Fifteen years after The Book of Mormon first reached Broadway, Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad returned to the show’s world with a surprise appearance at the Tony Awards. The moment brought back the original missionaries, Elder Price and Elder Cunningham, and connected the musical’s early shock value with the staying power it has built on stage.
The reunion also highlighted how the production has remained part of Broadway conversation long after its debut. Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, with Robert Lopez, the musical follows two young missionaries sent to a Ugandan village facing AIDS, war, and famine, and it mixes satire with moments of warmth.
A return to the roles that made them known
Rannells and Gad joined the celebration as the musical marked another Broadway milestone. NPR noted that they would appear in cameo roles throughout the week alongside the creators and several other original cast members, turning the anniversary into a broader tribute to the show’s first company.
The original run won nine Tony Awards in 2011, including best musical and best score. That success helped turn a provocative new title into a long-running Broadway staple, while the show’s first number, “Hello!,” immediately signaled that it was not aiming to play safe.
What the original stars remember about the shock
Gad recalled that he laughed when he first heard “Hello!,” but his reaction changed after he heard “Hasa Diga Eebowai,” the song in which the Ugandan villagers curse God. He said he called his agent and worried, “I don’t want to get killed,” a comment that captured how confrontational the material felt before the public response took shape.
Rannells said he saw the humor right away and believed audiences would respond to it. He added that he never expected the musical to still be running on Broadway after 15 years or to have toured to Salt Lake City, which shows how far the show reached beyond its original run.
Why the show still matters to them
During the interview, Gad described the musical as a “very pro-faith show” under its satire. He said the ending becomes uplifting if the audience stays with the chaos, and he argued that the production leaves viewers with something positive after its darker material.
Rannells and Gad also reflected on what the music has become over time. Gad said the songs stay with performers like something learned by repetition, while Rannells said that some of the material still sits in the voice, even if the body feels the years more sharply.
The physical and vocal demands did not disappear
Rannells said the singing remains manageable, but the physical side of the show has become harder. He noted that dancing, getting up from the floor, and other movement-heavy moments now bring “the aging process” into sharper focus.
Rannells also described the strain of performing while sick, saying there were nights when he had to sing around missing notes in front of a live audience. He remembered one performance after the Tony Awards when a duet became “kind of a disaster,” and he later broke down backstage when a stage manager told him he was allowed to miss a show.
A show built on musical theater devotion
Gad said the songs work because Parker and Stone approached musical theater with deep admiration rather than simple parody. He pointed to the way the score borrows from the emotional shape of classic Broadway numbers without reducing them to jokes.
He also cited the influence of Wicked, The King and I, The Lion King, and The Music Man, saying the songs are memorable because they are built to be hummable and earned their place in the story. Rannells agreed that many viewers who claim not to like musicals still respond to The Book of Mormon because the show uses Broadway language with clear respect.
Looking back at leaving the hit
The interview also revisited the period when both actors left the show after its big breakthrough. Rannells said they opened the musical, received Tony nominations, lost them, then moved on to Los Angeles, where each landed an NBC series that premiered the same week and both were canceled.
Gad said he had already begun to feel detached from the role, and he admitted that he now looks back with regret. He said he did not fully appreciate how unique the moment was while he was inside it, while Rannells added that he wished he had stayed longer and Gad said he wished they had done another year.
The anniversary appearances brought those reflections into focus, showing how The Book of Mormon still connects with its original stars even after years of distance. The show’s satire, songs, and legacy continue to draw attention because the production remains both a Broadway hit and a defining moment for the actors who launched it.
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