'Book of Mormon' Crew Celebrate Their Nine Tony Wins in Style

NEW YORK – After picking up nine Tony Awards Sunday including the all-important best musical prize, the cast, creative team and producers of The Book of Mormon continued partying late into the night at Bar Basque in the Hotel Eventi in Chelsea.

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Given the limited seating at the Beacon Theatre, where this year’s Tony ceremony was held, most of the 27-member ensemble watched the awards at a viewing party at the hotel, so they were suitably oiled and ready to revel by the time nominees and winners joined them after the show.

“Anne Garefino loves to throw a party and she threw a damn good one,” said a rep for the production, speaking about the South Park executive producer who shares lead producer duties on Mormon with Scott Rudin.

The party occupied the entire floor and spilled onto an outdoor deck, with a DJ mixing dance tunes for some 200 guests who celebrated until after 4:30 a.m. A giant projection of the already iconic Book of Mormon logo (featuring a doorbell and an airborne missionary) was splashed across the façade of the building opposite.

In keeping with the trend at this year’s Tonys, the bash was relatively intimate by post-awards standards, with invitations restricted to cast, crew and their friends and families. The show’s emotionally overwhelmed sole acting winner, Nikki M. James, was mobbed by well-wishers congratulating her on arrival at the party.

While Rudin added an eighth top Tony to the play and musical honors his stage productions have accumulated over the years, the night was a particular triumph for South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who collected an astonishing seven personal Tonys between them.

Those included one each for book and original score, which they co-wrote with Avenue Q composer-lyricist Robert Lopez. As co-director with Casey Nicholaw, Parker earned an extra trophy for direction. And both Parker and Stone are also producers on the show through their presciently titled shingle, Important Musicals. That involvement nets them another Tony apiece for the top prize. Not a bad hardware haul for two Broadway newbies.

Acknowledging the significance of their longtime followers in making Mormon an overnight smash, Parker said while accepting the directing award, “I really want to thank the South Park fans. If it weren’t for you guys, we wouldn’t be here.”