Everyone knows the story of Gatsby, the wealthy dreamer, don’t they? Partially coming of age in Long Island, New York, it was impossible to escape the omnipresence of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Between the extensive English classroom dissections of the text to the impressive mansions my family and I would glimpse each time we traveled for the beaches of the Hamptons, it was a tale practically engraved in my brain. Baz Luhrmann’s excellent film adaptation debuted to much acclaim more than a decade ago. Now, the timeless tragic romance returns with new life, buoyed by show-stopping classical Broadway numbers and the high energy spectacle of a never-ending party. Despite initial reservations about molding a timeless dramatic novel into a crowd-pleasing riot, The Great Gatsby dazzles with breathtaking imagery and decadent performances.
From the second one steps foot inside the grandiose Broadway Theater, the immersion into the 1920s atmosphere has begun. After the tickets are scanned, jazzy ragtime music holds a thrall over the lobby. Everything about this building fits the show, from the old-timey silhouettes of a man and woman above the restrooms, to the general largeness and scope of the hallways. The auditorium equally impresses. A sweeping set of chandeliers and an art deco inspiration for the walls give only a hint to what awaits when the “curtain” rises. In this case, the shroud over the stage is a screen with a perfect view of the ocean, and mountains way out in the distance. The tile and ladders of a pool are built going down into the actual orchestra. That the whole affair seems so grandiose even before it begins presents a bit of dramatic irony not lost on this writer.
Nick Carraway’s punchy narration now has a physical embodiment, presented by the smooth and silky vocal stylings of Noah J. Ricketts. The actual text, of course, was written in first-person limited perspective from only Nick’s point of view. For the Broadway stage, Nick instead appears often for crackling commentary. Catching us up to speed on the backstory helps to condense and emphasize the finer points of the novel, while allowing The Great Gatsby as a show to become another beast entirely. Nick’s observations are a lot of fun—a later song, “The Met,” finds the character unexpectedly at a de facto brothel lamenting that he should have been left at the art museum rather than amongst his present debaucherous company. Ricketts was only known to me before from his layered turn as Frankie Hines in heartbreaking Showtime limited series, Fellow Travelers. On stage, he starred as Kristoff in Disney’s Frozen, and in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. His talent definitely made a new fan out of me. This is the most likable Nick Carraway has come across in any version of The Great Gatsby.
Nick has just relocated to a quaint cottage he rents in the Long Island haven of West Egg, known for its “new money” swaths of partygoers. Nick becomes a bondsman, easily distracted from his work by the extravagant parties that take place at his neighbor’s mansion. Naturally, that neighbor is the illustrious and equally mysterious Jay Gatsby. Nick visits his old friend, Daisy Buchanan (Eva Noblezada, Hadestown, Miss Saigon), and her abusive husband, Tom (John Zdrojeski, Good Night, Oscar), in their home nearby. Stunned that he has received an actual invite to one of Gatsby’s outrageous extravaganzas, Nick catches up with Daisy before meeting the gorgeous, sophisticated beauty, Jordan (Samantha Pauly, SIX, Evita), for the first time. Jordan lives in the Buchanan’s guest home indefinitely, and Daisy has been trying to find her a man to marry for awhile now. Nick’s entrance seems to perfectly tee off this prospective courting. By introducing them so immediately, the audience becomes invested without so much as a kiss between Nick and Jordan until way later on.
As with previous iterations, it takes awhile for Gatsby to show up. In fact, before then, there are more than a few impressive set changes that are sure to impress any jaded theatergoer. Assisted by powerful, realistic digital screens and impeccably-crafted staging, each scenery change drastically alters the one before it. Production value dumps every dollar into this show, whether that be with period-accurate costuming peppered with detail, literal fireworks, fully functioning 20s vehicles, or the cinematic look and feel of its tangible lived-in sets. My favorite standard set was probably the industrial wasteland that represents the outskirts of the city, lorded over by that massive pair of optometrist spectacles on an eerie always-watching billboard. Subtlety has taken a vacation. Does anyone really want to go to a Great Gatsby show and not awe at the sheer scope?
