Broadway return of 'The Book of Mormon' delayed a week

The second coming of "The Book of Mormon," following a fire earlier this month that shuttered its home, the historic Eugene O'Neill Theatre, has been delayed a week, producers and the theater announced Tuesday.

The next performance of the Tony Award-winning musical, which had been set for Thursday, is now scheduled for the evening of May 27, producers and ATG Entertainment, which owns and operates the O’Neill, announced in a news release.

Performances of the hit musical farce were delayed a week “as final work continues” repairing the theater, ATG and producers said.

“Both parties were encouraged by the speed of initial work in the theatre, though recovery took longer than expected this past weekend,” the release said. “ATG Entertainment and The Book of Mormon are working diligently to ensure that the theatre will be safe and comfortable for the cast and company, the building’s staff, and audiences.”

All performances of the show were cancelled after a May 4 electrical fire, which began in the theater’s spotlight room soon after 10 a.m., heavily damaged the more-than-a-century old venue’s electrical areas, Newsday previously reported. The 1,108-seat, six-story theater sustained water damage and its roof was plagued with holes.

The musical, developed by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, celebrated 15 years on Broadway in March. The Eugene O-Neill Theatre has hosted more than 5,000 runs of the two-act production.