“The Book of Mormon” is both the darling — and the bad boy — of Broadway. And outside of New York, Denver audiences will get to see it first.

The first national touring production of the acclaimed and snickeringly funny musical will launch at Denver’s Buell Theatre in December 2012, it was announced today. The choice was purposeful: Co-writers Trey Parker and Matt Stone grew up in Colorado, the inspiration for their four-time Emmy winning animated series, “South Park” on Comedy Central.

“The Book of Mormon” is a wide-eyed and sweet story that also addresses religion and hypocrisy in all its forms. The story follows a pair of mismatched Mormon boys sent on a mission to a place that’s about as far from Salt Lake City as you can get.

The musical has earned both rhapsodic reviews from New York critics and 14 Tony Award nominations, one shy of the all-time record set by “The Producers.” The awards will be announced June 12.

Parker, of Evergreen High School, and Stone, of Heritage High School, are both graduates of the University of Colorado — Stone being the first film/math double major in the school’s history.

“It’s just been a crazy ride,” Parker said from New York. “We both still have a lot of family on Colorado, so it’s great that it gets to start there.”

Added Stone: “For us, it will be a cool homecoming. We have to spend some time putting (the touring production) together next year, and I am really happy that we’re going to be spending that time in Denver, and not some random city we don’t know. It’s where we’re from.”

Exact dates of the Denver stop, and its length of stay here, were not announced. No other cities for the tour have yet been finalized.

“We can’t wait to play the show across America, and the fact that we’re getting the chance to start where we grew up is an incredible bonus and very humbling,” Parker said.

“The Book of Mormon” features book, music and lyrics by Parker, Stone and Robert Lopez (“Avenue Q”).

“I am honored that Matt, Trey and the entire team have given Denver the nod to open their national tour at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts,” said Denver Center for the Performing Arts president Randy Weeks. ” ‘The Book of Mormon’ has reinvented Broadway. It’s fantastic that the folks in Colorado will have the first opportunity to see the tour.”

The complete cast recording of “Book of Mormon” is now streaming on National Public Radio.

Ghostlight Records will release the cast recording digitally on Tuesday (May 17) and physically on Tuesday, June 7.

For more information on the show: Go to The Book of Mormon” website

John Moore: 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com