Gutenberg! The Musical

Everything about “Gutenberg” is set up to work. Two stars of stage and screen returning to Broadway in a pair that became beloved together over a decade ago. A historical retelling, that never fails to make a punchline of that other famous Broadway historical retelling. Self-aware, satirical musings on Broadway, using a classic show-within-a-show format. Off buzz words alone, it’s a smash. In reality, it’s a bore.

I am exactly the clientele this show is pandering to, believing it would be for me when I waited in line for discounted tickets without even knowing the concept. The pairing of Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad was selling point enough for me, though thankfully that point was $6.24 with their special promotion. As the show began, it was abundantly clear that the men were playing versions of themselves, theatre creators debuting their new show to us, a trial audience. The stage is barren for this mock workshop run, save for the band, minimal props with their intended purpose written on them, and interchangeable trucker hats with the character names clearly displayed. The duo is tasked with explaining the show as it goes on and performing the entire cast and chorus.

The “comedy” of “Gutenberg” made me a chuckle a few times, but left me turning intellectual more often than not. Who is this show for? It could appeal to the whole family, except for a handful of very adult jokes, with Gad’s character lamenting over being a 40-year-old virgin and one of the in show characters being titled “Antisemite.” I’m not someone who scoffs at politically incorrect humor and actually believe the production would have benefited from leaning in to a raucous, inappropriate farce. But the handful of off beat jokes intermixed with “I love bacon,” humor lead to the former being jarring and the latter being boring. So much of the script was exhaustingly unfunny, so shockingly uncreative. How was a punchline off of 2014 Facebook being expected to garner laughs on Broadway today? The most successful jokes were the self referential Broadway humor, mocking plot holes in Phantom. But again, these gags still lacked creativity or nuance, cheapening the whole production.

I feel the need to defend myself, the way I often defend shows that are too quickly summed up as silly comedies without substance. I don’t think Broadway is reserved solely for moving, emotional pieces that have important messages or commentary. Shucked was one of my favorite shows of last season, a silly show about corn. “Gutenberg” will probably be grouped in with this genre of funny spoofs, and it does make an attempt at an heartfelt ending that I was tuned out for by the time it came. I may have been the outlier, as I was surrounded by laughter from other audience members. To me, it’ll go down as a severely unfunny two hours on Broadway.

https://gutenbergbway.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjws9ipBhB1EiwAccEi1I9I6fPCKtU-puszg1AN5UHtkjQbKwuWPgioyd1ZaPEwksLvlhofxRoCZmYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds