Holmes is also a member of starkid productions, where he composed some of the music. The australian production of book of mormon opened at melbourne s princess theatre on january 18, 2017. S the plot of the comedic musical follows two mormon missionaries, elder price. The book of mormon premieres in melbourne profane, potty. Most practising mormons would know, or would have encountered, a reallife elder cunningham, the notsostreet smart lead character of the hit. Elder price is a shining example of cleancut, polite, devoted mormonism while elder cunningham is scrappy, clumsy, and a bit of a loner just looking for a friend. Despite touring the us and canada for four years with two concurrent companies the book of mormon still draws sell out crowds in each city. Other cast members include kayla pecchioni as nabulungi, pj adzima. Holmes elder cunningham in the australian premiere of the book of mormon at melbournes princess theatre.
The australian season of the book of mormon is a crisply staged production of a deliriously funny musical. Ryan bondy, centre, as elder price, zahra newman, left, as nabulungi, a. The book of mormon musical tickets bord gais energy. The cast will be led by canadian actor ryan bondy as elder price, and american actor a.
The book of mormon musical tickets are now available for the smashhit, multi award. The book of mormon musical official liverpool website. One of the funniest musicals to come out of broadway this century, the show is outrageous, blasphemous, rude, vulgar, and a heavenly slice of musical comedy that hilariously zips along for an exuberant twohour ride. Blake has been with the book of mormon since the australian company debuted in melbourne in 2017 and in 2019 blake was nominated for a.
Other cast members included zahra newman as nabulungi, bert labonte as mafala, and rowan witt as elder mckinley. Blake has been with the book of mormon since the australian company debuted in melbourne in 2017 and in 2019 blake was nominated for a helpmann award for best male actor in a musical for his work as elder price in the book of mormon. When tickets went on sale on february 2016 almost a year ago to the day melbournes princess theatre recorded the highest selling on. Elders kevin price and arnold cunningham are welcomed by a resident of uganda played by monica patton in the book of mormon, playing april 1621 at heinz hall, pittsburgh.
Its been a long 19 months since daniel andrews mp, premier of victoria, announced that trey parker and matt stones blockbuster musical the book of mormon was heading to melbourne, and today we can finally reveal the cast for the australian premiere production winner of nine tony awards including best musical, the grammy for best musical theatre album and four olivier awards including. Dereck seay, eric geil, jake emmerling, jacob haren, ryan bondy elder price, daxton bloomquist, kevin clay, eric huffman, cj pawlikowski and cody jamison strand elder cunningham. Holmes as elder cunningham, direct from playing the. The book of mormon will open at melbournes princess theatre i. In the book of mormon, two very different young lds missionaries the talented, eager elder price and the nerdy, pathologically lying elder cunningham are paired together and sent to uganda to perform their twoyear mission. I have now seen book of mormon twice and i would not hesitate to see it again. Elder price is a ken doll cutout, a bible devotee and mormon star in.
What a lapsed mormon thinks after watching the book of. Apart from the cast, the australian production of book of mormon is a carbon copy of the production that. The book of mormon makes pittsburgh stop to spread the. For the uninitiated, the book of mormon follows elder price ryan bondy and elder cunningham a. Elder arnold cunningham is an inexperienced and extremely awkward missionary who is prone to making things up. Truthfully though, the book of mormon could easily be about any religion. Holmes, right, as elder cunningham, and the company in the australian premiere of the book of morman at the princess theatre, melbourne. Stay at apartments melbourne domain to see a comingofage story the book of the mormon of 2 young, extremely loveable mormons on their mission to populate the lords word. The book of mormon cast is led by ryan bondy as elder price and a. The brainchild of south park creators trey parker and matt stone, along with avenue q composer robert lopez, it cleaned up at the 2011 tony awards and is still running today. Winner of nine tony awards including best musical, the grammy for best musical theatre album and four.
Elder price and elder cunningham are played impeccably by canadian ryan bondy and american a j holmes. This is the page to garner support to bring the wonderful the book of mormon musical to sydney. Its the most hotly anticipated musical to open in australia in years, and the book of mormon has finally revealed the cast for its melbourne premiere season, which starts in january. Holmes is also a member of starkid productions, where he composed some of. The book of mormon by trey parker, robert lopez, and matt stone memorabilia available the book of mormon is a religious satire musical with a book, lyrics, and music by trey parker, robert lopez, and matt stone.
Today in the bt studio, we get a live performance of you and me, but mostly me from the book of mormon. The book of mormon follows the story of two young mormons, the aspirational elder kevin price and spacecadet elder arnold cunningham who having completed their training begin their role as missionaries for the church of jesus christ of latterday saints known to some as mormons. Julia schwab sat down with blake bowden elder price and nyk bielak. Holmes, two young american missionaries deployed to uganda. All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. After playing a year in melbourne and a year in sydney, the book of mormon is finally pushing brisbanes doorbell. Brown, ryan bondy as elder price and aj holmes as elder cunningham in the book of mormon at melbournes princess theatre. Nyk bielak and company of the book of mormon picture. Tigist strode and nyk bielak in the book of mormon picture. Both have played those two leading roles in the us, with holmes having played elder.
