By Alice T. Carter

Published: Wednesday, February 27, 2013, 10:42 a.m.
Updated: Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Good things can come to those who wait.

Especially when they are front-row seats for the eagerly anticipated musical “The Book of Mormon.”

A limited number of $25 tickets will be available by lottery for each performance when the national tour plays March 26 through April 7 at the Benedum Center, Downtown, as a presentation of PNC Broadway Across America – Pittsburgh. The seats, located in the first two rows, would otherwise sell for $150 each.

Lottery drawings have become a popular practice, particularly for shows such as “Rent” and “Wicked,” says Marc Fleming, vice president of marketing and communications for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust that manages the PNC Broadway series.

“It's a great way for students and others to get great seats at affordable prices,” Fleming says.

During the Broadway run of “The Book of Mormon,” some performances attracted as many as 800 entries.

Packed with the irreverent, outrageous, often off-color humor you'd expect from “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, in collaboration with Robert Lopez of “Avenue Q” fame, “The Book of Mormon” follows two 19-year-old Mormon missionaries who find themselves in over their heads when they're dispatched to a war-torn village in Uganda.

The musical comedy won nine Tony Awards, including best musical, best score and best book.

Because of the musical's bold humor and provocative language, subscribers were given the option of trading their tickets for an alternate show. But few have opted to do so.

“We have not had a lot of switching,” Fleming says. “In fact, (subscribers) wanted to buy extra seats for their friends.”

Those hoping to secure a seat in the lottery must appear at the Theater Square box office beginning two-and-a-half hours before each performance. Two hours before curtain, names will be drawn at random for the limited number of $25 tickets.

One entry is allowed per person per performance for up to two tickets per winner. Winners must be present at the drawing and show ID to purchase tickets.

The show has sold well, but some seats are still available for most performances, particularly weekdays and during the second week of the run, Fleming says. They range in price from $41 to $150.

Details: 412-456-4800 or www.TrustArts.org

Alice T. Carter is the theater critic for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-320-7808 or acarter@tribweb.com.

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