Book of Mormon Musical Cancels Two Shows After Electrical Fire

An electrical fire broke out at the Eugene O’Neill Theater, where the The Book of Mormon musical has been playing for the last 15 years. “The building is going to be out of service, pending repairs,” David Simms, an assistant chief at the New York Fire Department, told the New York Times. “There’s been substantial damage on the fourth floor, in the electrical room, which contains lighting equipment and hanging chandeliers.” The damage was in the “back area” of the theater and not visible to the audience. Performances on May 4 and May 5 have already been canceled, with no word yet on when they will resume as the theater assesses the damage. In a joint statement, the show and ATG Entertainment put out a joint statement, writing, “The show will continue to work with theatre owners, ATG Entertainment, the FDNY, and other relevant parties to assess the damage resulting from a fire at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre this morning.”

The Book of Mormon has been gearing up for “Magical Mystery Mormon” week, with the promise that no show is the same. Stars of the original musical, like Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells, as well as creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, return home from their mission in Hollywood. Surely no drama has happened in the meantime.