Best Of: 'Book of Mormon' turns 15 / Actor Clarke Peters

The 15th anniversary of The Book of Mormon on Broadway is celebrated with a candid conversation between original stars Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells, who reveal the show’s controversial origins and their personal struggles with performing it over time. Gad recounts being so intimidated by the song 'Hasadiga Ibuwe'—a satirical expletive disguised as a prayer—that he feared for his safety, while Rannells shares the emotional toll of singing 'I Believe' while voiceless, relying on sheer will to finish. Both reflect on how aging has changed their physical stamina, though their vocal muscle memory remains intact. The episode also features Clark Peters, whose career spans decades from The Wire to the new Netflix series The Burrows, where he challenges ageist casting by refusing to play 'cute' elderly roles. He argues that older people still have agency, passion, and adventure—qualities he embodies in his own life and work. Peters reflects on his journey from New York to London, where he found greater opportunity in theater due to America’s cultural legacy in musicals and the relative openness of British stage casting for Black performers in the 1970s.