One of Broadway's biggest hits is back. The Book of Mormon returned to the stage of the Eugene O'Neill Theater on Wednesday night, the first performance since a fire forced the long-running musical to go dark more than three weeks ago. A sellout crowd filed into the venue with tickets ready to scan, eager to see a production that, just weeks earlier, had looked like it might be out of reach for the foreseeable future.
The blaze had done real harm to the theater. According to the report, the fire caused significant damage to the venue's spotlight booth, a part of the building that is essential to the show because it is used to spotlight the performers on stage. As one observer put it, in New York City there is no such thing as a little fire, and the damage was serious enough to halt the production entirely while crews assessed and repaired the historic building.
For more than three weeks, the marquee stayed unlit. The forced closure upended plans for theatergoers who had booked their seats far in advance, and the reopening on Wednesday was greeted with relief and excitement. The crowd arrived having heard the rave reviews the show has long drawn, and the anticipation built in the lobby as security gave directions that faded into background noise for fans focused on finally getting inside.
The Book of Mormon is no ordinary title to lose, even temporarily. Since first opening in 2011, the satirical musical has become one of the most successful shows in Broadway history, a run that has been recognized with nine Tony Awards. The fire struck as the production was marking its 15th anniversary, raising the stakes of getting the storied show back up and running without a prolonged interruption.
On opening night, the focus turned to the firefighters who kept the venue from being lost. Matt Stone, one of the show's creators, stood alongside the Manhattan borough president to present a special proclamation to the FDNY's chief of department, thanking the fire service for what was described as its heroic efforts to save the 100-year-old theater. Both firefighters and repair crews were credited with preventing the fire from ruining the musical's anniversary milestone.
The audience reflected just how devoted the show's following remains. One attendee, Jerry, said he and his group had booked their tickets roughly six months ago, with no idea a fire was coming. When a co-worker pointed out that the date he had chosen, the 27th, was also the reopening night, his reaction was simple relief. Repeat visitors Artie and Rona, seeing the show for a second time, praised the music and the acting and noted, with a laugh, that it insults everybody.
There was a more serious undertone to the satire this time around, with the cast and crew using the night to acknowledge the people who made it possible. For one evening at least, the spotlight that the fire had threatened belonged not just to the performers but to the first responders seated in the house, in a report by Anthony Carlo of Eyewitness News from Midtown.