By: Jody Tuso-Key

Dad’s Garage is currently presenting GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL!, and if you’ve ever wondered what would happen if two overly enthusiastic community theatre actors consumed multiple energy drinks, attended a musical theatre workshop, and immediately decided to pitch Broadway’s next great masterpiece, this show has your answer.

Written by Scott Brown and Anthony King, Gutenberg! And premiered in 2005 at the New York Musical Theater Festival, The production landed with a bang  on Broadway in 2023 starring Josh Gad and Andrew Rannels. Now, Dad’s Garage presents a play within a play following aspiring playwrights Bev Davenport (Karen Cassady) and Doug Simon (Travis Sharp) as they present a backers’ audition for the musical they’ve written about Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press. Armed with nothing but boundless confidence, a collection of baseball caps representing dozens of characters, and a complete lack of self-awareness, the duo launches into a theatrical presentation that spirals delightfully out of control.

The genius of Gutenberg! lies in its simplicity. There are no elaborate sets, dazzling special effects, or large ensembles. Instead, the entire evening rests squarely on the shoulders of two performers who must create an entire world through sheer force of personality. Fortunately, Dad’s Garage has found two actors more than capable of carrying that weight—and then some.

Bev-Karen Cassady Bev is the kind of dreamer who could stare at a printing press and see a Broadway blockbuster. Overflowing with enthusiasm and armed with only a loose understanding of history (imagine Nazis in the Renaissance), she approaches every moment with the confidence of a Tony Award winner and the preparation of someone who definitely started the project the night before it was due. Karen’s optimism is infectious, her ideas are questionable, and her commitment is absolute. Did I mention she has a gorgeous voice?

DOUG-Travis Sharp – Doug is Bud’s equally ambitious creative partner and occasional voice of reason—though “reason” may be giving him too much credit. Where Bud charges ahead, Doug attempts to steer the ship, often discovering he’s just as lost as his co-author. Endlessly earnest and hilariously invested in their masterpiece, Travis brings heart, charm, and a surprising amount of emotional depth to a show built on wonderfully bad ideas, and sings with Karen in perfect harmony.

THE ENSEMBLE  (Played by Two Actors and a Pile of Hats) – Through the miracle of baseball caps and theatrical imagination, Bud and Doug portray an entire cast of villagers, monks, aristocrats, inventors, villains, lovers, and historically dubious side characters. Each new hat signals another personality, often more ridiculous than the last. Together, they create a delightfully chaotic parade of characters that transforms a simple stage into an entire world fueled by ambition, imagination, and complete theatrical nonsense.

Under the direction of Amanda Lee Williams, this dynamic duo is expertly staged and blocked, keeping the action moving at a pace that would make Gutenberg’s printing press jealous. There isn’t a dull moment to be found. Music Director Cecil Walker serves as a phenomenally talented one-man orchestra, effortlessly accompanying the madness from the piano while never missing a beat—or a note. Choreographer Ashley Freeman cleverly leans into the show’s delightful awkwardness, crafting intentionally cheesy dance moves that highlight Bud and Doug’s questionable terpsichorean talents and generate some of the evening’s biggest laughs.

The technical team deserves equal praise. Lighting Designer David Ringold and Sound Designer Dan Bauman bring the production to press with remarkable precision, ensuring every joke lands cleanly and every musical moment shines. Costume Designer Liz Singleton and Props Designer Melisa DuBois may appear to have a simple assignment on paper, but anyone who has seen the show knows the real stars of the production are those seemingly endless hats. Each one helps create an entirely new character, proving that in Gutenberg!, a well-placed baseball cap can be worth a thousand words—appropriately enough for a show about the man who made printing them possible.

From the opening moments, the production embraces the joyful absurdity of the material. Bev and Doug are convinced they’ve written a sweeping historical epic filled with romance, danger, and artistic significance. The audience quickly realizes they’ve instead created something that resembles a middle school history report that accidentally wandered into a musical theatre convention. That’s precisely what makes it so hilarious.

The comedy arrives faster than pages rolling off Gutenberg’s printing press. Every character choice becomes more ridiculous than the last. Historical inaccuracies pile up. Rhymes become increasingly questionable. Entire plot points appear and disappear with reckless abandon. Yet somehow, through all the chaos, the show remains strangely lovable. Bud and Doug may be clueless, but their passion is completely genuine.

Dad’s Garage understands exactly how to play this material. Rather than winking at the audience or trying to outsmart the script, the production commits wholeheartedly to the premise. The performers attack every song, every costume change, every ad-lib, and every increasingly absurd dramatic revelation with the conviction of actors who genuinely believe they are standing center stage at the Tony Awards.

What makes Gutenberg! especially appealing is its affectionate satire of theatre itself. Anyone who has ever auditioned for a show, attended a rehearsal, sat through a questionable directorial concept, or heard someone describe their “groundbreaking new musical” will recognize pieces of Bev and Doug. The show lovingly skewers artistic ambition while simultaneously celebrating the people brave—or foolish—enough to pursue it.

Beneath the nonstop laughs is a surprisingly sweet story about friendship, creativity, and the irrational optimism required to make art. Bev and Doug may not have written the next great Broadway musical, but their unwavering belief in each other becomes oddly inspiring. Their dreams may be ridiculous, but they are undeniably heartfelt.

By the final curtain, Gutenberg! The Musical! leaves audiences laughing, cheering, and perhaps reconsidering every community theatre production they’ve ever seen. It is clever, ridiculous, endlessly charming, and proof that sometimes the funniest shows are the ones that fail spectacularly on purpose, and still earn a red-light by a producer (a surprise ATL celebrity member of the audience each evening). 

GUTENBERG! Is playing at Dad’s Garage until June 28th, so there’s still time to get your tickets and enjoy this spectacularly absurd romp into musical theater. Get your tickets at https://www.dadsgarage.com/