THE BOOK OF MORMON'S Andrew Rannells on Preparing for His Role

THE BOOK OF MORMON star Andrew Rannells recently chatted with MensWeek about playing leading man Elder Price and what he's done to prepare for the role. Rannells commented: "I got to be funny - and a lot of times you're not supposed to be. I've certainly played those leading man or male juvenile roles, where you're not supposed to make people laugh. [The producers] let me sort of explore that and what is funny about that guy and also to make him quirky and weird in his own way."

On his visit to the New York Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Visitors Center, he revealed: "I wandered in and there's a security guard, and I said I'm just looking for some general information, and he let me wander. I mean no one stopped me. Maybe because I look Mormon?"

Rannells added, "I have complete respect for what they're choosing to do, particularly the guys who are stationed in Manhattan because they said, sort of very defeated, ‘Well, the only people who talk to us are homeless people.' I ended up sort of counseling these two boys about living in Manhattan...I felt like I should take them out to dinner or something."

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THE BOOK OF MORMON opened on March 24 at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, and features book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. Parker and Stone are the four-time Emmy Award-winning creators of Comedy Central's landmark animated series, "South Park." Tony Award-winner Lopez is co-creator of the long-running hit musical comedy, Avenue Q. The world premiere musical is choreographed by three-time Tony Award-nomineeCasey Nicholaw Monty Python's Spamalot, The Drowsy Chaperone and directed by Nicholaw and Parker.

THE BOOK OF MORMON, which follows a pair of mismatched Mormon boys sent on a mission to a place that's about as far from Salt Lake City as you can get, features Josh Gad as Elder Cunningham, Andrew Rannells as Elder Price, Nikki M. James as Nabalungi, Rory O'Malley as Elder McKinley and Michael Potts as Mafala Hatimbi, with Lewis Cleale, Scott Barnhardt, Justin Bohon,Darlesia Cearcy, Kevin Duda, Asmeret Ghebremichael, Brian Tyree Henry, Clark Johnsen, John Eric Parker, Benjamin Schrader, Michael James Scott, Brian Sears, Jason Michael Snow, Lawrence Stallings, Rema Webb, Maia Nkenge Wilson and Tommar Wilson. The production will also featureGraham Bowen, Ta'Rea Campbell, Jared Gertner, Tyson Jennette and Nick Spangler.

THE BOOK OF MORMON features set design by Scott Pask, costume design by Ann Roth, lighting design by Brian MacDevitt and sound design by Brian Ronan. Orchestrations are by Larry Hochmanand Stephen Oremus. Music direction and vocal arrangements are by Stephen Oremus.

Tickets $137.00 - $59.00 are available at Telecharge.com, by calling Telecharge.com at 212-239-6200 or in person at the Eugene O'Neill box office 230 West 49th Street.

For more information, visit www.bookofmormonbroadway.com.

Photo Credit: Rodolfo Martinez