Video: Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells Are Getting Ready for Broadway Return in GUTENBERG!
May 17, 2024
It's a big day at the James Earl Jones Theatre! The company of Gutenberg! The Musical! moves out of the rehearsal room and into its new Broadway home on 48th Street. In this video, stars Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells are telling us all about the new show!
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0:00
All right, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Broadway World
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Broadway World! Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World. Josh Gad and Andrew Reynolds are returning to Broadway
0:15
in the hilarious Gutenberg the Musical by Anthony King and Scott Brown
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Under the direction of Alex Timbers, it'll play for 20 weeks only beginning on September 15th at the James Earl Jones Theatre
0:26
and I caught up with all of them during a break in rehearsal. I actually could not believe it that Andrew said yes
0:35
and more importantly that I said yes. Yes, yes. We couldn't do a two-person show with just one of us
0:43
We tried. We both tried. And despite our egos' best efforts, the contract stipulated it had to be a two-person show
0:52
There are two characters. There are two characters and Andrew had to ultimately play one of them
0:57
I got him! Yes, so he fleeced me, as the kids say
1:03
I don't know a child who uses that term. But maybe. Yeah
1:07
I think my grandmother used that word. Fleeced? Sure! Fleeced, to be fleeced. Yeah
1:12
Being in the rehearsal room together, seriously, with Alex Timbers, I mean, how do you keep straight faces in there
1:16
We don't. We don't. I don't think I've quite literally collapsed laughing
1:22
as much as I have on this show. No. There have been a couple of times where I will fall to the floor
1:27
in a fit of laughter and bring the entire thing to a halt
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which is not conducive to actually building a Broadway show. But nobody makes me laugh like Josh
1:39
and I just laugh at him all day. And sometimes, to the detriment of our rehearsal process
1:46
we do often just have to stop and, you know, catch our breath
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We like to tell stories. The good news is there's a lot of necessity for catching our breath
1:56
during this show. True. It's the most physically challenging show I've done
2:01
since my one-man production of Steel Magnolias. Which was beautiful. Thank you
2:08
Really beautiful. So I am constantly looking to do trust falls with Andrew
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Sometimes he catches me, sometimes he doesn't. Sometimes he does it when I'm not there
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But Andrew, tell me what this show's about. What this show is about? Yes
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We're from the waist up. All right, great. If I'm buying a ticket, because we're not wearing pants. Yeah
2:28
Say I want to buy a ticket to Gutenberg the musical. Sell me. Okay
2:33
Gutenberg the musical is a two-person show starring this guy and this guy. Yes
2:38
And it is about two guys who have written a musical and are performing all of the parts and singing all of the songs
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And Andrew, where can I get tickets for said musical? Well, you can find information at gutenberg.com. Uh-huh
2:51
Let's say I wanted to take the Taylor Swift ticket sale approach. Could I go on Ticketmaster
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If you want to pay $2,500 a ticket, reach out to Josh and I directly
3:00
Thank you. And we'll do those transactions internally. We can do those personally
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But we're excited. I mean, this is, we're wrapping up our, I mean, it's scary to say
3:10
We are wrapping up our time in the rehearsal room. About to move into the theater on Tuesday
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It's also scary to say we're wrapping up our time on Earth. Do you know something I don't
3:20
No, but it's just scary to say that. It is scary to say that
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So I just wanted to point that out. No, that is a scary statement
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That is true. What have you loved the most of what he's been doing
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And what have you loved the most of what he's been doing? Is there a moment that you just watch? Andrew Rannells makes me better
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It's the truth. And I would never say this to his face, and it pains me that he has to be here for this interview
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Rannells, Rannells actually, like, elevates everything to a level that makes you want to serve back
3:55
I'm not familiar enough with tennis terms. Yeah. But, like, this score is love
4:02
Oh, Josh. Love all. Is that a thing? I think it is
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I'm not super sporty. So it's love all. So he just, everything he does is brilliant
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Well, that's not. So I try to elevate myself, and most of the time I fail
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But as long as I'm trying, my mom says anything can happen
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And for you, what amazed you the most of what he's doing this time around
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Be specific and articulate. Okay, I am, so, you know, there's been a lot of sort of buildup
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Josh is coming back to Broadway after some time away. And we have talked a lot about it, and, you know, are you excited
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Are you scared? He came in as if no time had passed at all
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So any sort of, you know, I don't know, he just jumped right in
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as if it was 13 years ago when we were doing the workshop. My body did not join me in that effort
5:01
It seems like it did. But, no, yeah, he seems to me that you feel, dare I say
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most at home on stage in front of a live audience. I do love an audience
5:15
And it really shows. But more importantly, I love being with you in front of an audience. Well, I love being with you
5:20
You're my Ethel Merman, and I'm your gypsy. I thought you were saying Mary Martin. Yeah
5:28
That would have made more sense, but he's straight. I don't have enough references
5:32
I got you. Yeah. But I was proud that I knew she was in Gypsy, so
5:36
That's good. I mean, that's base-level musical theater knowledge. You're my Bernadette Peters
5:42
I'll take that. And I'm your Steve Martin. You could pick a couple people here. Great
5:50
That's old school. You're my Tevye, and I'm your Hava. But then she leaves him
5:58
She takes the train, doesn't she? She takes the train to Siberia
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I'm just saying. I'm just saying. You're my Phantom, and I'm your Caroline
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Or change. No, Christine. Yep. Her, too. All right. One more thing. Seriously
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Yes, all right. Broadway is back. No, Broadway is back bigger than ever. Yes
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Better than ever. Walking by your theater, the James Earl Jones looking at your pictures, a marquee again
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getting ready to walk through that stage door, what it means to the both of you. Oh, my gosh
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When we first went over there and saw that marquee, it was, I mean, obviously it made it very real that we are doing the show
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But it is exciting to be doing the show at a time where Broadway really does seem like
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it has come back in a strong way. And we're just, you know, very excited to be a part of this season and to be a part
6:47
of the community. All joking aside, the show is, I think, the biggest possible love letter to Broadway of
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anything I've ever come across. Knowing that this is my return, knowing that it's our return, knowing that it's happening
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after Broadway took such a heavy hit during the pandemic, it makes it that much more special
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I actually said yesterday after we did our first run through, I was like, I think that
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we originally wanted to do this in 2020, but I was like, it almost needed this sort of
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reason to exist. And it's really special to get to come back when Broadway itself is rebounding
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And I'm honored and thrilled to be back here during this, you know, sea change that's happening
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where it's coming into its own again
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