Broadway Bullet Interview: Gutenberg the Musical!

From the new show "Gutenberg! The Musical!" we interview actors Jeremy Shamos and David Turner. We also play two songs recorded live at a performance of "Gutenberg! The Musical!": "Tomorrow is Tonight" and "Go to Hell."

Here's how the creators of "Gutenberg! The Musical" describe their show: "In 1450, Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press. In Nutley, NJ, Bud and Doug wrote a musical about him. They don't have a cast, an orchestra, or a clue, but they have a lot of hats. Tonight they're pitching this hilarious epic to the producers who might take their dream to Broadway."

David Turner was most recently on tour in "Spamalot" playing Sir Robin. His Broadway credits include "The Invention of Love" and "In My Life." A long with being an actor, David is also a composer and director.

Jeremy Shamos' Broadway credits include "Reckless" with Mary Louise Parker and "The Rivals."  He can be seen in the upcoming film "Dedication." He received his MFA from NYU, Graduate Acting.

"Gutenberg! The Musical!" is playing at the Actors' Playhouse through March 25th. To purchase tickets visit www.telecharge.com
 
We also interviewed the original actors an one of the writers back in Vol. 5. Check it out and hear 2 more songs as well! 

You can listen to this interview and many other great features for free on Broadway Bullet vol. 104. Subscribe for free so you don't miss an episode.

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Broadway Bullet Interview: Jeremy Shamos and David Turner of Gutenberg the Musical!

Broadway Bullet: Back in episode 5 we talked to the actors and creators of Gutenberg the Musical with the New York Musical Theater Festival. Well that show has since received an off-Broadway premiere at 59 E 59^th Street and an extension and transfer to the 7^th Avenue Theater at the Actors Playhouse. So we felt it was about time to catch up with these guys again and see what was going on. It's even survived cast changes, which I think means a successful musical. With us we have one of the original actors Jeremy
Shamos. How are you doing?

JS: Good, how are you?

BB: And new replacement, David Turner.

DT: Hey!

BB: So David, I understand you've only done 2 performances so far.

DT: That's right. Tonight will be my 3^rd.

BB: So what's it like jumping into this crazy show?

DT: It's been a lot of fun. Chris Fitzgerald is a friend of mine. And so is Jeremy. Chris' performance was pretty definitive so it's a little intimidating stepping into his shoes. But Jeremy and I have worked together before in "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged" at the Century Center. So we bring to it a great friendship and I think that translates to the relationship onstage. So it's been a lot of fun.

JS: You can probably even hear our friendship on the podcast.

DT: Do you hear how much we're enjoying each other's company?

JS: It's very warm together here.

BB: It's a good thing the listeners are only hearing it because what I'm seeing is shocking.

JS: I'm sure you've seen this before in this booth!

BB: For listeners who are interested in the full story they can check out episode 5 still. But as a quick kinda sum up, the basic thing is two of you play people who are writers who are putting on a backer's audition for an awful musical.

JS: Well they don't think it's awful.

BB: Of course they don't. Like every writer I've ever met.

JS: That's probably true. I mean they have big hearts. And they have obviously followed some guide on how to put together a musical. They have all the right pieces. I would even argue by the end of the show people love the musical that they're writing. I've actually had people say," Do you really think that the show could go to Broadway?" I think the answer is "maybe". You be the judge!

BB: How has the process been for you? It must've been kind of hectic. You've changed actors. And it's a very intensive thing. When someone comes in like David here, to a 2 person show. It's not like someone comes in for a couple scenes. How much does that change everything for you?

JS: I think it's sort of just spontaneously changed things. Just organically my character is starting to morph slightly. In one way it's a very delicate thing because it's so specific with all the hats we use. I don't know how many hats.

DT: Thirty hats.

