Broadway stars Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells, who starred together in the original production of The Book of Mormon, are coming back together again for a Broadway show.
Gutenberg! The Musical! is a two-hander that satirizes musicals, and is about two wannabe musical theatre writers who decide to write a musical about Johannes Gutenberg, German father of the printing press – without knowing anything about him!
The show is written by Scott Brown and Anthony King, who wrote the book for Broadway musical Beetlejuice, and will run at Broadway’s James Earl Jones Theater from 15 September 2023, booking to 28 January 2024.
Gutenberg! The Musical! will be directed by Alex Timbers (Moulin Rouge! The Musical).
The show started life at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York, was worked on at the New York Musical Festival, and has then had runs Off Broadway, and in London – at the Off West End Jermyn Street Theatre in 2006.
The show is produced by our very own Ambassador Theatre Group, who announced in March that they were teaming up with JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot Live – and this is one of the first projects out of the gate. The mega theatre owner, also announced back in February that they were merging with Broadway’s Jujamcyn Theaters, to own the St James Theatre, Al Hirschfeld Theatre, August Wilson Theatre, Eugene O’Neill Theatre and the Walter Kerr Theatre, alongside the Lyric Theatre and the Hudson Theatre that they already own. Clearly none were free for the run of Gutenberg! The Musical.
Andrew Rannells was recently performing in London, starring alongside Katie Brayben in Tammy Faye – A New Musical at the Almeida Theatre. There’s no news on if or when Gutenberg! The Musical! might transfer to London, but if it’s a success on Broadway, then it looks promising for the West End!
What They Said
Josh Gad said, “It’s been 12 years since I’ve been on a Broadway stage. And after 12 years, the only person who would agree to take the stage with me again was my co-star from 12 years ago. I am grateful that Andrew Rannells said yes, because I really didn’t have the energy to do a one-man show. Together, he and I have joined an all-star team that includes the director of Moulin Rouge, the producer of the Star Trek films, and a rag tag collection of other Mad Lib credentials that should excite, invigorate, and slightly confuse eager audiences. But one thing will be clear… not since the invention of the printing press has the name ‘Gutenberg’ held such promise. And as a team, we intend to honor the man who is directly responsible for the mass production of our show’s Playbills.”
Andrew Rannells said, “After years of relentless stalking and countless restraining orders, Josh Gad has finally gotten me to agree to share the stage with him again. I decided it was best to just give in and honestly, it feels right to be reunited with my onstage missionary companion. Also, it was clear he would not leave me alone until I said yes.”
Alex Timbers said, “Josh and Andrew are two of the funniest and most inventive musical theater stars working today. We’ve been discussing collaborating for several years and the chance to do it on Gutenberg! is a true thrill, as it’s a one-of-a-kind showcase for their virtuosity, wild irreverence, and cheeky wit. I can’t wait for Broadway to see these two dynamos frantically switch between dozens and dozens of comic roles in this breathtaking tour de force written by my hilarious Beetlejuice collaborators Scott Brown and Anthony King.”
Scott Brown and Anthony King said, “We always said there’s no way we’d do our show about two dreamers hoping to go to Broadway ON Broadway unless Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells, and Alex Timbers did it with us. And dammit, they called our bluff. And we couldn’t be more thrilled. That our warped little valentine to musical theater will have the chance to reach a Broadway audience – it means the world to us.”
