Review: GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL! at Theater Letté Da

There are few things in life better than sitting in a room with a random group of people and laughing. It is a cure all for chilly nights, a tiresome work week, and chasing away our troubles that lie just outside the door.

So You’re probably sitting there thinking, is there a show running in the Twin Cities right now that might offer just the right amount of laughter and glee to satisfy that craving? Well look no further than the historically (in)accurate show that is full of catchy tunes, a plethora of laughs, and plenty of heart that is now open at Theatre Latté Da, Gutenberg! The Musical!.

Offering an unconventional presentation of a musical, Gutenberg sets the stage, quite literally, with two young men who aspire to mount a show on the Great Bright Way. Their only problem is, they don’t have the money or connections to do so. So in true underdog fashion, they have rented a theater for a night to pitch their concept to any Broadway producers who might have wandered in with the audience.

Armed with only their freshly written show, some rented stage lights, and a bare bones stage, Bud and Doug set out to perform their entire show on their own.

As one might imagine, hilarity and charm ensue, leaving the audience not only grinning ear to ear throughout but leaving the theater with sore bellies from the amount of laughter they have enjoyed.

The show has one of the smartest books of a musical but it can only be a triumph if the actors playing these two dreamers are up to the task. Leaning heavily into their comic talents, stars Tom Reed (Doug) and Dominic Schiro (Bud) are in top form and prove they are more than capable of slaying the material.

Being no stranger to comedic roles, Tom Reed wastes no time in capturing our hearts with his sincere but gentle demeanor as Doug and then throws caution to the wind as he inhabits the characters of their musical. He is transformative, clever, and a hoot from start to finish.

Then they’re is Dominic Schiro who puts his entire being into his role of Bud. He shows the honesty and kindness of a true best friend and a man who simply wants to succeed while bringing joy to those around him. Schiro knows just when to hit the punchline of every joke and the audience proves that time after time throughout.

It is not just their comedic timing that sells the show, it is their performances of the songs that really delivers time after time. The show is purposefully written to be bad, after all these two men are supposed to be average Joe’s who just wrote a musical but the songs are anything but. Authors Anthony King and Scott Brown have delivered a show that is witty and hysterical that we forget the songs aren’t supposed to be be good. Reed and Schiro transport the audience to this mystical town with such ease that we are completely bought in and enchanted from the first notes.

As the show is written in a way that should come off scrappy and cheap,  designer Sarah Bahr has taken it on herself to create a space that resembles a somewhat rundown theater which is serving as more of a storage space for left over props and set pieces from previous shows. The description may sound as if the set is chaotic and unorganized but Bahr has struck a balance. By framing the props and set pieces in a way that feels thrown together but also extremely intentional she has risen to a tough challenge.

Partnering with Bahr to set the mood within the space is lighting designer Grant E. Merges who doesn’t waste a bulb while illuminating this story, and that is a definite compliment. From the washes of purples and blues, to the striking reds and oranges, Merges gives the audience a feast of the eyes and we can’t get enough of it.

Guiding everyone through the madness and hilarity is Tyler Michaels King who has donned the directors hat and choreography for his first time at Theater Latté Da (for clarity he has previously directed elsewhere). Watching the piece, it is clear that Michaels King has given a lot of consideration to the friendship that Bud and Doug have. His direction has the two friends always near each other while not performing the musical within a musical, a clear sign that there is a co-dependence that needs to be shown and reiterated throughout and it only strengths the audience’s fondness of the two.

Not to mention, Michaels King gives the audience a lot of fun choreography to appreciate and for those with a keen eye, there are many references to previous shows scattered throughout that will certainly give the audience a sense of feeling in on the joke.