Gutenberg! The Musical!

Donate now at donate.broadwaycares.org/Gutenberg

The heartwarming musical spoof Gutenberg! The Musical! starring Alex Prakken and Bobby Conte Thornton premiered on Thursday, March 18, 2021 as a benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

The stream will be available here through March 22 at 11:59 PM Eastern.

Gutenberg! The Musical! tells the story of overwhelmingly enthusiastic aspiring playwrights Bud and Doug. The eager duo is getting set to perform a backers' audition for their new project: a big, splashy musical about printing press inventor Johann Gutenberg.

The pair sing all the songs and play all the parts in their crass historical epic. Their hope is that one of the producers in attendance will give them a Broadway contract, fulfilling their ill-advised, yet hearteningly sincere, dreams.

The comedy features a book and score by Scott Brown and Anthony King, who were nominated for a Tony Award in 2019 for Best Book of a Musical for Beetlejuice.

The steaming event features piano accompaniment by Andrew Callahan and choreography by Kaitlyn Frank. Matt Redmond served as creative consultant.

Thornton made his Broadway debut in 2016, originating the role of Calogero in A Bronx Tale. Prior to the Broadway shutdown, Thornton was in previews for the highly anticipated revival of Company. Prakken was in the first national tour of Disney’s hit Newsies.

Gutenberg! The Musical! was created in 2003 at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre and became the UCBT’s first show to transfer to an Off-Broadway run. Following its developmental run, the two-man spoof premiered in London at the Jermyn Street Theatre and was presented at the New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Gutenberg! The Musical! premiered Off-Broadway in 2006 at 59E59 Theatres, in a production directed by Alex Timbers and starring Christopher Fitzgerald and Jeremy Shamos. The off-Broadway run received nominations for Best Musical at the Lortel and Outer Critics Circle Awards, as well as nods for Best Book and Best Director of a Musical at the Drama Desk Awards.

***

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is one of the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has raised more than $300 million for essential services for people with HIV/AIDS, COVID-19 and other critical illnesses across the United States.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the major supporter of the social service programs at The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative and The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts. Broadway Cares also awards annual grants to more than 450 AIDS and family service organizations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., providing lifesaving medication, healthy meals, counseling and emergency assistance.

For more information, please visit Broadway Cares online at broadwaycares.org