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Today, producers announced Tony Award nominees Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells, two of the most gifted comedic actors of their generation, will reunite on Broadway for the first time in over a decade for Gutenberg! The Musical!, written by Tony and Emmy Award® nominees Scott Brown and Anthony King, and directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers, who directed the lauded 2006 Off-Broadway production of the musical.
Gutenberg! The Musical! will play Broadway’s James Earl Jones Theatre (138 West 48th Street) with previews beginning Friday, September 15 ahead of a Thursday, October 12 opening night. This strictly limited 20-week engagement will play through Sunday, January 28, 2024 only.
Tickets for Gutenberg! The Musical! are on sale now at www.gutenbergbroadway.com, www.telecharge.com or by calling 800 447 7400.
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.”
Gad and Rannells first rocketed to national attention as the original Elder Cunningham and Elder Price in Broadway’s The Book of Mormon, a pairing that drew comparisons to some of the great comedy stage duos. They have since become household names with Gad starring in the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, Kenneth Branagh’s film adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express, Hulu’s horror-comedy series “Little Monsters,” and as the voice of Olaf in Disney’s Frozen and Frozen 2. He currently is in production for the second season of Peacock’s “Wolf Like Me” and most recently starred in “Avenue 5” and “Central Park” which he co-created.
Rannells has starred in HBO’s acclaimed series “Girls,” Showtime’s “Black Monday,” and voiced Matthew in Netflix’s adult animated series “Big Mouth.” He has returned to Broadway in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Falsettos for which he received his second Tony Award nomination, and most recently, as part of the all-star cast of the Tony Award-winning revival of The Boys in the Band.
Broadway runs on three things: big dreams, minuscule odds, and lots and lots of unearned confidence. Oh, and star power! Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells, the most acclaimed musical comedy duo of their generation, finally reunite after more than ten years in Gutenberg! The Musical!, a full-throated celebration of the ancient, universal, and incredibly foolish urge to put on a show.
Gutenberg! The Musical! was originally developed at New York’s Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre and was also a part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2005 and 2006 before having an off-Broadway run in 2006 where it received Drama
Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Lortel Award nominations. In addition to New York, productions of Gutenberg! have been seen across the North America, as well as UK, Australia, France, Spain, and Korea.
The design team for Gutenberg! features Tony Award winner Scott Pask (scenic design), Tony Award nominee Emily Rebholz (costume design), Tony Award winner Jeff Croiter (lighting design), Cody Spencer & M.L. Dogg (sound design), C12 Casting (casting director), and Rachel Sterner (production stage manager).
Gutenberg! The Musical! is produced on Broadway by Ambassador Theatre Group Productions, Patrick Catullo, Bad Robot Live, Seth A. Goldstein, Isaac Robert Hurwitz, Kristin Caskey and Mike Isaacson.
Additional news about Gutenberg! The Musical! will be announced in the coming weeks.
Gutenberg! The Musical! will play Broadway’s James Earl Jones Theatre (138 West 48th Street) with previews beginning Friday, September 15 ahead of a Thursday, October 12 opening night. This strictly limited 20-week engagement will play through Sunday, January 28, 2024 only.