Rocky alum back in QC for ‘Book of Mormon’ tour
For the first time since Mason Moss got to play keyboard for a national tour of the Broadway smash “Book of Mormon” at Davenport’s Adler Theatre, he is bringing the new tour back home nearly six years later.
“It’s really nice to be full circle, and back into it after two years of touring with the show as music director, to come back to Davenport and perform in the first place I ever did the show, get to bring it as my show – now that I’m leading it as conductor, it’s really special,” Moss said this week in an interview with Our Quad Cities News.
An immensely talented 29-year-old Rock Island High alum, Moss first substituted for the exuberant Tony-winning show when it played for a week in June 2018 at the Adler, and they liked him.
In 2019, they asked him to come on the road to play for the national tour, as an interim to get his feet wet in touring. Moss played keyboard and conducted many performances when “Book of Mormon” toured the U.S. and Mexico in 2019 (about five to six months altogether), including the last one in Peoria before COVID in January 2020.
In the first run, Moss was on the road off and on in several week-long increments. He became the national tour’s conductor and music director in August 2022, starting that national tour in late September 2022.
The current production will perform at the Adler (136 E. 3rd St., Davenport) on Friday, March 29 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, March 30 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
“I grew up going to shows at the Adler, whether it was symphony concerts or musicals or other special events, it’s really neat to go full circle and now that I’m going to be performing there and I get to see the backstage areas from the other end of things,” Moss said, noting he’s looking forward to seeing friends and family after the show. “That’s really amazing.”
Moss also has conducted “Mormon” on Broadway, and he credited the show’s music supervisor Justin Mendoza, for giving him that priceless opportunity.
“To get that experience and be so young and get that experience, like understand that place within the industry – to be honest, at all levels, it’s just good people trying to create good art,” he said.
12th-longest running in history
On Dec. 28, 2023, The Book of Mormon played its 4,643rd performance on Broadway, surpassing Jersey Boys to become the 12th-longest-running show in Broadway history. The cast of The Book of Mormon celebrated this milestone by paying homage to Jersey Boys with a mash-up performance of “Walk Like A Man” and “Man Up” during their celebration.
The Book of Mormon holds the record as the longest-running show in the 98-year history of the Eugene O’Neill Theatre. The show follows two bright-eyed Mormon missionaries sent to Uganda to spread the word of God, as they quickly learn that the locals are not as excited about religion as they are.
Even though Moss has been part of almost 500 performances, the beautiful thing about the show is that the jokes can land differently with the audience every single night.
“Depending on who the actor is in a given role any night, or how they’re feeling, how they’re interpreting the script and the book that night, it can really create a different experience,” Moss said. “I can assuredly say, I’m close to 500 performances now and like, every show is unique, every show is different and every show is one of a kind, which is special.”
In the industry, there are two rules everyone must follow, he said.
“Be prepared, show up ready to do your job, and ready to be excellent at what you do,” Moss said. “And the second thing is, being a good person, first and foremost. Leading with empathy, leading with kindness, treating people with the respect and the kindness that they deserve goes a long way.
“As I work more in this industry, people that I see that are really successful, that I really admire and inspire me, are the people that lead with those sorts of ideals in mind and that morality,” he said.
Back to Circa
After the tour, Moss will return to Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse to perform with veteran Brad Hauskins in his Neil Diamond tribute concert, “Solitary Man,” which has been done there a couple times before.
That next will be at Circa on May 30, 2024, with Moss and his band, plus singers Laura Hammes, Sunshine Ramsey and Sydney Richardson.
He also hopes to return to Moline’s Spotlight Theatre this summer for other events. Moss previously was a regular in accompanying Spotlight co-owner Sara Tubbs in “Tubbs & Moss” jazz nights at the Blueprint Bar there.
The winner of nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, “The Book of Mormon” will have a digital lottery ticket policy in Davenport. A limited number of tickets will be available at $25 each for every performance via a digital lottery.
The wildly popular lottery for the Broadway production has attracted as many as 800 entries at some performances.
“The Book of Mormon” at Adler Theatre rules are:
Entries will be accepted online HERE through March 25th. On Monday, March 25th, names will be drawn at random for a limited number of tickets priced at $25 each, and winners will be notified by email and/or phone.
Only one entry is allowed per person. Emails and names are checked for duplication (for each performance) prior to drawing. Winners can pick up their tickets any time before showtime at the Adler Theatre box office.
Just bring your valid ID and form of payment to purchase tickets. Limit one entry per person and two tickets per winner. Tickets are subject to availability.
“The Book of Mormon” features book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. The Broadway production is directed by Parker and two-time Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw, and choreographed by Nicholaw. The tour is directed and choreographed by Jennifer Werner based on the original Broadway direction and choreography.
For more information on the tour, click HERE.
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