The Book of Mormon, the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical co-created by the South Park team and Avenue Q’s Robert Lopez raked in an astounding $1,428,663 last week for eight performances at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre this weekend. On January 3rd it was reported that the previous week had shattered the theater’s box office records for the 24th consecutive week in a row by bringing in $1,752,601. The show opened in March, and its cast soundtrack also debuted the best Billboard sales since The Little Mermaid‘s Broadway edition. (Though considering how that play sank, maybe that’s not much of a recommendation.)
Why should you care? (Besides the fact that the profits of just one month of this play are enough to feed all of Northern Uganda for ten years?) Well, if the numbers are any indication, Mormonism–or at least a raunchy, off-kilter, “let’s sing about AIDS in Africa!” version of the religion is so hot this year. Mitt Romney could definitely win the Republican nomination…but only if he gets Trey Parker and Matt Stone to start writing his speeches; not a terrible idea all things considered.) It will be a tough race between him and Spider-Man (whose even a higher grosser), which is ironic since Spidey on Broadway is mostly known for trying to off its cast. But hey, no one said American politics made any sense.
