{"id":179809,"date":"2026-03-30T16:45:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T16:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/179809\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T16:45:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T16:45:18","slug":"meet-the-last-original-actor-in-the-book-of-mormon-nbc-new-york","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/179809\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the last original actor in \u2018The Book of Mormon\u2019 \u2013 NBC New York"},"content":{"rendered":"

When \u201cThe Book of Mormon\u201d opened on Broadway <\/a>in 2011, John Eric Parker was onstage as the show was showered with rapturous reviews and cheers. In 2026, he’s still, happily, there.<\/p>\n

Parker is the only original cast member <\/a>standing, a rarity in professional musical theater where performers usually move onto the next project within a year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still here. I feel still very much viable. I still feel like I\u2019m having a good time and I\u2019m doing good work,\u201d he says. \u201cThe first indication for me to go is to not have any joy. And this still brings me huge amounts of joy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The singer and actor whose Broadway credits also include \u201cAll Shook Up\u201d and \u201cRent\u201d makes himself available to newcomers in the cast if they seek out his advice. But he won’t press.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t push myself or what I know on other actors because I feel like they have to be afforded the opportunity to find it for themselves,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe show is one of those that is so good that if you just get on the train and ride it, it will take you where you need to go. If they choose to come to me, I am more than available to talk about what I know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Producer Anne Garefino finds it special to be able to walk into the theater and get a hug from Parker, who she calls \u201ca rock, but without being pushy about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m honored that he has stayed this long because he\u2019s talented, he\u2019s got a gorgeous voice,\u201d she says. \u201cThere are other shows, but he found his place and I am glad it was with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lightning strikes twice<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Book of Mormon\u201d came to Parker during a low time. His sister passed away unexpectedly at the same time his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. \u201cThis thick skin was pretty thin for me at that moment,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n

He juggled two offers \u2014 a new musical called \u201cMemphis\u201d and what would eventually become \u201cThe Book of Mormon.\u201d He did workshops and readings for both at the same time.<\/p>\n

The first show to be ready to go was \u201cMemphis\u201d in 2009, and Parker was part of the cast that won the Tony Award for best new musical the next year. Months later, \u201cThe Book of Mormon\u201d was ready to go, so he joined the ensemble and was part of the cast that won the best new musical Tony in 2011. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was like a lightning striking twice in a row, which is like, \u2018When does that ever happen? How does that ever happen?\u2019\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Opening<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tStephen Lovekin\/Getty ImagesStephen Lovekin\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Opening night of “The Book of Mormon” on Broadway at Eugene O’Neill Theatre on March 24, 2011 in New York City. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe Book of Mormon,\u201d about two Mormon missionaries who find more than they bargained for in Uganda, was written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of Comedy Central\u2019s irreverent \u201cSouth Park,\u201d and Robert Lopez, co-creator of the equally irreverent Tony Award-winning musical \u201cAvenue Q.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Book of Mormon\u201d was a cultural juggernaut when it opened, often becoming a raise-the-roof rock concert. \u201cI feel like by the time we got to opening night, I was pretty settled in believing this is about to be something,\u201d Parker says.<\/p>\n

He recalls one performance in which he spotted Steve Martin next to Robin Williams who was sitting next to Whoopi Goldberg. He was then told the cast of \u201cModern Family\u201d was also in the theater. And Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were there.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was like, \u2018Oh, this is different,’\u201d he says. \u201cAll right, kids, buckle up, ’cause here we go.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Changes and changes<\/p>\n

Cast members eventually left and were replaced and then they were replaced. Parker stayed, although he took time out when his mother died and after becoming a newlywed. He did other projects \u2014 like a role in \u201cTales of the City\u201d \u2014 and went on vacations \u2014 but returned to the Eugene O\u2019Neill Theatre and his comfy dressing room, which he affectionately calls \u201cmy Midtown office.\u201d<\/p>\n

He says not having to hustle for the next job has freed him to give back. He’s on the board of Broadway Cares\/Equity Fights AIDS and on the board of directors of Broadway Inspirational Voices. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe notion of being tethered to something allows me \u2014 this is just my personality \u2014 to bungee jump even more,\u201d he says. \u201cIt allows me to really stretch myself in ways that I may not have been able to do if my hustle brain was still on full time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"John<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tBruce Glikas\/Getty ImagesBruce Glikas\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

John Eric Parker, PJ Adzima, Derrick Williams during the curtain call for “The Book of Mormon” on Broadway 5000th performance celebration at The Eugene O’Neill Theatre on Nov. 4, 2024. <\/p>\n

He says the show has changed as the world around it changed. It started as a musical about faith and then after the pandemic, it was about the joy of theater itself. He heard audiences react differently to some lines as the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements crested. <\/p>\n

\u201cArt continues to surprise me. Because just when you think it\u2019s mundane or sort of like pat and routine, something happens in the world,\u201d he says. \u201cIt is still a living, breathing organism.\u201d<\/p>\n

He used to avoid using the term \u201clast man standing\u201d for himself until he went to a family reunion and his uncle \u2014 the last survivor from seven siblings \u2014 showed up. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis 78-year-old, 6-foot-4 man drives up in a convertible BMW and jumps out of the car in his Birmingham, Alabama, drawl and says, \u2018Well, well, the last man standing is here!\u2019 He’s standing like Superman and I thought to myself, \u2018All right, stop shying away from it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cSouth Park\u201d creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone talk about about the success of their musical, \u201cThe Book of Mormon.\u201d Also, they talk about the differences between the touring show and the Broadway show.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When \u201cThe Book of Mormon\u201d opened on Broadway in 2011, John Eric Parker was onstage as the show…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":179810,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[207,9,11,10],"class_list":{"0":"post-179809","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-broadway","9":"tag-new-york","10":"tag-new-york-headlines","11":"tag-new-york-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179809","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179809"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179809\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/179810"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179809"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}