The 5 & Dime's 'Gutenberg! The Musical!' Is a Delirious Comedy Triumph

The 5 & Dime’s production of Gutenberg! The Musical! is delightfully and unapologetically stupid — and it’s glorious. From the opening moments, the audience is roaring with laughter, and by the end, many are holding their sides in pain from laughing so hard, leaving the theater aching in the best way possible. What unfolds across the evening is a dazzling collision of silliness, heart and sheer theatrical joy, a reminder of why audiences keep coming back to the stage in the first place.

The show is a send-up of every musical theater trope imaginable, yet at the same time it is a heartfelt love letter to the art form. It pokes fun at overwrought ballads, melodramatic villains, clumsy exposition and soaring finales, but it never feels cruel or dismissive. Instead, the parody is infused with affection, as though the creators are winking knowingly at the audience while also inviting them to celebrate what makes musicals irresistible. It’s both parody and homage, embracing the ridiculousness of musical theater while celebrating why we love it so deeply.

Cole Marshall and Ethan Edward Fisher are masterful as Doug and Bud, the eager duo pitching their so-bad-it’s-brilliant musical about Johannes Gutenberg. Their partnership is the foundation of the production, and the trust between them allows for a high-wire act of constant role-shifting and comedic invention. Together, they perform over a dozen different characters — each one somehow fully lived in and distinct. One moment they are naive playwrights brimming with enthusiasm, the next they are flipping into outrageous caricatures with nothing but a trucker hat and their sheer commitment. Their ability to land jokes while also delivering genuine vocal performances is a rare gift. Their chemistry is so natural it feels inevitable, and their voices carry the kind of power and precision that ground the chaos in genuine talent. The audience never doubts for a second that they are watching two performers at the top of their game.

At the piano, Erin Barnes shines as musical director and accompanist. She guides the show with impeccable timing, balancing her role as coach and collaborator with subtle onstage reactions that enrich the comedy. She never overshadows the action, but she is never absent either — her raised eyebrow, her stifled grin, her perfectly placed chord add layers of humor that are worth the price of admission alone. In a show that thrives on absurd energy, she provides a quiet anchor, her steady musicianship allowing the performers to fly further off the rails without fear of losing their footing.

Bradley Akers’ lighting design is a study in brilliance through restraint. Working with an intentionally stripped-down rig that feels like it could have actually been rented from dancepartydjs.com (no offense to the real life Dance Party DJs and Photo Booths of Berlin, New Jersey), Akers manages to create a cinematic atmosphere through the simplest of changes. A wash here, a shift there, and suddenly the space feels transformed — as though the world of Doug and Bud’s fever-dream musical actually comes alive before our eyes. The restraint is what makes the design so effective: with so few instruments, every cue feels deliberate and surprising, heightening the absurdity by treating it with absolute seriousness.

Director Matt King orchestrates the madness with a steady hand, letting the actors run wild within a tightly crafted frame. The pacing never lags, the absurdity never overstays its welcome, and the show maintains a breathless rhythm that keeps the audience locked in. King understands that the heart of the piece lies in both its unrelenting silliness and its unshakable sincerity, and he ensures that both shine through.

This is not just a good night at the theater. It’s the kind of performance that makes audiences fall in love with theater all over again — spectacularly stupid and spectacularly smart at the same time. Audiences leave quoting jokes while also marveling at the craft behind them.

The 5 & Dime’s Gutenberg! The Musical! is unforgettable, a riotous celebration of art, silliness and the strange alchemy that happens when incredibly talented people commit wholeheartedly to something beautifully dumb. For fans of musical theater, for fans of comedy or simply for anyone who wants to laugh until their ribs hurt, this production is a must-see experience, a shining example of how absurdity and brilliance can share the same stage.

Do not miss this production — even if you do have to sell your car to get there!

Gutenberg! The Musical! runs Friday, September 12 through Saturday, September 27 at the The Florida Ballet.

For more information, full cast and crew credits and links to tickets, visit the Gutenberg! The Musical! page here on JaxPlays.