Controversial 'Book of Mormon' Musical Breaks Box Office Records Once Again

By Kris Coombs, Christian Post Contributor Monday, January 09, 2012

The Tony Award-winning musical “The Book of Mormon” brought in a hefty sum of $1,428,663 last week for eight performances over the weekend.

In late December, the Broadway musical, co-created by “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and "Avenue Q’s" Robert Lopez, was reported to have shattered the Eugene O’Neill Theatre’s box office records for the 24th consecutive week by raking in a whopping $1,752,601, Observer.com reported.

The show’s soundtrack also had the highest Billboard sales since “The Little Mermaid” Broadway edition, according to Observer.

Mormonism, often the subject of public scrutiny in the media and for many within the Christian faith since the emergence of Republic presidential candidate Mitt Romney in 2008, is the subject of the popular musical satire.

The musical, which debuted in March of 2011, tells the story of two young Mormon missionaries sent to a village in Uganda, where a warlord threatens the people. The two men in their naiveté attempt to share their scriptures, which only one of them is well versed in, but fail to inspire because the locals are far more worried about famine and disease.

The musical took home nine Tony Awards in 2011, including Best Musical.