The Missionary Comes Home: How Lakeland’s Ronnie Spoto Went From the Jimmy Awards to Book of Mormon’s National Tour

by Avery Anderson

There’s a certain kind of Florida theatre kid who grew up measuring their dreams by the size of the stage at venues like the Van Wezel, Straz Center, or Dr. Philips Center. The kind who sat under that massive proscenium, watching a national tour roll through, and whispered some version of I want to do that someday.

For Lakeland native Ronnie Spoto, that moment didn’t just plant a seed — it gave him a spotlight.

In 2021, as a high school senior, Spoto stepped onto the Straz stage as a Jimmy Awards nominee, representing Florida in the most cutthroat talent pipeline in the country. “The Jimmy Awards was such a rewarding experience… I met lifelong friends who have helped me navigate this incredibly fast-paced business,” he said. “It’s so important… to have a group of people who have your back.”

That night was one of the first times Spoto saw what a professional future could look like with him in it.

Now, four years later, he’s back in town — not as a nominee, but as a cast member of one of the most successful musicals on the planet.

From Lakeland Community Theatre to one of Broadway’s biggest juggernauts

Spoto is playing Elder Smith and understudying Elder Cunningham in the national tour of The Book of Mormon, which returns to the Van Wezel December 9–14 after its sold-out run in 2016. The show — irreverent, infamous, and weirdly heartfelt — is not exactly the gentle landing pad most young actors start on.

“Joining was equal parts exciting and intimidating,” he said. “I had never been given the opportunity to take on a role of this calibre.”

But Spoto slid into the chaos with the same grounding he learned long before Penn State, long before the Jimmy Awards — back at Lakeland Community Theatre and Harrison School for the Arts.

“Both taught me what it means to not just be a compassionate artist, but a person,” he said. “I learned early on how important it is to perform from a place of love… Harrison and Lakeland Community Theatre instilled in me ways to find the joy and love in every single performance I do.”

That heartbeat still drives him. He’ll hit his 100th show with Mormon during the Sarasota engagement — a milestone that feels more like a hometown high-five than a résumé line.

Tour life, pickleball diplomacy, and a cast that hypes itself like a football team

Spoto’s tour diary reads like a blend of wholesome chaos and stage-nerd precision.

He has become a self-professed ambassador for pickleball (“I travel with paddles and force my castmates to play in almost every city”), and he’s found that life on the road has revealed something unexpected: “I have learned that I am surprisingly good with change.”

Backstage, the ritual is part pep rally, part spiritual practice. As the iconic “Hello” intro hits and the doorbells start chiming, the cast forms a tight huddle.

“All the Mormons hype each other up right before we go on,” Spoto said. “It’s become a fun little moment to look forward to every night.”

And because he’s not just an actor but a former lighting designer, programmer, and music director, he sees the show from every corner. “I think my knowledge in so many theatrical positions has helped me become a more aware and empathetic actor… our crew and musicians are some of the hardest-working people in the industry.”

(He also loves to point out: “Fun fact: I’ve actually been on the technical crew for more shows than I’ve been onstage!”)

A homecoming built for the next Florida kid dreaming big

Returning to Sarasota isn’t just a tour stop — it’s a relay handoff. A moment where someone who once sat in the audience now stands in the light, showing exactly what’s possible for the next kid from Lakeland, Tampa Bay, or Sarasota.

“I remember seeing my first national tour and telling my grandparents, ‘I want to do that someday,’” he said. “I hope that some young artist sees my journey as a small window into the realm of possibilities that await them.”

His advice to the next generation is disarmingly simple:

“Be nice and find those who lift you up as much as you lift them.”

It’s the kind of counsel that doesn’t come from the bright lights of Broadway, but from the quieter glow of childhood theatres, early mentors, and the dream a size of a national tour.

If You Go

THE BOOK OF MORMON

December 9–14

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota

Tickets: VanWezel.org or 941-263-6799