District of Columbia Arts Center (Washington, DC)
In this two-man musical spoof, a pair of aspiring playwrights perform a backers' audition for their new project: a big, splashy musical about printing press inventor Johann Gutenberg (not actor Steve Guttenberg!). The show was recently nominated for the 2007 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical and for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical by the Outer Critics Circle.
Event summary prepared by the Goldstar Editorial Team.
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The last event was Sunday April 6, 2008 / 3:00pm. (view all dates)
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For a low/no budget production this show was among the best I've seen. These two guys should get an award for this delightful, funny, creative and whimsical show. The chorus line scene was my favorite. Get your tickets now and see this show before it goes to Broadway.
It was okay, I really didn't think much of it. It was kind of boring to boot!
Enjoyable from start to finish! The two leading men were skilled comedians and were both very musically talented as well. The piano player was wonderful too! Appropriate for all ages. I recommend this show to anyone! Also, the show is only about 90 minutes long with no intermission, so you can enjoy other things that Adams Morgan has to offer.
Very creative and funny--never a dull moment, good music & dancing. It's a quirky little theater but it's well suited to a production like this one. We'd love to see these folks be very successful--they have energy and a lot of talent, and played to the audience. It was unexpectedly enjoyable, given the unusual subject matter. Do go see it!
It was slapstick, stupid and not funny.One of the men did have a good voice.
Most of the audience seemed to love it, but I was underwhelmed. The two actors work VERY hard and deserve credit for that, but I felt like it was all shouting and hype, only occasionally clever. The more they tried to milk every line, coaching us to laugh and applaud and respond ever LOUDER about how much FUN we were having, the more I wanted to be anywhere but trapped in that little room. Why doesn't the heavy actor wear more comfortable clothing? Watching him sweat profusely while dancing and running around in necktie, heavy jacket buttoned up, etc. was distracting. If there'd been an intermission I definitely would have left and skipped Act 2.
This show was zany and full of fun. Very creative and the two actors have more energy than any 10 people I know! You have to have a sense of humor and be 'up' for a unique theatre experience that is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud.
Musical comedy "play within a play".
This show is hilarious! Low budget theatre at its best.
This was so great, just really funny! The venue is also great, but you need to get there early if you want to get a lot of seats together. It's very small.
It was a fun show, maybe not quite as good as some of the reviews, but worth seeing and different.
Everyone in the family--two adults, a 15-year-old boy, and a 7-year-old girl--loved the production.
This was a fun musical and a good deal for a discount ticket. However, it was really not as professional as some things I've seen in the DC area and the venue leaves something to be desired. First it was very chilly in the "stage" area and then became quite stuffy as the production went along. Parking in that area (Adams Morgan) is probably the worst in DC and not very metro accessible. I doubt if I'd return to that particular stage...
MF
Terrific piece of theater. Exceptional performances by writer/actors. Just plain fab.
Great fun - two creative and talented young guys.
Absolute insanity ( not that there's anything wrong with that ). These two actors deserve to be seen again and I hope I'm there.
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the show. It was clever and unique and lots of fun. we laughed a lot.
Witty, both actors and the music director were engaging, great way to spend an afternoon or evening. Nice unexpected message in the end. Bravo to Landless and DCAC for bringing this show to the area!!
FABULOUS! I laughed and smiled the entire time. What a treat!
The musical was great, very funny (lots of irony and spoofing off of popular dance moves and movies).
The tale includes a bit about the actors talking about writing the musical. It was hard to remember that the actors were not the original ones (and not the writers of the musical).
The actors were very capable. There was only one time that a line was flubbed and even then just a little bit. You got the sense that they definitely could improv if they needed to. Also, they were great at engaging the audience and you could tell that they enjoyed their roles. The accompanying music was also great (using a keyboard, but he could also really play!).
Finally, I was really impressed by the Company. We were supposed to go to a Sunday show, but then had food poisoning. I e-mailed the venue and they let us come to the following week's show with no problems and no additional fee.
The theatre is your standard black box with seats in front and to one side (right side of the theatre) of the actors. The only gripe I had is that the show was sold out. Some people even had to sit in plastic chairs, instead of the normal seats. But what really bothered me is that they let people continue to hold seats (for quite a while, including after the show was scheduled to begin), even while people who did come in on time were having difficulty finding seats. My boyfriend and I, who arrived on time, then had to sit apart, and the play of course started late while they were trying to accommodate everyone. This is in part because they only open the theatre about 8 minutes prior to showtime, so there's a mad rush to get in.
The District of Columbia Arts Center is a nonprofit organization located in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC. DCAC supports emerging artists who are trying to get a foothold in the public arena.
With a 750 square foot gallery and a 50 seat black box theater, DCAC provides a professional venue for visual and theater artists, and provides structured programs through whi... More
In this two-man musical spoof, a pair of aspiring playwrights perform a backers’ audition for their new project: a big, splashy musical about printing press inventor Johann Gutenberg (not Steve Guttenberg, who invented Johnny Five from the cinema classic Short Circuit). With an unending supply of enthusiasm, Bud and Doug sing all the songs and play all the parts in their crass historical epic, with the hope that one of the producers in attendance will give them a Broadway contract -- fulfilling their ill-advised dreams.
“Gutenberg! The Musical! holds a mirror up to humanity and reflects its problems, foibles, shortcomings and, hopefully guides humankind to changes for the better,” says director and Associate Artist John Sadowsky. “Doug and Bud see the Broadway musical as a vehicle for Earth-shaking social and behavioral change.”
Gutenberg! The Musical! was recently nominated for the 2007 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical and for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical by the Outer Critics Circle. The play also won the 2006 New York Musical Theatre Festival Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre Writing (Book).
New York magazine says: “Scott Brown and Anthony King's book and lyrics deliver laughs so consistently, Gutenberg! is funnier than it has any right to be. Brilliantly realized and side-splitting!"
Landless’s production will feature brothers Andrew and Matt Baughman in the roles of Bud and Doug. The Baughman brothers are founding artists of Landless Theatre Company, and they last appeared together in critically acclaimed performances as monster brothers Godzilla and Mothra in the 2006 production of Yasuhiko Ohashi’s Godzilla.
Written by Scott Brown and Anthony King
Directed by John Sadowsky
Music direction and accompaniment by Charles Johnson
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