For musical theater lovers, the fall Broadway season boasts a reteaming over a decade in the making.
Now, they’re back on Broadway together again for the first time since 2011.
The two star inGutenberg!
Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad in ‘Gutenberg! The Musical’.Matthew Murphy
Though mostly we tried to not derail the interview by laughing.
This show has had a really long life regionally and off-Broadway.
But when did it first come into your orbit?
Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells in ‘Gutenberg! The Musical’.Matthew Murphy
Had you ever seen it before it came your way?
JOSH GAD:No, neither of us had.
We both read it and we were both like, “What the hell is this?”
Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells in ‘Gutenberg! The Musical’.Matthew Murphy
It’s so funny, it’s so winning.
And apparently we’re the only two people in New York who had never heard of it.
And we said, “You know what?
And that was March of 2020.
ANDREW RANNELLS:We were all ready to go.
We were very excited.
It’s such a joyous one that it fills a slot on Broadway that is much needed.
Did you find that rapport and chemistry instantordid you have to work a little bit to find it again?
GAD:It was like we stopped performingMormonyesterday and started performing Gutenberg today.
RANNELLS:Since the first time we met, we fell into a very natural rhythm with each other.
We couldn’t have written it better ourselves.
GAD:This wouldn’t have happened had we not both been rejected from our inquiries about doingChicagotogether.
I wanted to play Roxie and Andrew was going to play the other woman.
RANNELLS:Her name is Velma!
What’s something about the other that you feel makes you a better performer?
GAD:You go first, Andrew.
We naturally gravitate toward slightly different styles in terms of presentation, but it matches up really well together.
I’m regularly surprised and completely delighted with what Josh does on stage.
He’s the slyest comedian I know.
He’s got this wicked, dry sensibility that is so different from my own chaotic, comedic approach.
This is my first time coming back [to Broadway] and he’s done a couple.
I know that if I mess up, he’ll be there to lift me up.
That really boosts your confidence because you feel free to take risks.
It felt like I was coming back opposite Michael Jordan.
And I can be a really good Dennis Rodman in that situation.
And that’s sports and a reference Andrew doesn’t understand.
RANNELLS:I’ll Google that later.
The show was originally developed at UCB.
Does that mean that you two improvise at all or no?
RANNELLS:There’s a little bit of space for that.
But sometimes we go a little rogue, so we’ll see what happens.
And it can be the tiniest thing.
RANNELLS:Scott Brown said that to us the other night.
He said, “I don’t think we’ve seen the same show twice.”
And I couldn’t tell if it was a compliment or if it was a threat.
Have you borrowed things from them?
Their friendship and their working relationship goes back many, many, many, many years.
His job was to go through musical submissions.
And they thought what would make the most absurd musical is a musical based on Johannes Gutenberg.
I wasn’t even sure I would come back and do a musical comedy.
I didn’t quite know what would top my experience.
When I read this, it blew my socks off at how funny it was.
It’s driven by this eternal optimism and hopefulness and positivity, which feels really refreshing.
To me is really what makes this work.
Reading about it, it feels likeThe Producerson steroids.
GAD:I don’t think that’s an unfair description of it.
We, unfortunately, do not get a beautiful chorus of kick line dancers.
We have to do that by ourselves.
And are we successful?
I think we do a real good kick line.
GAD:I actually think that our kick line is up there withThe Producers’kick line.
So, which one of you is Zero Mostel and which one of you is Gene Wilder?
This is the single toughest question I’ve ever been asked.
RANNELLS:There’s space for us to both give our tribute in different ways to both of them.
The show is a true two hander.
How challenging is that?
I assume it’s easier knowing you could rely on the other as you’re going through this.
RANNELLS:Oh, absolutely.
GAD:Or laugh at them.
It’s the most physically and vocally challenging thing I’ve ever done in my life.
I don’t know about you, Andrew.
It’s a two-person show with 50 people in it.
We’re playing a bunch of characters.
We’re quite literally juggling 120 hats.
We are our own cast and crew, meaning all the scene changes we are responsible for.
It’s the reason I wanted to come back and do this the challenge of it is the reward.
GAD:I’m quite fond of Monk.
He’s just quite a delight to get to lean into that heightened villainy and absurdity.
So I really love him.
RANNELLS:Helvetica it’s very fun to get to be the ingenue for a second.
I didn’t see that coming in my career.
How much have you two been able to keep in touch in the years betweenMormonand this?
Do you see each other quite often?
RANNELLS:We do see each other a fair amount.
We’ve both been very fortunate since then to be very busy and to be working a lot.
But we do keep in touch.
And it’s true, People keep saying, “Oh, it’s a reunion.”
We have remained and will remain a big part of each other’s lives.
So it’s quite a gift right now.
You both have had these really fantastic careers.
GAD:Oh boy.
RANNELLS:No, you could have been onGirls; you would’ve fit right in.
That would’ve been perfect.
Josh has done many, many things I was particularly jealous of.
GAD:Andrew’s always wanted to do a show that was canceled after one season.
WithinGutenberg,do you guys have a favorite bit or dialogue exchange?
I really love getting to do that with Josh, and it sets off the whole show.
GAD:Mine is in the second act.
It makes me laugh so hard because it’s comedically so different than everything else that we do.
What is something in your friendship that you have never told the other?
GAD:I have a good one.
I never told you that I was very jealous of you when we startedBook of Mormon.
I was like, “Oh God, he’s going to steal the show from me.”
Which I had never felt that way about any other Elder Price I had worked with.
I was like, “Oh God, I’m done.
The monopoly I had on the comedy in this show is over.”
What is the hardest the other has ever made you laugh?
RANNELLS:I don’t think I can repeat some of the stuff that Josh says to me.
GAD:No, no, no.
We’re getting into cancel culture territory.
RANNELLS:We should probably stop.
GAD:Andrew seems really cool, but he’s the filthiest human being I’ve ever met.
RANNELLS:That means so much to me.
What did you say the other day?
RANNELLS:I told you that you smelled like a vet’s office.
It smelled like a veterinarian coming out of your body.
GAD:We’re in our forties, but we’re still children.
I’m sorry to let you know.
