“Gutenberg! The Musical!” stars Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad — and a mystery celebrity guest there to make a hilarious close.
Spoiler alert: At the very end of “Gutenberg! The Musical!,” the two-hander musical comedy about two aspiring musical theater writers who are trying to get their bizarre bio musical about printing press inventor Johannes Gutenberg to Broadway, an audience member suddenly walks to the stage, claims to be a “famous Broadway producer,” and hands them a Broadway contract.
When I saw the original Off-Broadway production of the musical back in 2007, some random person (probably a stage manager or an understudy) played the producer. However, in the hit Broadway production, a celebrity, public figure, or personality (ranging from Ariana DeBose to Weird Al Yankovic) has assumed the role, making a one-minute walk-on cameo.
They all perform the same handful of lines (though usually with some ad-libs). It is a fun concept that lines up with the show’s wackily absurd tone and provides a final dose of excitement.
Luckily, many of the cameos have been filmed and available on social media. Below are some notable appearances.
Nathan Lane: On the show’s opening night, Lane introduced himself as Broadway producer Max Bialystock (his character from “The Producers”) and claimed that “Gutenberg!” reminded him of how he felt seeing “Cats.”
Santa Claus: Even though Rannells and Gad were apparently on that year’s naughty list, Saint Nick opened his sack of presents to give them candy canes and a Broadway contract.
Elder Price and Elder Cunningham: In a multiverse move, Elder Price and Elder Cunningham, the characters originated by Rannells and Gad in “The Book of Mormon,” explained that they had been “ordained” as Broadway producers.
Anne Hathaway and Anna Wintour: In a shout-out to “The Devil Wears Prada,” Wintour (in sunglasses, of course) introduced Hathaway as her assistant.
Rachel Bloom: According to Bloom, who recently appeared Off-Broadway in her new one-woman, being a Broadway producer “really means that I’m a rich weirdo who’s in it for the tax breaks.”
Idina Menzel: After declaring that she does not need to hear another note of “Gutenberg!,” Menzel broke out into the extended “war cry” final note of “Defying Gravity” and introduced herself as both a “Disney queen” and a producer at “Adele Dazeem Productions.”
Will Ferrell: The comedian insisted he was both a Broadway producer and the father of Timothée Chalamet.
Billy Crystal: To date, Crystal has made cameos at two performances. In one, he addressed Rannells and Gad as Bert and Ernie and suggested that Gad’s use of his tongue was disturbing. In the other, he compared Gad’s sweating to eating Thai food with Marlon Brando.
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog: After declaring that the show is almost as good as “Frozen 2” and “Trolls Band Together,” Triumph smelled Rannells and Gad’s rear-ends and sat on their heads.
Lin-Manuel Miranda: Miranda introduced himself as “composer of the biggest show since ‘The Book of Mormon” and evoked the iconic “Hamilton” pose of the pistol pointed to the sky with his left hand.
Wish list for future cameos before the final performance on Jan. 28: Olaf the Snowman; Andrew Lloyd Webber; Trey Parker and Matt Stone; Nick Kroll and John Mulaney; Rod and Nicky (“Avenue Q” puppets); James Earl Jones (after all, show is playing the James Earl Jones Theatre).