JS: Thirty hats to play all these different characters. They are very specifically placed. So in one way it's like a Swiss clock. It's very very organized where we need to be. And on the other hand depending upon how the audience responds certain things, it's very alive. It's very different. When Chris and I were doing it even when we did it, however many months we did it, it was different every night. In some ways David is so skilled having learned very quickly how to do everything so precisely the way that Chris did. So now it's just continuing the process of having it be different every night. David's definitely there where he needs to be. Except when I have to grab him by the arm and pull him.

BB: Before we continue why don't we play one of the songs?  This is recorded live at one of your performances.

DT: I sound particularly good because I'm Christopher Fitzgerald.

JS: You sound so much like Chris Fitzgerald that you are Chris Fitzgerald.

DT: Yeah. It's awesome.

BB: You want to set up the song a little bit?

Js: The first song is the end of act one.

DT: This is when the villain and the protagonist meet with both their agenda's, are sort of coming to a boiling point. Like any great act 1 finale, you're coming to a point of no return.

JS: And like any great Broadway Musical it's a rock song. We like to send people rocking to the restroom.

Listen to  "Tomorrow is Tonight" in Vol. 104 of Broadway Bullet

 

BB: Now to follow up at a very different end, when you're coming in as a replacement on the show from what I understand you don't have as much rehearsal time as the original cast does. What's your process coming into the show David?

DT: The whole process was very fast. I've never been a replacement before and it's part of why I wanted to do it. With a couple other reasons: One, I know working with Jeremy is so much fun. Also I can see the theater from my window. My apartment window. So it's kind of cushy.

BB: Wow.

DT: Yeah it's awesome. And also to have the experience of replacing. It's a great challenge. In a show like this, where Jeremy kind of mentioned the Swiss Clock precision of the whole thing, the show demands, especially for my track, which Chris Fitzgerald played, you have to reconcile two very different parts of your brain. You have to be hyper organized with these hats because I primarily organize the hats for both of us. Stack them, so they're in the right order.

BB: Jeremy wrote that in his contract.

(Steel drum cell phone ring.)

JS: Oh sorry, that's my agent.

DT: Oh sorry, that's my Caribbean steel drum player. I don't go anywhere without that.

(Microphone pop.)
DT: Oh, did I pop the microphone?

BB: Yeah.

DT: Oh that was terrible. It was an awesome joke! Oh no! I travel with a steel drum band but I forgot the screen that makes your "P's" not pop.

BB: You're the first person who's popped that just doing an interview.

JS: Congratulations.

DT: I've heard that before.

(Laughter.)

DT: Wow, things just got a little dirty.

JS: You're the first person to pop that's popped that… just in an interview.

BB: Anyway, where are we at here?

JS: All the hats, which are in my contract. I actually, I do think when Anthony and Scott first organized the show, Anthony somehow convinced Scott to do all the hats.I don't know how.

DT: That's probably what happened. Anyway you have to be hyper organized then you have to turn around and be totally free and creative. And that's the challenge of the play. And that's what makes it so fun to do.

JS: Maybe that's the challenge of theater.

DT: I haven't learned that.

JS: You will. Also we keep mentioning Swiss clocks. I just wanted to say this is not an endorsement for Swiss clocks or the country of Switzerland.
DT: We do not own.. (Unintelligible).

BB: Have any audience members been inspired to learn how to read?

JS: We hope so. I mean illiteracy is rampant in the theatre community.

DT: I don't see nearly enough people reading their programs during the show.

JS: And it's clear the only reason they're not reading their programs is because they're illiterate.

DT: Do we get disturbed? Yeah it's a little disturbing. You want to look out there. You want to see people reading their programs.

JS: Or looking at their candy rappers.

DT: But they seem to be, what's it called? Paying…

JS: …Attention.

BB: I'm more illiterate then I thought. I missed totally in the press release that you had moved in your extension from 59 E 59^th to 7^th street at The Actor's Playhouse.

DT: The great thing about the theater is every new theater has wonderful ghosts. A lot of history. Tell us about The Actor's Playhouse, Jeremy.

