“The Book of Mormon” plans to return to Broadway this fall without producer Scott Rudin and with potential changes to the show.
The musical, which originally opened on Broadway in March 2011, will resume performances at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre on Nov. 5. Rudin is no longer a lead producer of the musical and will not be involved in the management or any decision-making processes involved with the show, according to a spokesperson for the production.
He will not receive any financial compensation from the show moving forward, the spokesperson said. The production is helmed by its existing team, which is led by producer Anne Garefino. Thompson Turner Productions remains as the general manager.
Before the show returns, its writers, Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez, plan to participate in rehearsals with the cast this fall and discuss areas of concern and potential changes. Their participation comes after several Black cast members wrote the writers last summer, expressing unease over the depiction of the Ugandan villagers in the musical and the racial stereotypes it may engender.
“The Book of Mormon” will resume performances on the West End on Nov. 15 and on tour in the United Kingdom Oct. 12. Casting for all productions will be announced in the coming weeks.
In April, Rudin announced that he would “step back” from producing after the publication of allegations of workplace harassment and bullying. Rudin has also withdrawn from “To Kill a Mockingbird,” which has hired a new executive producer, and from “The Lehman Trilogy,” which recently announced Broadway dates in a run led by National Theatre and Neal Street Productions.
Rudin’s production of “West Side Story,” which opened in February 2020, has not yet announced a return date.
