Monday, December 18, 2006
What Is Recoil endorses: Gutenberg! The Musical!
posted by RICK : 3:46 PM
In December 2003 (was it December? Maybe February '04) I was fortunate enough to see "Gutenberg! The Musical!" in its original, 45-minute, one-act version at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater here in New York. It was damn funny. And while I'm probably not as well versed in the goings-ons of the UCBT it seems like it could very well be the best thing they've ever produced (minus the exploits of the original cast). The intricacies of the production (which is presented as a backers audition by Gutenberg! co-creators "Bud and Doug") are so spot-on in music, script and performace its kind of amazing I saw it in what is essentially a basement for $7.
Three years later the show is now a 90-minute, two-act, Off-Broadway play. Erin and I went last night and by-god if it isn't even better than I remember. Look, I have no credibility when it comes to critiquing theater, but a show that features two men playing dozens of characters while switching between scores of mesh baseball caps to signify who's talking seems way more complex than, say, just dancing and singing while wearing a cat costume.
It's also funny. Did I mention that? It's very very funny. Imagine the funniest thing you've ever seen. Now imagine something that isn't quite as funny. "Gutenberg! The Musical!" falls somewhere between those two things.
The show is playing through New Year's Eve here in NYC. If you're around, its well worth the admission fee.
In December 2003 (was it December? Maybe February '04) I was fortunate enough to see "Gutenberg! The Musical!" in its original, 45-minute, one-act version at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater here in New York. It was damn funny. And while I'm probably not as well versed in the goings-ons of the UCBT it seems like it could very well be the best thing they've ever produced (minus the exploits of the original cast). The intricacies of the production (which is presented as a backers audition by Gutenberg! co-creators "Bud and Doug") are so spot-on in music, script and performace its kind of amazing I saw it in what is essentially a basement for $7.Three years later the show is now a 90-minute, two-act, Off-Broadway play. Erin and I went last night and by-god if it isn't even better than I remember. Look, I have no credibility when it comes to critiquing theater, but a show that features two men playing dozens of characters while switching between scores of mesh baseball caps to signify who's talking seems way more complex than, say, just dancing and singing while wearing a cat costume.
It's also funny. Did I mention that? It's very very funny. Imagine the funniest thing you've ever seen. Now imagine something that isn't quite as funny. "Gutenberg! The Musical!" falls somewhere between those two things.
The show is playing through New Year's Eve here in NYC. If you're around, its well worth the admission fee.
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-Rick
(co-creator)
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