GUTENBERG! The Musical!
Newtown Community & Cultural Centre, Wellington
04/10/2018 - 13/10/2018
Production Details
Two Actors Sing and Dance Entire Ensemble in Parody Musical About Gutenberg
Red Scare’s final show of 2018 is the off-Broadway parody musical Gutenberg! The Musical! Two deeply enthusiastic musical theatre fans Bud and Doug (played by Kevin Orlando and Charlie Potter respectively) have written their first show, Gutenberg! The Musical! and are pitching it to an audience of producers and Hollywood bigwigs aka you! While not staying exactly true to the historical events of Johannes Gutenberg, they’ve certainly made it a lot more exciting, he now has a girlfriend called Helvetica and there’s a mad monk set on destroying the printing press!
Gutenberg! The Musical! is a hilarious spoof of musical theatre conventions, a high-octane performance for two virtuosic comedians who must juggle dozens of roles simultaneously, a heart-warming underdog story and a celebration of friendship.
The show was created by Scott Brown and Anthony King, two members of the New York improv and comedy troupe Upright Citizens Brigade, premiered in London in 2006 and then ran Off-Broadway for five months in 2006-2007. It received glowing reviews and was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award and a Drama Desk Award.
Kevin Orlando plays Bud, the composer of Gutenberg!. Well versed in musical theatre, Orlando has been in a number of Wellington productions including Heathers, 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee, Flatline with two Sugars and most recently Chess. “I’d never heard of this show before, but when I learned that it was a two person cast I was intrigued” says Orlando. “[I] listened to the soundtrack straight away [and] instantly fell in love with Bud and Doug as goofy, earnest duo.”
Charlie Potter plays Doug, the librettist of Gutenberg!. Charlie has performed in King Lear, The Merry Wives of Windsor and Mr. Foote’s Other Leg. “I fell in love with how silly this musical was straight away” Potter says, “Despite coming up with a play that’s more than a little dumb and incredibly misguided, the two main characters have an enviable naivety that gives this musical a heart.”
The play will be performed at Newtown Community and Cultural Centre and Director Cassandra Tse was very specific in choosing the venue as the hub for Bud and Doug’s unbridled joy. “This show is about celebrating earnestness and enthusiasm. Newtown Community Centre and Cultural Centre is a venue that is unabashed in its love for the community which is perfect for this kind of show.” Tse lived in Newtown for many years and wants to make the show as welcoming to the Newtown Community as much as possible.
Tse reunites with frequent collaborator Michael Stebbings; their last production, M’Lady a satirical take on pick up artists, had a sold out season and rave reviews.
Gutenberg! The Musical! marks the last 2018 production for Red Scare, with both previous shows (Movers, The Bone Thief) selling out their seasons. Potter says that she’s “watched Red Scare go from strength to strength tackling such a variety of fantastic plays over the last few years since I came to New Zealand, and I’m so excited to get this chance to be a part of their next project.”
Gutenberg! The Musical!
Newtown Community and Cultural Centre.
4 – 13th October
Tickets are available at Eventfinda: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2018/gutenberg-the-musical/wellington
Theatre , Musical , Comedy ,
Jaw-dropping brilliance
Review by Jo Hodgson 06th Oct 2018
There is nothing like attending a show ‘blind’. Apart from the media release and social media posts from Red Scare Theatre company marketing machine (aka James Cain), I know nothing more about this production. As I await what is in store, I feel like I’m being lulled into a false sense of musical normality and safety with the pre-show music – predominately early Lloyd-Webber and musical hit shows such as Oliver and Funny Girl.
The Newtown Community Centre is a character in its own right. A heart of its community for almost 40 years, it is the perfect venue for Bud Davenport (Kevin Orlando) and Doug Simon (Charlie Potter) with nonchalant accompanist Charles (a very talented Stephen Clothier) to present to us their audition to backers (us) for Gutenberg! The Musical! with all the earnest manic intensity of children’s morning television hosts.
Bud Davenport (composer) and Doug Simon (lyricist) explain their dream of getting their show to Broadway and “if you don’t know the person sitting next to you, they are probably a Broadway producer” who may just make their show a reality!
The show is an ‘historical fiction’ (i.e. pretty much all made up) about Johannes Gutenberg who introduced movable type to Europe with the printing press in the mid 15th Century.
Set in a fictitious German town of Schlimmer and using named hats to show us who they are portraying, Bud and Doug take us on a riotous ride through this hilarious story of Gutenberg’s passionate vision to educate the masses by teaching them to read, while being thwarted by a sadistic Monk (who, it seems, has already sold his soul to the Devil in Georgia).
The play operates on many levels. Not only do we get to experience the unbridled enthusiasm of Bud and Doug presenting their labour of love but we also gain an insight into who they are as a creative duo. Their gawky awkwardness is part of their charm as they strive to enter the musical theatre history books in the footsteps of famous collaborators like Gilbert and Sullivan, Kander and Ebb, Lloyd-Webber and Rice.
Add in what feels like a cast of thousands: the love interest – the beautiful but dim-witted Helvetica, the misguided and loyal Young Monk – and an eclectic mix of Schlimmer’s towns folk to illuminate the nerdy intensity of Scott Brown and Anthony King’s script and score … I want them to succeed despite all evidence to the contrary.
The actors embody all these characters with jaw-dropping brilliance. Their phenomenal comic timing, physical theatre and vocal characterisations both spoken and sung, are a testament to their skill and attention to detail under the expert guidance of director Cassandra Tse and musical director Michael Stebbings.
Using a venue with excellent natural acoustic and a baby grand piano for accompaniment is refreshing in these highly technical times. Aaron Blackledge’s lighting design is reminiscent of an 80s Blue-Light disco adding to the do-it-yourself dynamic.
And just like that, we have come full circle.
If Gutenberg had not invented the printing press, access to this mad-capped script with its irreverent wink to the power of dreams and the wonders of storytelling through musical theatre would not have been possible.
After seeing this show, ‘Doing a Gutenberg’ may be the new catch-phrase for all theatre creatives and practitioners well versed in juggling many hats.
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
Comments