Josh Gad Calls Out ‘Book of Mormon’ Director in New Memoir

NEW YORK — Actor Josh Gad, known for his Tony-nominated role in ‘The Book of Mormon,’ has revealed a strained relationship with the musical’s director, Casey Nicholaw, in his new memoir, ‘In Gad We Trust.’ The memoir details what Gad describes as an ‘awful environment’ created by Nicholaw during the production of the hit Broadway show.

Gad, who starred as Elder Cunningham in the original 2011 Broadway cast, praised Nicholaw’s creative vision but criticized his leadership style. ‘Our director, Casey, was a genuinely brilliant creative visionary and truly helped to make the show the giant hit it would go on to become. What he lacked, however, are social skills and anything resembling team-building leadership,’ Gad wrote.

The actor alleges that Nicholaw directed an unusual amount of ire at him throughout the production. ‘To the best of my knowledge, he either did not like that I predated him on the project or that he was saddled with me, but to say he made every day completely unpleasant would be an understatement,’ Gad wrote.

Nicholaw, a renowned theater director and choreographer, has worked on shows like ‘The Drowsy Chaperone,’ ‘Spamalot,’ and ‘Follies.’ Gad claims that Nicholaw’s behavior reached a peak after the show won nine Tony Awards. ‘We entered the theater to three pages of notes hung up on the bulletin board proclaiming how disappointed he was in all of us and the awful state of the show,’ Gad wrote. ‘That week, he brought us all in for rehearsals and proceeded to call me out in scene after scene telling me that every choice I was making was wrong.’

Gad also revealed that a 2023 interview with Nicholaw in The New York Times prompted him to speak out. In the interview, Nicholaw compared Gad to his co-star Andrew Rannells, saying, ‘Josh’s comedy basically just says Watch me. Love me. Josh is just out there. Andrew knows how to hold himself with grace and dignity and just go for it.’ Gad called the comment ‘highly public and deeply hurtful.’

The tension allegedly affected Gad’s relationship with Rannells. ‘He either intentionally or unintentionally constantly tried to pit me and Andrew against each other. And for the record, for a little bit, it worked,’ Gad wrote. The two actors reportedly didn’t speak for nearly two weeks after a confrontation.

Despite the challenges, Gad acknowledged Nicholaw’s talent. ‘Casey is super talented and a creative visionary,’ he wrote. However, he added that Nicholaw ‘has never once apologized for his inexplicable behavior and the awful environment he created in an otherwise loving space.’

Gad and Rannells starred in ‘The Book of Mormon’ for 15 months, premiering the musical at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre in March 2011 and exiting within two days of each other in June 2012. Both were nominated for Tonys but did not win. Nicholaw, however, won for Best Direction of a Musical, an award he shared with Trey Parker.

Gad and Rannells later reunited in the 2023 Broadway revival of ‘Gutenberg! The Musical!’ Gad’s memoir, ‘In Gad We Trust,’ is now available for purchase.