As The Book of Mormon Nears Its 15th Anniversary, Broadway’s Elder Price Is Nearing Its 10th

March 24 marks the 15th anniversary of The Book of Mormon opening on Broadway, an unbelievable feat of greater than 5,000 performances. But it is not simply the present that is been round for a very long time. Its present main man, Kevin Clay (who stars as Elder Price), celebrated his 10th anniversary with the Trey Parker–Robert Lopez–Matt Stone musical simply final fall.

Those 10 years weren’t all Broadway. Clay has belted his beliefs into the rafters of theaters all over the world on European and North American nationwide excursions. He joined the Broadway manufacturing in 2018 and remained when the present re-opened after the pandemic shutdown. That means he is actually starred as Elder Price in hundreds of performances.

Since becoming a member of the present, Clay has gotten a decadent older and added a spouse and a baby to the combination. So whereas The Book of Mormon has stayed principally the identical, life offstage has modified dramatically. How do you make efficiency 3,000 simply as humorous and recent as efficiency 1?

Playbill went to the supply, catching up with Clay over Zoom only recently. The dialog has been edited for size and readability.

How lengthy have you ever been doing the present?
Kevin Clay: October was my 10-year anniversary.

Wow. I imply, you of all folks know to have stability on this enterprise is so very uncommon.
That’s why I’ve clung to it. I’ve caught with it, and I’ve had the profit of doing it elsewhere, and typically performing some totally different jobs alongside the best way. But notably since re-opening right here within the metropolis, it is turn out to be my comfy, protected gig that I get to go to at evening. And throughout the day, I get to hang around with my spouse and my daughter.

I do know it is cliché, however how do do you retain it recent after 10 years?
We have administrators who are available to provide us notes and maintain sharpening our intentions, however the large component is simply understanding the present. Like, sure, typically you get drained of doing the identical factor each evening. But these nights you need to go, “I’m here to do the show that I know how to give.” And it is a actually good present. I hope at this level, the present I’ve crafted and created and might drop into, I can believe in the truth that it’s high-quality. And there are nights that make you are feeling sappy since you notice you are doing precisely what you dreamed of doing. So there is a combine between it being work and likewise residing my dream.

At the core, the factor that retains it the freshest is a degree of confidence within the present, the fabric, that I’ve crafted. If there is a evening the place I’m perhaps not feeling nice, the present is at all times nice, so I can simply belief in that and let it do the work.

I simply take into consideration over 10 years what number of life occasions you should have gone via whereas doing this present, and definitely what number of world occasions. What are the nights that make you so comfortable to be doing this actual present at that actual time?
I’ve been having these emotions loads since having a baby. I’ve a daughter who was born only a month after we re-opened the Broadway manufacturing, which was insane. But it has been one of my largest psychological shifts with the present. I used to have days when it was simply me in a resort room on the highway, eager about nothing all day aside from the present that evening. My function within the present, Elder Price, is somewhat troublesome. Even on a superb day, it is nonetheless troublesome materials. I’d sit round worrying about if my voice was there, what I wanted to do to prepare, all kinds of fixations.

Since having a daughter, my days are crammed with attending to play with my child all day. I’m not even pondering, actually, concerning the present till it is time to go. Those are the times that make me so grateful to be doing a present right here within the metropolis, that my job affords me this scheduled to get to hang around with my household, after which go star on Broadway in The Book of Mormon.

Would you name it an Elphaba-level sing? Have you ever needed to depart mid-performance?
Yes. [laughs] The Elphaba-adjacent factor, I believe it is a good description. I’m on stage just about the entire present. And then each time I sing, it is very excessive and it is all about me. People at all times ask if the present is getting laborious, however so long as I’m wholesome, it is there. Luckily my voice and my physique have adjusted to sitting on this materials fairly properly. That being stated, any performer who has a giant sing, we all know the concern of even a little bit chilly taking you out. You do not wish to stay your entire life avoiding all the things. I’ve crafted a warm-up and a pre-show ritual that provides me a reasonably clear thought of ​​the place I sit. It’s the uncommon event now when a mid-show call-out occurs, but it surely does occur. Sometimes you possibly can’t actually predict that it will out of the blue be hurting. You normally know by “You and Me (but Mostly Me).”

How has your Elder Price modified for the reason that first day you performed the function?
It’s gotten, at the least internally, far more comfy. It’s so uncommon to have the ability to play one function actually hundreds of occasions. I’ve intentionality now behind each single factor that I do or take heed to or observe. Doing it this many occasions, the extent of specificity you get is a depth that I’ve by no means skilled earlier than with the rest. For probably the most half, aside from this job, I had, like, 10 reveals to do a task after which you need to let it go. The bother is just not overanalyzed. I believe my Elder Price has turn out to be extra optimistic and peppy inside the final yr or two. The vitality I used to deliver was from my very own persona, a little bit extra of that sardonic, sarcastic Elder Price that had extra of a chip on his shoulder. I’ve been actually having fun with enjoying extra of the over-excited goof that is obsessive about Disney and Orlando and is tremendous peppey and comfortable.

You know, earlier than tragedy strikes.

What are the components of the present you most sit up for doing every evening?
My favourite second must be “All-American Prophet.” I’m not that a lot of a dancer, however I do like to bop, and that is actually the one quantity the place I get to do this. And so far as vocals are involved, the place it occurs to take a seat in my voice, that entire quantity is simply—there actually are not any bother spots in that quantity, so I can simply let any worries disappear and simply sing and inform the story, work together with the corporate. Obviously “I Believe” and “You and Me” are wonderful songs, however I may get in my head eager about the difficult spots. “All-American Prophet” is the one which I do not take into consideration that in any respect.

I suppose your tenure on this function makes you the preeminent skilled on Elder Price. If you have been teaching somebody going into that function, what would you say are the guiding principals?
Craft—the right warm-up. Not a present goes by that I do not do the warm-up that I’ve created over the course of a few years, with the assistance of Liz Caplan. Have a particular warm-up to get you prepared, and bear in mind in terms of the precise character, to know precisely what Elder Price needs versus going from comedy bit to comedy bit. It’s a comedy, so of course we wish to get laughs. But the factor I’ve realized, particularly via re-working the present with the writers once we re-opened, is that they are much extra curious about ensuring your through-line because the character is obvious. Warm-up, and clear storytelling.

The Book of Mormon will rejoice its 15th anniversary with a particular efficiency March 19 the place unique Broadway forged members Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells, Nikki M. James, Rory O’Malleyand extra might be in attendance.