Character guide
Elder Price
from The Book of Mormon
Elder Price is the overconfident young missionary at the center of The Book of Mormon, the 2011 satirical musical by Robert Lopez and his collaborators.
- Show
- The Book of Mormon
- Premiered
- 2011
- Role
- Lead
- Composer
- Robert Lopez
Who is Elder Price?
Elder Price arrives on his mission convinced he is destined for greatness, only to be paired with the bumbling Elder Cunningham and assigned to a remote, troubled village in Uganda rather than the glamorous posting he imagined. Over the course of the show, his rigid faith in doing everything by the book gets tested and reshaped by the reality of the people he meets.
His journey from naive self-assurance to a more grounded, humbled understanding of faith and purpose gives the show its comic engine and its surprisingly sincere heart.
Elder Price's role in The Book of Mormon
Elder Price is a lead role that requires sharp comic instincts, a bright and flexible tenor voice, and the ability to sell earnest, over-the-top optimism without losing the audience's sympathy. Much of the show's satire depends on the actor playing the character's confidence completely straight, letting the comedy come from the gap between his expectations and reality.
Performers are drawn to Elder Price because the role balances big comedic set pieces with a real emotional arc, giving the actor room to be both very funny and genuinely moving.
Frequently asked
What show is Elder Price from?
Elder Price is the lead role in The Book of Mormon, which premiered in 2011.
Is Elder Price a lead or supporting role?
Elder Price is a lead role and one of the two central missionaries in the show.
Who wrote the music for The Book of Mormon?
Robert Lopez, along with Trey Parker and Matt Stone, wrote the music for The Book of Mormon.
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