances that have been delighting audiences in various forms since 1982.

Get Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song tickets now.

Address: Theater 555, 555 W. 42nd St. between 10th and 11th Avenues
Price: $$

Lagos TSQ

All that laughter is sure to make you hungry. And what better to try before a trip to The Book of Mormon than African food? There aren't any Ugandan restaurants in the area, but Lagos TSQ is an African fusion restaurant conveniently located a block away from the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

Nigerian cuisine is the basis of the menu here, with traditional dishes like ofada stew (made with meat, peppers, and rice) featured alongside things like Lagos pasta (made with jerk chicken and coconut milk) and a suya burger, made with spiced suya beef.

Looking for East African cuisine since that's Uganda's region? Travel up to Harlem to the Somali restaurant Safari, or west to Hell's Kitchen for the casual Ethiopian joint Queen of Sheba.

Address: 727 Seventh Avenue between 48th and 49th Streets
Price: $$

The Book of Mormon

It would be sacrilegious to miss The Book of Mormon on Broadway, one of the longest-running shows of all time. Go along with Elders Price and Cunningham on a journey as far away from Salt Lake City as you can imagine: to Uganda, where converting the locals takes a bit of creativity. Go two by two or bring a whole congregation, and prepare to laugh like hell at this heavenly hit.

Get The Book of Mormon tickets now.