BWW Reviews: GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL! Presses On at NextStop Theatre

Big musicals are a rarity to come by. Shows with huge sets, large casts, and a Hollywood sized orchestra are a thing of the past. But all of these are on display at NextStop Theatre Company's recent production of Gutenberg! The Musical! Well, at least there are on display in the minds of aspiring playwrights, Doug Simon and Bud Davenport.

Doug and Bud have written the world's greatest musical, at least according to their mothers. Doug and Bud have composed a tuneful show about the life of Johannes Gutenberg and his creation of the printing press. In NextStop's production of Gutenberg! The Musical, we see Doug and Bud pitching their show to Broadway producers in the audience. Doug and Bud's attitude and enthusiasm reminded me of Corky St. Clair preparing his opus Red, White, and Blaine for producer Mort Guffman.

Director Evan Hoffman has created a bold production in the intimate space. From being seated at candle lit cabaret tables to a simple stage with a table, a light board, and a piano, the entire atmosphere was well-suited for the mood of the piece. Thanks to Hoffman's vision and interpretation the entire evening is funny, sweet, and a bit scary (there's an Anti-Semitic Eliza Doolitle). But with all of the highlights of the production, the greatest is that of the cast.

Local favorites Ryan Burke and John Loughney are perfectly cast as Bud and Doug respectively. Each actor plays a myriad of characters and do so with gusto and zest. Bud and Doug, as characters, are not very talented. But Burke and Loughney are the exact opposite, and portray the hapless duo without overdoing it or turning the portrayals into a farce. Burke and Loughney are invested in Bud and Doug, who in turn are deeply invested in their creation, which in turns makes the audience enjoy the show that much more. Oh, and would be remiss if I didn't mention how gorgeous both of their voices are.

The meta-musical was all the rage in the mid 2000's in New York. Shows like this and title of show (both which premiered at the New York Music Theatre Festival) are love letters to musical theatre. While title of show is probably a better script and score, Gutenberg had its inception as a skit at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, so it has a deeper level of comedy. Writers Scott Brown and Anthony King are both alumni of UCBT, and are both comedy writers for magazines and TV. And because of those roots, you get a higher and smarter level of comedy which is rare in musical theatre.

In addition to Hoffman and his cast, the show is supported on stage by music director / pianist, Steve Przybylski, who not only accompanies the show, but has a pretty hilarious and dead pan curtain speech. The simple sets and lights were effectively achieved by Jon Harvey and AnnMarie Castrigno respectively and Sierra Banack's props perfectly looked home-made, which added to the overall tone of the piece. I had the privileged of sitting with costume designer Kristina Martin at the performance I attended and I applauded her work with the abundance of hats present in the show.

Gutenberg! The Musical! is a show that is not performed very often and this production is right on target. If you attend (and you should), maybe you will have the opportunity to sit with a Broadway producer like Mort Guffman, and watch Doug and Bud present their creation to the world.

Gutenberg! The Musical! runs through February 1, 2015 at NextStop Theatre Company, 269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon, Virginia, 20170.

Box Office: (703) 481-5930 or purchase them online.

Photo credit: Jaclyn Young

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