JS: Well The Actor's Playhouse used to be the longtime home of Naked Boy's Singing. (http://www.nakedboyssinging.com/)

DT: Mmm.

JS: So there are a lot of strange ghosts.

DT: Strange, very hung.

(Groans.)

DT: I forgot this wasn't the Barry Z show. I do so many of these they run together.

BB: Let's play one more song here, recorded live. Once again unfortunately it's Chris. Unfortunately. Damn him. Instead of David.

DT: Fortunately for your listeners.

BB: Want to set this one up quickly?

JS: Chris comes in a little bit later in the song. I don't want to give it away. As an animal. Or as a series of animals.

DT: But you're really going to hear Jeremy. This is the big, climactic, really it's a ballad. I think it's a ballad.

JS: The 11 o'clock number.

DT: Yes, the 11 o'clock number for Helvetica, the love interest.

JS: Who is a beautiful German girl with blonde hair and beautiful breasts.

DT: She's been locking in a tower by the evil monk.

JS: And the tower is filled with rats and feces.

DT: Aren't they all?

JS: All good towers are. 

Listen to  "Go to Hell" in Vol. 104 of Broadway Bullet

 

JS: That was beautiful. I'm sorry I had to say it.

DT: Yeah, you never are prepared.

JS: No. My tears aren't going to mess up this mic are they? 

BB: No. Now the night I saw the show a girl had to prematurely get up to go to the bathroom. And it's a very tight theater. I think she loved how you worked her into the show that night. And I'm wondering if there's been any other, given the nature of the show, if there's been any other particularly interesting inappropriate audience interactions that you've had.

JS: I think I remember that night. I think at 59 E 59 even though there were 2 ways to go to the bathroom, that woman decided to use the walking across the stage way. She was hungry for a little stage time. Or she was, as I'm guessing, illiterate. So she couldn't see the word exit. It just looked like a pretty light. A weird shape. No, that hasn't really happened. Especially at The Actor's Playhouse people are pretty wrapped and stuck in their seats. So in a way there's an incredible amount of audience participation but only because of people's laughter. That really affects the show. Some nights if there is a smaller audience, or a group of people for whatever reason aren't laughing out loud but are just enjoying the show, the show is slightly different. When some nights it's like a comedy club and it's nonstop rolling laughs. The show takes a different tone. But nobody's come up on the stage. It's a little harder to get up on the stage. You'd have to be actively going up onto the stage. There was an old insane man, who I started calling "Grandpa". The nature of the show is these guys are pitching the show, so the idea that they have their grandpa kind of make sense. It was fun for awhile but he was actually so insane I wanted to be like," That's not my Grandpa. Just so everyone knows."

DT: He was like a malicious Mr. Magoo.

JS: HE kind of was. But he wasn't blind.

DT: It was actually Jim Backus. (http://imdb.com/name/nm0000822/)

DT: It was Jim Backus. Thurston. Howell the 3^rd.

B: Well I definitely wish you the best of luck as the run continues. It's good to see the show doing well. Actor's Playhouse. At this point it's scheduled until March 25^th. Never take the assumption there will be an extension, rush out and get your tickets now. But hopefully it will…  (http://nytimes.theatredirect.com/new_york_times/NYT.aspx?SI=540068)

JS: I don't want to brag, but 2 nights ago Dustin Hoffman was there. (http://imdb.com/name/nm0000163/)

DT: It's true.

JS: And he stayed after and talked to us. I'm not saying Dustin Hoffman will be there when you come.

BB: Did he say, "What are you going to fall back on in your careers?"

JS: No.

DT: He said he was coming back but he wasn't going to say when.

JS: At some point during the run he'll be back. And he's going to bring Al Pacino. (http://imdb.com/name/nm0000199/) No promises.

BB: Thanks for coming down.

JS: Thank you. Thanks for having us.

DT: Bye!

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You can listen to this interview and many other great features for free on Broadway Bullet vol. 104. Subscribe for free so you don't miss an episode.

 or MP3 Feed with XML