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CMU grad performing in 'Book of Mormon' ready for Pittsburgh shows
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If the creators of "The Book of Mormon" have taught us one lesson, it's that when it comes to box-office success, it's good to be bad.
There are a few exceptions to the rule, of course. Of the few tickets that remain unsold for the run of "The Book of Mormon" at the Benedum Center March 26-April 7, the biggest bunches are for the two Easter Sunday shows -- perhaps because many people are spending time with their families, perhaps because they are scandalized by spending time with a show that revels in scatological references and religious satire on Easter.
Grey Henson, an original cast member of the national tour, hopes people will get past the profanity and enjoy the pleasures of a traditional, well-written musical with positive messages about friendship and loyalty. You can't miss the 6-foot-3, baby-faced Henson, who secured the dual role of Elder McKinley and the angel Moroni before his 2012 graduation from Carnegie Mellon University. His characters are more subversive than profane, and he's also onstage for most of the big chorus numbers, singing, tap dancing and having a blast.
As in any long run of a show, there have been onstage mishaps.
"It's easy to get the giggles, everybody is having so much fun," he said. "I don't think the audience notices when something wrong happens, and it doesn't happen often. One time, as the angel Moroni, I went up to do my little bit with my plastic horn and it snapped right in half."
He also was given the wrong shoes to change into before "Hello," the opening song. "I performed all of 'Hello' in socks, slipping and sliding," he said. "That's it. It's a pretty well-oiled machine."
Read more about Grey Henson's "Mormon" experience, the show's history and tips for scoring hard-to-get tickets in the Post-Gazette Sunday Magazine.
First Published March 20, 2013 3:48 pm
