After 15 years on Broadway, “The Book of Mormon” must temporarily shut down. The news comes after a fire broke out at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, making performances impossible in the theatre’s current state.
Fans and performers remain hopeful that the show can resume, but it will be quite some time until that happens. See what happened at the O’Neill Theatre and what must happen for officials to declare it safe again.
‘The Book of Mormon’ Cannot Reopen Until the Fire Damage is Completely Repaired
GettyPlaybill notes that “The Book of Mormon” had no other choice but to cancel all performances now through May 17, 2026, after a devastating fire broke out. On the night of May 4, a fire broke out in the spotlight booth of the Eugene O’Neill Theatre.
The New York Department of Buildings has declared the Eugene O’Neill Theatre to be unsafe until the damage has been completely repaired. Playbill also notes that the hotel next door to the O’Neill sustained fire damage on the fifth floor, resulting in a partial vacate order.
The Eugene O’Neill Theatre cannot reopen until all the damage has been repaired. Afterward, they will need the Department of Buildings for an inspection and to approve the reopening. Sadly, it will be several weeks until this happens. “The Book of Mormon” also confirmed the news on its Instagram page.
“The fire was in the electrical room between floors four and five. Units entered the building, did a search and aggressively knocked down the fire,” the Fire Department of New York City shared in a press conference.
“After the fire was knocked down, more fire was discovered in an area between floors five and the roof. This was a deep-seated fire involving a lot of electrical equipment. It was very difficult to get to, there was a lot of catwalks and rigging in the theatre,” officials continued.
One firefighter sustained minor injuries. Thankfully, no one else was injured.
Tony Nominations Came Out Amid the Eugene O’Neill Fire News
Although Broadway fans and performers alike are heartbroken over the fire, they remain hopeful “The Book of Mormon” will reopen in time. In the meantime, nominations for the 2026 Tony Awards also came out this week.
This year, pop singer Pink will host the awards.
“It was an unusual season, thin on new musicals and heavy on revivals. Just 11 musicals opened this season, compared to 21 in the previous year,” the New York Times writes.
The publication also notes that sky-high production prices in the United States have sent many shows to London’s West End instead. On Broadway, many shows have managed to secure A-listers to headline shows. Mark Ballas and Whitney Leavitt just departed from “Chicago,” while Megan Thee Stallion also took her final bow in “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” this month.
The nominees for “Best New Musical” are “The Lost Boys,” “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York),” “Titaníque,” and “Schmigadoon!”
The 79th Tony Awards will take place on June 7, 2026, at Radio City Musical Hall in New York City.
