by Joanne Engelhardt“Hatmania” could easily be an alternative name for “Gutenberg! The Musical!” because that’s the overwhelming memory Hillbarn Theatre audiences will likely have after they’ve seen this production.
That’s because there are 80+ hats worn by the two actors in “Gutenberg!” Each hat has a label indicating the many different characters who show up in the storyline. Said storyline involves two earnest (but totally clueless) people who consider themselves composers for legitimate theater. They hit on the idea to write a very inaccurate musical about the life of Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press, and stage a backers’ audition of their totally made-up show. The audience, of course, is presumably made up of potential backers.
“Gutenberg! The Musical!” opened off-Broadway in 2006 and closed after a few months. But it was revived in 2023 for a Broadway run, where it garnered a Tony nomination for “Best Revival of a Musical.” On Broadway, the show featured the stars of “The Book of Mormon,” Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells.
Besides the two performers, what makes “Gutenberg!” so enjoyable is the ridiculous script. It’s practically a laugh a minute … sometimes more. It begins with the first line, introducing the “orchestra” that turns out to be a hardworking solo pianist.
Wannabe impresarios Deb (Heather Orth) and Bud (Ted Zoldan) explain that they’ve done scant research for their production. And Bud boasts that, for the backers’ audition, “We have no sets! No costumes! Just me and Deb!”
So much for lowering expectations.
Other than several trunks (two of which hold the dozens of yellow hats with labels used in the show), there is, indeed, no set design. But it doesn’t matter because all eyes are on the two actors and those hats.
The storyline is convoluted and hard to follow by the time Act II rolls around. No matter! You can just sit back and enjoy watching two fine actors perform.
It must be said, however, that the hilarious Act I is a hard act to follow, and Act II drags a bit, despite the hyped-up efforts of Orth and Zoldan.
They do, however, have a great deal of fun with the hats, tossing them wildly, switching characters, and reading lines off of them. The hat business is one of the show’s highlights.
Props are ridiculous. For example, a cardboard box labeled “Printing Press” stands in for Gutenberg’s famous invention. After an unfortunate incident, the box is transformed. The actors turn it around so the label reads “Rubble.”
There are plenty of laughs. Much fun depends on the way the hats are labeled, but, alas, that creates one small problem. Sometimes the actors put on a hat, then play straight out to the center section of the audience. That makes it difficult for theatergoers in the side sections to see what is printed on the hat.
The surprise twist at the end of the play will not be revealed here. But never fear: it’s a good one!
“Gutenberg! The Musical!” plays at Hillbarn Theatre in Foster City through November 1, 2026. For further information, click here.
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Rating: ***1/2 (For an explanation of TheaterStorm’s rating system, click here).
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“Gutenberg! The Musical!” Book, music and lyrics by Scott Brown and Anthony King. Produced by Hillbarn Theatre. Director: Chris Reber. Music Director: Katie Coleman. Choreographer: Lee Ann Payne. Lighting Designer: Cameron Pence. Sound Designer: Jeff Mockus. Costume and Properties Designer: Stephanie Dittbern. Scenic Designer: Mitchell Ost. Intimacy Director: Maya Herbsman. Stage Manager: Rebecca Voss. Master Electrician: Darbus Oldham. Assistant Electrician: Alex Barbieri. Audio Technician/Sound Mixer: Oliver Loll. Master Carpenter: Eric Olson. Production Assistant: Nicolette Aarons.
Cast:
Deb: Heather Orth. Bud: Ted Zoldan.
Orchestra and Music Director:
Katie Coleman.
