Mike McGowan

By Diana Nollen/ SourceMedia

Drake University alum Mike McGowan can’t wait to bring “The Book of Mormon” to Des Moines later this month.

“This show is so frigging brilliant. I’m so proud to be part of this show,” he told me this afternoon (1/10/13). McGowan, 42, was speaking by phone from Seattle, where the musical is playing before bringing the word to Iowa from Jan. 24 through Feb. 3, 2013.

The musical dominated the 2011 Tony Awards, sweeping up nine awards, including Best Musical.

But McGowan is playing it rather coy in interviews, declining to give away too much about his multiple characters, his songs and the show in general.

“One of the things that’s exciting about this show is to come without too much foreknowledge,” he says.

Apparently, too much knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Or at least can put a damper on your first viewing.

It’s more fun to just let the music and the story flow over you — to discover all the fun that has made believers out of audiences and critics that have gone before you.

“You’ve never seen a musical like this,” he says. “There are things you’ve never heard in a musical.”

The language is exactly what you’d expect from the creators of television’s “South Park” and Broadway’s “Avenue Q,” which I like to call “Dirty Muppets.”

You won’t believe the African warlord’s stage name — which I definitely cannot put in print and can barely put in my mouth.

But profanity and blasphemy aside, McGowan says we’re gonna love it.

“The show has such a positive outlook. It perfectly balances whatever might shock you.”

I can’t wait to find out. I have my ticket for Jan. 25. You should get one, too.

Read more of my chat with McGowan on Jan. 17 in Hoopla and HooplaNow.com