All that glitters is gold in 'The Great Gatsby'
By Noah Moore
The glam of The Great Gatsby, the new musical that opened this past spring at the Broadway Theatre in New York City, may be thinly-designed for spectacle, but hey--even fake gold still shines from row S, where I sat. I have to disclaim--I really loved this show, even despite its flaws. It is a visual feast, with fireworks, scale model cars, and seamless usage of screens...many many screens.
Nonetheless, don't be deceived; I think this show was well-done in living up to the source material while also zazzing it up with a classic musical theatre-infused score (anyone else have 'New Money' stuck in your head, even if solely from TikTok?).
The show follows the events of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic titular novel, following the romance of Daisy Buchanan and the puzzling Jay Gatsby in the opulent 1920s. But underneath the oft-told scandalous love affair is another pair of intriguing characters in Nick, the book's narrator and a freshly-arrived member of high society, and Jordan, a friend to Daisy who doesn't see the need for love until she meets Nick. There's also Myrtle, who is having an affair with Daisy's husband, Tom. Such is a web of love affairs, but set in a glamorous age that makes up for its dark material with flashy costumes and jazz.
Fans of the novel and 2014 Luhrmann film will enjoy this rendition that maintains the rustic glamor with a new burst of Broadway energy. The score, by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen, is brassy, upbeat, and bright--if not too bright for the dark material. The book, by Kait Kerrigan (The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown fans anyone?) makes up for this, with well-laid-out plot moments, which couples especially well to end Act I with "My Green Light," and the story feels paced well. I would have liked to see more of the underground booze trade plotline, but the show was already pushing 2 hours 30 minutes, so I get it. There was some cliche moments, but it also integrated some fan-loved moments, from flying dress shirts to boats against a current, if you know what I mean.
From top to bottom, the performances are spirited and impressive. Eva Noblezada, as Daisy, and Jeremy Jordan, as Gatsby, are two Broadway mainstays with insane pipes and a cutesy chemistry. I have been a fan of Noblezada since I saw her in Hadestown, and loved her equally here. My absolute favorites were the aforementioned supporting characters, Nick and Jordan, played by Noah J. Ricketts and Samantha Pauly respectively. They had a lot of the show's humor, and Pauly's wig is my favorite performance of this year's season.
The technical elements are gorgeous and dazzling. In a seemingly never-ending sequence of opulence in 'New Money,' the number goes even further as large sparklers flash off the wings onto the stage. Even I can't resist a beautiful stage picture--and one that glitters, even more so. Costumes, by Linda Cho, were deserving of the show's sole Tony win, and once there was a parade of avant-garde in 'New Money,' I instantly understood. Paul Tate dePoo III's set may be overly-reliant on LED screens, but had good masking with the edges and borders often covered with golden crests. The screens didn't feel cheap, and blended well with the physical elements of the set.
This show was worth its weight in gold (okay enough gold puns, I swear). But truly, I am so glad I checked this show out, and was so delightfully surprised with the story they told. I can't wait to compare to the other Gatsby now playing in Boston when I catch it next month. But for now, this cast album is on repeat, and I am once again sobbing to a song by Jeremy Jordan. Check it out at https://broadwaygatsby.com/!
(TIP: I got my ticket for $64 at TDF in Lincoln Center--check it out if you're flexible enough to buy day-of!)
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