'Book of Mormon' wins big at Tony Awards

NEW YORK — The profane and hysterical “The Book of Mormon” took home nine Tony Awards on Sunday including the prize for best musical, a considerable achievement for a pair of first-time Broadway playwrights known more for their raunchy cartoons featuring potty-mouthed kids.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of the Emmy Award-winning “South Park,” found a kindred soul in Robert Lopez, who co-wrote the Tony-winning “Avenue Q,” and all three found themselves with plenty of awards when they collaborated to gently mock Mormons and send-up Broadway itself.

Collecting the best musical prize, a subdued Parker, who tied Josh Logan of “South Pacific” with four Tonys in one evening — said he'd be remiss if he didn't thank his late book co-writer — Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion.

“You did it, Joseph! You got the Tony!” Parker said looking skyward and holding up his award.

The show, which netted honors for best musical, best book, best direction of a musical, best score, best featured actress and four technical awards, came in with a leading 14 nominations and was the heavy favorite for the top musical prize.

“War Horse” — a World War I tale about horses told with puppets and actors — won five Tonys, including the best prize award. The revival of “The Normal Heart” and “Anything Goes” both won three each.

The best direction of a musical award went to Casey Nicholaw and Parker for “The Book of Mormon.” Parker — as well as co-writers Stone and Lopez — later returned to the stage to accept the Tony for the best book of a musical.

The top directing prize for a play went to Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris for the weepy British import “War Horse.” “We quite like it when people cry,” Morris cracked backstage.

Nikki M. James, who plays a potential love interest to the pair of missionaries who travel to Uganda in “The Book of Mormon,” dedicated the award to her dad, who died while she was in high school, and to her nephew Ozzie, who was born with kidney problems.

The show is one of the hottest in town and James said even cast members are having trouble getting tickets for their friends and family. “It's amazing to know you're going to walk out there every night and know you're going to see a house full of people,” she said.

Away from the television cameras, “The Book of Mormon” won for orchestration, sound design, scenic design of a musical, score and book of a musical.

Host Neil Patrick Harris began the show with an exuberant, facetious song about how Broadway isn't just for gay people any more. The number featured a bevy of dancing nuns, sailors, flight attendants and Mormons: “Attention every breeder, you're invited to the theater!” He later mocked “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” sang with Hugh Jackson and rode one of the puppet horses of “War Horse.”