Original Stars Nikki M. James and Rory O'Malley Return to The Book of Mormon for 12 Weeks
Nikki M. James and Rory O'Malley are returning to The Book of Mormon on Broadway.
The pair will play a strictly limited 12-week engagement, meaning a run with a set closing date, from October 27, 2026, through January 17, 2027, at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. Deadline reported the casting on September 18.
James will reprise Nabulungi. O'Malley will reprise Elder McKinley. Both created their roles when the show opened. James won the 2011 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for the part. O'Malley earned a Tony nomination for his.
The return follows a June preview of sorts. James and O'Malley performed selected scenes and songs during the show's "Magical Mormon Mystery Week." That run of eight performances from June 9-14 featured appearances by original stars including Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells and celebrated the musical's 15th anniversary on Broadway.
New to the show? It follows a mismatched pair of missionaries sent on a mission far from Salt Lake City. It has book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. It was directed by Nicholaw and Parker and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw.
The Book of Mormon opened on Broadway on March 24, 2011. The opening night cast featured Gad, Rannells and Michael Potts alongside James and O'Malley. Parker and Stone are the creators of South Park. Lopez is the co-creator of Avenue Q and a two-time EGOT winner, meaning he has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.
Staying in one house that long is rare. The production is the longest-running show in the 100-year history of the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. It also ranks as the 10th longest-running Broadway musical of all time.
The box office still moves. For a full eight-performance week in mid-June, the show posted a gross of $2,238,369, the total dollars from tickets sold for those eight shows. Deadline reported the figure from Broadway League box-office data. Eight performances is Broadway's standard full week.
For fans, this means a chance to see two originators in the roles they built. Same theater. Same parts. Twelve weeks only.