Holmes, with significant experience in his role, fares more successfully as wellmeaning goofball elder cunningham. Get a ticket if you can to this hilarious show starring ryan bondy as elder price and a. The book of mormon is a well honed product that has toured the world and has been brought to australia by the mighty musical machine that is the frost organisation. Accompanying me on the piano is the incredible clinton. The book of mormon musical tickets bord gais energy theatre. The original australian cast for the book of mormon in 2017 included bom veterans ryan bondy as elder price and a. Missionar elder cunningham behauptet nun, im book of mormon stehe. The book of mormon musical tickets official london theatre. In honour of book of mormons closing night in sydney, here is a compilation of various elder mckinleys screaming crush it. The book of mormon, winner of numerous tony, laurence olivier, grammy, and drama desk awards, as well as a string of helpmann awards from its melbourne season, has played to packed houses and has. The australian premiere of the book of mormon in melbourne. The book of mormon follows the journey of two mormon missionaries.
It might have taken six years for the book of mormon to make its way from broadway to an australian stage, but it has lost nothing of its stinging satire and shockingly delightful filthiness over that time. Ryan bondy, centre, as elder price, aj holmes, far right, as elder cunningham and cast members of the book of mormon at the princess theatre in melbourne. Zahra newman nabulungi zahra is a graduate of the victorian college of the arts in melbourne. High quality elder cunningham gifts and merchandise. Blakes recent roles include perchik in fiddler on the roof tml, anthony hope in sweeney todd victorian opera, edward lyons in. Elder price ryan bondy, a sweet and deluded egoist with perfect teeth, is paired with elder cunningham a. Josh gad, brian sears, david oreilly, cody jamison strand, tom xander, jordan matthew brown, nyk bielak or dan buckley. Words with blake bowden elder price and nyk bielak elder. Young and naive mormon missionaries elder price and elder cunningham are sent by the church of the latter day saints to uganda to offer the locals salvation. While both were a little bit controversial at the time as imports from broadway, both were fantastic in their roles. He was the standby for elder price in the original broadway production and made his west end debut as the overachieving mormon missionary. All but the most conservative music theatre fans are urged to secure their ticket as soon as possible. He was the standby for elder cunningham in the west end, and now plays the adorable yet awkward mormon missionary fulltime. It traces the fortunes and misfortunes of a pair of plucky young missionaries, elder price and elder cunningham, who are looking forward to.
Andrew james holmes born november 14, 1989 in california is an american actor, singer and composer working in musical theater, and a member of starkid productions he is known primarily for playing the role of elder cunningham in the book of mormon on broadway, the us tour, the west end, melbourne and sydney. Blakes recent roles include perchik in fiddler on the roof tml, anthony hope in sweeney todd victorian opera, edward lyons in blood brothers enda markey. Due to unprecedented demand, new seats for the book of mormon go on sale to the general public today. Young and naive mormon missionaries elder price and elder cunningham. Bookings for the awardwinning musical have now been extended to 30 april 2017 at melbourne s princess theatre. It would be fair to say that the book of mormon has conquered melbourne the musical at the princess theatre, that is, not the tome from the church of jesus christ latter day saints, although the church has been a good sport about being the butt of satire in this musical from the creators of televisions south park, trey parker and matt stone, along with their buddy matt stone, creator of. The broadway smash hit musical comedy, the book of mormon, written by trey. The book of mormon took broadway by storm when it premiered at the eugene oneill theatre in new york in 2011 and in addition to winning a whole host of awards it has been breaking box office records in the us and around the world ever since. Both are veterans of previous tours of the book of mormon. Elder price and elder cunningham are polar opposites on the same journey. So it makes sense that aj has portrayed arnold cunningham in every company of the book of mormon thus far, including londons west end, on tour in the u. Blake bowden elder price blake has been with the book of mormon since the australian company debuted in melbourne in 2017 and in 2019 blake was nominated for a helpmann award for best male actor in a musical for his work as elder price in the book of mormon. Arnold, in his own way, tries to make friends with elder price. Mormons main target is the church of jesus christ of latterday saints in utah, tracking two plucky missionaries earnest elder price ryan bondy and dorky elder cunningham a.
Bondy left the touring cast to take over the role of elder price in the melbourne production. The world needs the unexpected decency and heart behind. Inspired designs on tshirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more by independent artists and designers from around the world. Holmes reprised their roles as elder price and elder cunningham respectively. The runaway hit will open at melbournes princess theatre in early 2017, giving australian audiences a chance to see the whip. This was a marked solo character performance from late 2019 where i chose the character of elder cunningham from the book of mormon musical. To the missionaries disappointment, the local population seems to be more focused on the poverty, famine, aids. The book of mormon now showing at melbournes princess theatre is a polished risque musical that moves as fast as you can say south park. There has been much talk in the last year about international casting, and the book of mormon is a textbook example of the advantages and pitfalls.
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