If you've been waiting for 2011's hottest musical to come within driving distance, your wait is over -- assuming you consider "driving distance" around eight hours. ---

The first national tour of Matt Stone and Trey Parker's hit The Book of Mormon kicks off in Denver on Aug. 14, the Denver Post reported yesterday. While many of the tickets are already reserved for season-ticket and package holders, individual tickets for the two-week run will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Jan. 22.

As for when The Book of Mormon might make it to a theater where the driving time can be counted in minutes rather than hours, John Ballard of Broadway Across America's publicity firm MagicSpace Entertainment, responded to an email query, "We will be bringing Book of Mormon to Utah audiences, maybe in 2013 or 2014." Until then, it's Denver or bust.