Hayes Theatre Co 12:00 am
As the nights grow colder and my toddler at home seems permanently on the brink of the next illness, the effort it takes to leave the house can feel outsized. There is comfort in staying put, wrapped in something soft, conserving energy for the long nights ahead. What tempts me out anyway is the possibility that a show might meet me where I am (usually tired, frayed, vulnerable) and change my mood or shift my mindset. Gutenberg! The Musical!, now showing at Hayes Theatre, does exactly that, reminding me how deeply restorative it can be to laugh, to be surprised, and to feel briefly, gloriously lighter.
What is the premise of Gutenberg! The Musical!?
Gutenberg! The Musical! centres on two hopelessly enthusiastic writers, Bud (Ryan Gonzalez, In The Heights) and Doug (Stephen Anderson, Titanique), who have created a loose, logistically impossible musical about the life of Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, and are desperate to get it produced. The premise is gleefully meta: the audience is positioned as a room full of potential Broadway producers invited to a showcase, while the two performers play not only themselves but every role in their historically questionable show. Armed with nothing but baseball caps to signify characters and an unwavering belief in their own genius, Bud and Doug’s earnest ambition drives the comedy, as the musical becomes less about Gutenberg himself and more about the absurd, scrappy devotion of theatre-makers willing to do anything to achieve their dreams.
What are the highlights of Gutenberg! The Musical!?
Under the enthusiastic guidance of director Richard Carroll, Anthony King and Scott Brown’s musical-about-a-musical becomes one long, joyous highlight. This is scrappy, intimate theatre doing exactly what it should – and the Hayes Theatre is the perfect home for it. In a bigger venue, the show’s deliberately bare-bones charm might feel exposed or swallowed whole, but here it thrives, bouncing directly off the audience and lighting up the room. The clever local tweaks to the script (jokes about the brutal flight to Sydney and the supposed mix-up between the Hayes and a Broadway mega-theatre) add an extra layer of fun, sharpening the meta edge and making the whole production feel cheekily, delightfully present.
This is a show powered by hope, and nowhere does it shine brighter than in the wide, unapologetic smiles plastered across Anderson and Gonzalez’s faces, their infectious sincerity selling every gag and every beat of absurd ambition. The score ricochets through jazz hooks, rock opera, rapid-fire rapping and boisterous belts, all of which Gonzalez handles with ease. This is an actor made for the theatre, and this show gives him the space to explore every facet of that skill set, all while charming the pants off the audience. Anderson is equally charming, matching Gonzalez’s rhythms and subtleties with effortless precision. Together, they move as if locked into the same stride, their timing and rapport suggesting not just co-stars but partners who’ve genuinely built something side by side. The duo is rounded out by the terrific Zara Stanton, who not only steers the genre-hopping score from the piano with absolute authority, but also provides grounding vocal support, playful asides and a steady musical backbone that allows the chaos onstage to flourish without ever tipping off course.
The text is innately funny, but it’s also genuinely smart, and Carroll knows exactly how to lean into that without overworking it. With the help of Liam Roache’s playful sound design and Lochie Odgers’ simple set, the cleverness is elevated rather than dressed up. A gag like squashing grapes with your feet might technically involve a cardboard box with a sign reading “Bucket,” but thanks to the audio cues, it sounds exactly right. The production understands that convincing theatre doesn’t come from realism or resources, but from commitment, imagination, and a shared willingness to meet the audience halfway.
Who is Gutenberg! The Musical! for?
There is so much unfathomable darkness in the world right now and Gutenberg! The Musical! responds with something quietly radical. It urges us to dream big, suspend disbelief, and with nothing more than imagination and a few battered caps attempt the boldest creative act of all: believing in ourselves. So, book the babysitter, upgrade dinner with friends to dinner and a show, and let its optimism wash over you. This musical is for everyone, but it will hit deepest for anyone who has ever dared to call themselves an artist.
Get your tickets here.
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