WISCONSIN \u2014 Sam McLellan first saw \u201cThe Book of Mormon\u201d when he was in high school. McLellan and his sister went to Chicago to see the show.<\/p>\n
McLellan, who grew up in Wautoma, Wis., had done musicals at school but had never seen a production to such a level before.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter seeing \u2018Book of Mormon,\u2019 I was like, \u2018Oh man. Convinced. I gotta be in that some day. This is perfect for me,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Sam McLellan and company in “The Book of Mormon” North American Tour. (Julieta Cervantes)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The show has been on McLellan\u2019s radar ever since, and he said he auditioned any time an oppurtunity opened with the show.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe story at its core is about two young Mormon missionaries who are sent out on their two-year mission to a very unexpected place. They end up dealing with a lot of conflicts with their faith, with their community they get thrust into. If you know Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of \u2018South Park,\u2019 they wrote this show, so it\u2019s filled with a lot of in your face comedy, but everything is built upon an incredibly beautiful story. Despite the outlandishness of some of the comedy, it\u2019s coming from a story that has so much to say about humanity,\u201d McLellan said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sam McLellan in “The Book of Mormon” North American Tour. (Julieta Cervantes)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
A few years ago, his dream came to fruition. He plays Elder Price in the national tour of \u201cThe Book of Mormon,\u201d and has been with the show for about four seasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s amazing. It\u2019s an incredible honor to be part of such a longstanding theater product, such an amazing brand and such a fun show. People just have a blast seeing it all the time,\u201d McLellan said. \u201cWhat\u2019s really unique about touring it is across the country [is] people experience it in a different way. People react to different things \u2026 It\u2019s fun to see culturally how things change across the country and which particular things people appreciate about the show the most.\u201d<\/p>\n
Traveling the road, performing for countless people, is something that once seemed nearly impossible to McLellan.<\/p>\n
McLellan attended Wautoma High School, where he also did his first musical.<\/p>\n
He went to his choir director and told him he wished he could this for a living.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is how under a rock I was living,\u201d McLellan recalled. \u201cI had no idea that people still did Broadway shows. \u2026 I said to him, \u2018I wish I could do this for a job,\u2019 and he was like, \u2018You can.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
His choir director sat him down and showed him YouTube videos of new shows and Broadway performers on a classroom SMART Board.<\/p>\n
His teacher helped him put together an audition package to audition for college programs to earn a bachelor\u2019s fine arts degree.<\/p>\n
Those auditions proved to be successful. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and earned his BFA.<\/p>\n
Jewell Noel, Sam McLellan and Diego Enrico in “The Book of Mormon” North American Tour. (Julieta Cervantes)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Almost immediately after graduation, he said, he packed up and moved to New York City to pursue his career.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Returning to Wisconsin to perform with the national tour of \u201cThe Book of Mormon\u201d is not only exciting \u2014 he has friends and family members who will get to see him on stage \u2014 but also \u201cvalidating.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite support he has received from people like his high school choir director, there were plenty of other people who told McLellan he would never make it.<\/p>\n
\u201cComing from a small town in Wisconsin, there were very few people that thought this was a good idea for me to go into theater,\u201d he explained. \u201cIn fact, there was a lot of people actively telling me this wasn\u2019t gonna work and I was really stupid for making this decision. I had to go through four years of college and move to New York City and it took a couple years to get my career like really moving, so it was a long time that I had to deal with people being super unconvinced that I was ever going to be a success. So it\u2019s validating to be able to go back and stand on my own turf and go, \u2018Look at me. I made it. \u2018\u201c<\/p>\n
Diego Enrico and Sam McLellan in “The Book of Mormon” North American Tour. (Julieta Cervantes)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
McLellan said he hopes Wisconsin kids who see him in the show, or even hear about him being in the tour, can look to him for inspiration and reassurance.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think people who are discouraging toward you for wanting to pursue something you love, that\u2019s more of a reflection of their own disappointmnet in themselves than it is about your lack of ability,\u201d he said. \u201cIf it\u2019s something that really matters to you, then you\u2019ll find a way to make it work. \u2026 I\u2019ve realized there is room for anybody that wants it. That wants to work hard. That wants to dedicate themselves to it. There\u2019s work for those people. \u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there\u2019s any kids reading this that live in a small town in Wisconsin, I encourage them to pursue their dreams. I encourage them to take what they see in me as an example of it being completely possible,\u201d McLellan added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As for what audiences take away from the show itself, he said many may be surprised.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a story about unity, love, togetherness, despite your circumstances and I think that\u2019s what people end up coming away with, is realizing they came in for a laugh and they left feeling change. That\u2019s why the show has persisted for as long as it has and why it does so well. It captivates people in the exact opposite way they were expecting it to,\u201d McLellan said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Diego Enrico, Keke Nesbitt and Sam McLellan in “The Book of Mormon” North American Tour. (Julieta Cervantes)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
“The Book of Mormon” runs at the Overture Center for the Arts from Oct. 24 to 26. Get ticket information,\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n