Back to Gatsby himself: once Jeremy Jordan arrives with the debonair swagger of a wealthy millionaire (or perhaps billionaire?), the show shifts gears into its grander overarching themes and achingly tragic love story of the American dream gone awry. His crooning ballad “Daisy,” so named after Gatsby’s obsession for the love of his life, showcases Jordan’s full vocal range to dizzying effect. That initial number will only be the first time Jordan gets to belt out his emotions. He connects with Nick over them both having served in the war, but Gatsby intends to use Nick for his own purposes at the end of the day. He requests that Nick invite Daisy to an afternoon tea at the cottage, wherein a spark can potentially be reignited between Gatsby and his former flame. “All husbands have affairs,” so why not Daisy, too?
Is there any question as to why Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy knows no bounds? Their history speaks to the wealth and class divides just as relevant today as they were for the roaring 20s. Eva Noblezada, whose incredible vocals bowled me over when I saw her as Perspone in Hadestown, matches Jeremy Jordan’s in equal measure. She plays Daisy with naïveté, as if she doesn’t quite understand how to deal with complicated matters placed before her. Daisy hands off her crying baby to the maid in one scene, and in another refuses to take any larger steps to leave her husband. Act I showstopper, “My Green Light,” allows Jordan and Noblezada a duet to encapsulate their history in a meaningful crescendo. As Gatsby’s grand gestures reflect how hopelessly in love he feels for Daisy, one has to wonder if she ever truly reciprocates those emotions. Her “Beautiful Little Fool” drew rapturous applause from a captivated audience on the verge of tears.
Each and every major character gets to have a grand musical moment within the context of the larger whole, including mechanic George (Paul Whitty, Camelot, Come From Away), his wife and Tom’s mistress, Myrtle (Sara Chase, First Date, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), and mafioso type Meyer Wolfsheim (Eric Anderson, Waitress, Moulin Rouge!). Even still, my favorite romance within the show is the one that blossoms between Nick and Jordan. Perhaps it helps that the duo’s chemistry and wide smiles charm irrevocably—their duet, “Past is Catching Up to Me,” could not possibly be any sweeter. Their unconventional pairing lets Jordan take the reigns. The novel’s biggest moments are present as we careen towards a tragic conclusion. Lyrics directly inspired by the actual text infused with the jazzy soundtrack are nothing short of brilliant.
The Great Gatsby is beloved by millions of people around the world, and this musical interpretation should have an unforgettable run on the Great White Way. Choreography specifically tailored to show off the greatest assets of the ensemble pairs nicely with the breadth of its intricate set design. Between the interconnected complexities of its characters and vocals destined for repeat on an original Broadway cast recording, The Great Gatsby, The Musical reminds us why this story has endured for so many generations. One could argue its messaging is just as potent today as it was back in 1927 upon release. Don’t you just love large parties? They’re so intimate!
Experience the glitz and glam of The Great Gatsby, now playing performances at the Broadway Theater. For ticketing information, head over to the official website.
A very twenty-first century take on Gatsby. We seem to demand more from musical theatre than just the telling of a story, memorable songs and competent “appropriate” staging. We want glitz, and glamour and pizzazz in spades. And we certainly get it in the Broadway Theatre’s “The Great Gatsby”.
The quite young audience seemed to love it when I went this week and that has to be good. With so many other claims on their attention to bring the millennials to live theatre is terrific.
Scott Fitzgerald, however, is about more than storytelling however well he does it. “The Great Gatsby” is a deeply cynical novel about the haves and the have nots. – about the loaded and the struggling. To stop struggling and advance in that world you can’t be overburdened with a social conscience. Clear echoes of today in that reality !
The new staging of Gatsby gave us the sex and booze and drugs and privilege. But it also gave us the rock and roll, at least the interwar years version of it. It was loud and brash and almost entirely unmemorable. Nobody left the theatre humming the songs – Rodgers and Hammerstein or Lerner and Loewe it wasn’t!
R&H tackled difficult subjects, placed ballet in their works and gave us melody after melody. Stephen Sondheim did the same as did Andrew Lloyd Webber. “ The Great Gatsby did none of this – it resembled a Juke Box Musical with no songs we knew in the Juke Box.
So entertainment in the modern style with panache, special effects, superb dance and staging. The youthful audience stood screaming at the end. I wonder how many of them will now buy the novel?