‘Book of Mormon’ coming to SF

Book of Mormon

Some Northern California theater fans save up all year to see a touring Broadway show in San Francisco.

This is the season to make a move, with a trio of major hits playing the city theaters owned and operated by SHN entertainment company (formerly Shorenstein Hays Nederlander and Best of Broadway).

“Lion King” opened this week and “Wicked” returns in January, but perhaps the most anticipated show is “The Book of Mormon,” starting its first San Francisco run later this month.

The touring company of “The Book of Mormon,” a musical satire about young Mormon missionaries in Africa, features Samantha Marie Ware, who appeared in the Broadway production earlier this year.

“I play Nabalungi, who is the daughter of the leader of the village,” Ware explained by phone from Los Angeles, the current stop in the show’s national tour.

“She’s looking for paradise, and she learns during the show that it might possibly be this place called Salt Lake City. There’s a lot of disease and famine in the village, so her goal is to make sure everyone’s OK.”

In a high-tech age, live musical theater faces more competition than ever for the public’s entertainment dollar, but based on her own experience, including roles in “Rent,” “Chicago” and “Footloose,” Ware remains optimistic.

“It’s convenient to sit at home and watch it all happen in front of you, instead of getting in your car to pay for a ticket for a live performance,” she said, “and the audience for musical theater has changed. But I feel like the people who respect the art will stick with it.”

A closer look at these three shows:

“The Book of Mormon,” opening Nov. 27 and running through Dec. 30 at the Curran Theatre, 445 Geary St., San Francisco. The Broadway production won nine Tony Awards last year, including Best Musical. $32.50-$150.

“Lion King,” running now through Jan. 13 at the Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market St., San Francisco. Based on the 1994 Disney animated film, the show features a musical that includes Elton John and Tim Rice’s Oscar-winning song “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” and “Circle of Life.” $32.50-$150.

“Wicked,” opening Jan. 23 at the Orpheum Theatre. This different take of “The Wizard of Oz,” told from the Wicked Witch’s point of view, previewed in San Francisco a decade ago, before going on to become a Broadway hit. $45-$275.

Tickets and information: shnsf.com, (888) 746-1799.

You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at 521-5243 or dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com. See his ARTS blog at http://arts.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.