Exclusive: Scott Pask Unpacks That Awesome, Surprise GUTENBERG! Set

Gutenberg! The Musical! is entering its final week of performances on Broadway, and by this point you probably know all about the production's nightly special guests... but unless you've made it to the James Earl Jones Theatre, you likely haven't seen its surprise final set! 

For anyone who has not yet seen Gutenberg! on Broadway, in the final seconds of the musical, Bud (Josh Gad) and Doug (Andrew Rannells)'s vision of Schlimmer, the setting of the show within the show, comes to life for just one, poignant moment before disappearing again for curtain call. It's all made possible by Tony-winning scenic designer Scott Pask.

"In the initial conversations I had with Alex Timbers -our fantastic director- he imagined creating a thrilling (and surprising) moment by visually manifesting Bud and Doug’s imagined vision for Schlimmer onstage," Pask explained to BroadwayWorld. "And that began our design journey for that jaw dropping moment! Alex’s insight into the visual world onstage is always incredibly inspiring and deeply fulfilling to dive into."

Achieving the epic reveal didn't come without challenges...

"Accomplishing Gutenberg’s full stage transformation in just a few short seconds was the largest challenge in creating the town of Schlimmer onstage. The scale of the shift, which happens in front of the audience, is huge and extremely fast, and achieved with precisely timed automation, and intricately integrated  Schlimmer scenic pieces hidden within and behind our created “backstage” set. 

To accomplish this seamlessly, the full stage set of Schlimmer-which is comprised of 3 sets of full height German Village buildings that slide into view, along with an elaborate set hidden behind the flown backstage theatre wall that includes the town square, Schlimmer’s clock tower, and the statue of Gutenberg all under a starry night sky- had to be entirely concealed, and very rapidly appear to transform the space," he explained.

"It was crucial that the scenic brick walls of our “backstage theatre” set - where the musical takes place - with their many pipes, radiators, theatrical machinery, stage door, stored props from old shows and each intricately created architectural detail all feel absolutely authentic and real throughout the show, so that when it all disappears at the end and the Town of Schlimmer magically materializes it’s a massive surprise."

Pask is quick to admit that it was a team effort to make the big Schlimmer moment happen. "Jeff Croiter, our lighting designer, and his beautifully sculpted work were vital collaborators in achieving the magic of the transformation," Pask added. "The entire overhead grid of lights also flies out during the transition, so that the intimate and warm backstage space we’ve experienced all evening is transformed spatially with a now boundless sky and beautiful deep blue and purple tones of Schlimmer at night."    

The end result is well worth the work that went into it.

"It was a hugely rewarding moment to see the onstage transformation and all the meticulous planning work so beautifully- and fast," he admits. "To hear the audience loudly gasp, along with seeing the writers eyes well up in disbelief, was incredible! 

Then as the lights quickly fade to black, and just as quickly return to bright stage light for Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells and their onstage band’s bows, the stage has already been restored to its original state- two lightening fast full stage transformations all in under a minute!"

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Scott Pask has received Tony Awards for The Book of Mormon, The Coast of Utopia and The Pillowman. Selected credits: Shucked, Some Like It Hot, Ain't No Mo’, American Buffalo (Tony nom.), The Prom, The Band’s Visit (Tony nom.), Mean Girls (Tony nom.), Waitress, Pippin (Tony nom.), I’ll Eat You Last, Hair, Pal Joey (Tony nom.), Urinetown. Netflix: “Oh, Hello,” “John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City,” “John Mulaney: Baby J.,” “Hasan Minhaj: The King’s Jester” (ADG nom.). Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna. 

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