Broadway Calling

The Acting & Musical Theatre program at the University of Arizona gave me the tools I needed to be able to hold my own in the audition process — and eventually the rehearsal and performance process. To be a swing is to have the hardest job on Broadway, and I was very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to understudy multiple roles on the Arizona Repertory Theatre stage while in school. Having understudy experience in an educational setting allowed me to explore what methods worked for me, so by the time I got the offer to be a swing in “The Book of Mormon,” I felt well prepared to dive right in.

I have been a fan of “The Book of Mormon” since it opened in 2011. I had seen the show probably eight times before getting the job, so to be a part of it now is surreal. I get to work with people I’ve looked up to and have watched on stage, and they have welcomed me into the company with open arms. To be a cast member in one of the longest-running Broadway shows — and to be a member of the greater Broadway community — is something I have worked my entire life for, and I can’t believe I’ve made it here.

I’m a swing in the Broadway company, which means that I cover seven “tracks.” In theatre lingo, a track is everything one cast member does in a single show: the characters, lines, vocal parts, quick changes, choreography and backstage traffic. Essentially, I’m an understudy for the seven ensemble Mormon boys and need to be ready to jump in at any given moment. It’s sometimes hard to keep things straight, but I have such a supportive team of people who have made sure that I get all the information (and rehearsal!) that I need to feel prepared.

—Tony Moreno