“The Book of Mormon,” the Tony Award-winning musical from the creators of "South Park" and "Avenue Q," is sharing the Playbill with Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
The church has purchased three full-pages ads in the Playbills for the touring production, currently in Los Angeles at the Pantages Theatre. The published rate for a one-time full-page, four-color ad for the west coast market is $27,416.
The ads feature close
-up portraits of smiling faces and bold text: “I’ve read the book,” “The book is always better,” “You’ve seen the play. Now read the book.”
"Patrons of the musical aren't likely to leave the theater with a better understanding of the Book of Mormon," a church representative told TheWrap. "Our message in the playbill invites the audience to seek a more complete perspective on the book, its Christ-centered message and its place in Mormon belief."
The Church did not purchase Playbill ads in New York, but invested in a billboard around the corner from Broadway's O'Neill Theatre, where the musical opened last year. Ad plans for future tour stops have yet to be determined, the church rep said.
"The Book of Mormon," written by "South Park" creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker and "Avenue Q" book writer Bobby Lopez, picked up nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Score.
“Book of Mormon” ends its Los Angeles run Nov. 25, then moves on to San Francisco.