jtrent238 test blog: Theater Update: Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad put on a show

September 6, 2023

Dear Theater Fans,

Twelve years after they first appeared in "The Book of Mormon," Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad have reunited onstage — at long last! — in "Gutenberg! The Musical!" Don't even think about calling it a vanity project, Alexis Soloski writes, because "this deliriously silly show, in which the two actors play dozens of characters and wear a combined 107 baseball caps, demands that vanity be left at the stage door."

Partnerships seem to be the theme of our annual Arts & Leisure Fall Preview, rolling out over the next week (find it in print on Sept. 17).

"On Broadway, Off Broadway, in special events and out of town, living authors are collaborating with dead ones," Jesse Green, our chief theater critic, writes about this season's remaking of vintage musicals. Those include the comedian Amber Ruffin revamping the book of "The Wiz"; a collaborative effort to overhaul "Pal Joey"; and John Weidman revising his father's old script of "I Can Get It for You Wholesale." And you may have heard of "Here We Are," the musical Stephen Sondheim was working on when he died. The director Joe Mantello and the book writer David Ives are ushering it to the Shed stage, where it debuts on Sept. 28.

What else is on the horizon? Michael Paulson reports that Jessica Lange, Jim Parsons and Celia Keenan-Bolger will return to Broadway next spring in Paula Vogel's "Mother Play," a new drama set outside Washington in 1962; Melena Ryzik gives us a first look at the film version of "The Color Purple" musical, which is arriving in theaters on Dec. 25; and Laura Collins-Hughes highlights six shows and a fringe festival taking place this month in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and a bit beyond.

Julia Jacobs reported from the final Broadway performance of the "Funny Girl" revival, at which audience members were treated to an extra song when Lea Michele sang "My Man." Now, that musical hits the road — minus Michele — with its national tour kicking off this weekend in Providence, R.I.

Please reach out to me at theaterfeedback@nytimes.com with suggestions for stories or to offer your thoughts on what you've read. And urge your friends to subscribe to this newsletter by clicking here.

Have a wonderful week,

Nicole Herrington

Theater Editor

(@nikkih04)

FALL PREVIEW

A figure in a black turtleneck sits in a dim theater. She's holding a script while looking warily to her left. Next to her is another script floating in front of a disembodied shadow.

Tara Anand

Fall Preview

Have You Met My Collaborator? He's So Classic, He's Dead.

Remaking a vintage musical for the 2020s takes guts, sensitivity and perhaps a medium.

By Jesse Green

Two men look stare at each other in mock disapproval, their reflections showing in a mirror.

Adam Powell for The New York Times

Fall Preview

Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad Tackle Another Book (Not Mormon)

Twelve years after opening "The Book of Mormon," the two actors — and good friends — return with "Gutenberg! The Musical!"

By Alexis Soloski

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NEWS AND FEATURES

A woman stands onstage, holding her arms straight down at her sides. She is wearing a red dress, and white flowers are strewn across the stage.

Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times

Lea Michele Ends 'Dream' Run in 'Funny Girl' After Reinvigorating Show

The Broadway revival saw an immediate change in its fortunes when the actress stepped into the production last September.

By Julia Jacobs

A triptych of portraits shows, from left, a woman wearing a white button-up blouse; a man in a tuxedo and eyeglasses; and a women in a black top.

Erik Tanner for The New York Times; Amy Sussman/Getty Images; Jamie Mccarthy/Getty Images

Jessica Lange Leads Starry Cast of New Paula Vogel Play on Broadway

"Mother Play," set in the 1960s, will feature Lange as a mother raising two children, played by Jim Parsons and Celia Keenan-Bolger.

By Michael Paulson

A woman in a long red sparkly dress, red gloves and red feather headgear cocks her hip amid people in drab period clothing.

Ser Baffo

First Look: 'The Color Purple' Finds New Hues in Film Adaptation of Stage Musical

The director Blitz Bazawule added magical realist elements to his adaptation. But convincing Fantasia Barrino to return after Broadway took some work.

By Melena Ryzik

A man with glasses in a gray blazer and black shirt sits on a red trunk against a darkened theater backdrop.

James Estrin/The New York Times

Leaping 'Into the Next Unknown': Robert Lyons on the End of New Ohio Theater

The handwriting on the company's wall, in chalk, was traced by a closing night crowd sharing memories of more than 30 years of landmarks and larks.

By Laura Collins-Hughes

Two woman, one in a bright blue blazer and the other in a beige blazer. stand on either side of a man, who is wearing a blue jean jacket over a blue button-up shirt. Behind them is a landscape of trees, vines and green grass.

Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

Reeling From Heartbreak, and Then 'Penelope' Showed Up

Alex Bechtel's new musical, sort of "a pandemic parable," gives voice to a mythical character in "The Odyssey."

By Laura Collins-Hughes

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THEATER TO SEE THIS MONTH

Golden Cosmos

What to See on Broadway in September

Five new shows, including "Merrily We Roll Along" and "Purlie Victorious," take the stage this month. Here's a rundown of everything you need to know.

By Laura Collins-Hughes

Kevin Yatarola

Theater to See Near N.Y.C. in September: 'Ulysses,' 'The Pianist' and More

Six shows and a fringe festival are among this month's highlights in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and a bit beyond.

Laura Collins-Hughes

OBITUARIES

Nathan Louis Jackson, casually dressed in a green striped shirt and bluejeans, his hair in with dreadlocks, sits with his right hand on his knee and his left hand touching his right forearm.

Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

Nathan Louis Jackson, Writer for the Theater and TV, Dies at 44

He wrote plays that tackled big issues like the death penalty and gun violence. He also wrote for series including the superhero saga "Luke Cage."

By Richard Sandomir

Franne Lee, the same woman shown in the top photo, as a much older woman with gray hair and glasses, seated comfortably in an easy chair with her left hand of the chair arm and her right hand in her lap.

Amber Arnold/Wisconsin State Journal

Franne Lee, Tony Winner Who Also Costumed Coneheads, Dies at 81

She worked on "Sweeney Todd" and "Candide" and also on the early seasons of "Saturday Night Live," contributing to the look of the Blues Brothers and the Killer Bees.

By Neil Genzlinger

FROM THE CRITICS

Two men sit on a bench, one in khakis and a jacket and the other in a bathrobe.

Jeremy Daniel

Review: In 'Pay the Writer,' a Portrait of the Artist Young and Old

Despite its thunderbolt of a title, the focus of this memory play is on the relationship between a self-involved author and his long-suffering agent.

By Rhoda Feng

A performer singing atop a kitchen-sink unit, on a set with rooms behind and stairs up to an area containing musicians.

Marc Brenner

Critic's Pick

Review: 'Next to Normal' Is Back, With Extra Pathos

A London revival of the hit musical brings extra warmth to the story of a woman in psychological free fall.

By Matt Wolf

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