Sean Johnston and Nick Cox will take on the roles of Elder Price and Elder Cunningham when The Book Of Mormon arrives at Crown Theatre Perth, bringing two long-held ambitions to the Australian stage.
Johnston, 25, who was raised in Toowoomba, plays the polished Elder Price, a Mormon missionary whose certainty is challenged when his carefully ordered world begins to unravel.
“Elder Price is very prim and proper. He’s like the perfect Mormon boy,” Johnston said. “He works really hard, and he’s always walked the line, and because of that, he’s always gotten what he’s wanted.”
He recalled being struck by the musical’s irreverent style when he first saw it, although he had not immediately imagined himself pursuing one of its central roles.
“I remember the first time I saw it, and I was like, ‘Holy heck!’ it’s just so funny and so ridiculous and so unlike anything in the theatre world, or what you think theatre might be,” he said.
Cox, 33, plays Elder Cunningham, the well-meaning but chaotic counterpart to Johnston’s character. The Boston-raised performer said his family’s enthusiasm for South Park made the musical’s creators particularly familiar to them.
“My family and I were huge South Park fans, so when we found out that Matt Stone, Trey Parker and Bobby Lopez did something, we were just playing it on a loop and cracking up,” Cox said.
The nine-time Tony Award-winning production follows two mismatched missionaries sent from Salt Lake City on a two-year mission to a distant and unfamiliar community, where their plans quickly descend into disorder.
Cox moved to Melbourne with his Australian performer wife, Kathleen Amarant, in 2019. He previously appeared in the Australian production of Disney’s Beauty And The Beast as LeFou, leaving the show before its Perth season.
He said his route into musical theatre had included leaving formal training during his first year because of the cost, moving to New York and travelling repeatedly by Greyhound bus to auditions. His first job there was at Radio City Music Hall with the Rockettes, although the show was later cancelled.
“I don’t think anything can prepare you quite like going to New York and being at a call at 4am to hopefully get seen 10 hours later,” he said.
Cox described Elder Cunningham as “a puppy meets a tornado”, adding that the character’s openness and loyalty made the part both demanding and rewarding.
“He means so well and has just the biggest heart,” Cox said. “He’s that best friend who you wish you had because he’s going to support you throughout.”
Both actors said the production had tested their stamina as they worked towards performing eight shows a week. Johnston believes the musical’s continuing success since its Broadway opening in 2011 comes from its combination of satire, strong writing and a willingness to update its script.
“I don’t think a satire or a comedy would work for 15 years if it wasn’t incredibly well thought-out and always punching up as well,” he said.
Johnston added that Trey Parker and Matt Stone continue to make small changes to keep the show contemporary, meaning returning audiences may encounter different material while retaining its humour and heart.
The Book Of Mormon runs at Crown Theatre Perth from October 20 to December 6.
