By Lucy Komisar
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel is lavishly presented in a musical that captures the glitz and darkness of the Roaring Twenties. The audience enters a world of excess, where everything sparkles – including costumes that shimmer with gold and glitter. The play was pulled out of the book smartly by script writer Kait Herrigan, with music by Jason Howland and lyrics by Nathan Tysen. The director who moves the plot almost cinematically is Marc Bruni.
Jay Gatsby (Jeremy Jordan, perfectly cast) as the anti-hero exudes an aristocratic demeanor in his impeccable white suit or dinner jacket. Nick Carraway (Noah J. Ricketts), the narrator, strikes a fine balance between cool detachment and sincere honesty – a stark contrast to the crude, obnoxious Tom Buchanan (John Zdrojeski). Both were privileged Yale graduates. Daisy Buchanan (Eva Noblezada), Nick’s cousin, captivates with her rich, sorrowful voice.
It turns out money can’t buy everything. Gatsby loves Daisy from a meeting years past and wants her to split from Buchanan. He gets Nick to invite her to tea in his cottage.
Buchanan is cheating on her with Myrtle Wilson (Sara Chase), who wants better than being the wife of a gas station owner. Buchanan and Myrtle have assignations at a tawdry Harlem bordello. “All husbands have affairs,” says Daisy.
The set is spectacular, with a triple-level library that serves as the centerpiece of Gatsby’s opulent mansion, which is copied from a Normandy castle. The money shows up as a real yellow Rolls Royce and fireworks, presumably meant to evoke a Hamptons’ night sky.
Jordan Baker (Samantha Pauly), bearing an uncanny resemblance to Barbra Streisand, adds intrigue as the amateur golfer with a penchant for deception and tells in a witty and poignant song why she’s against marriage, then comes on to Nick: “Never thought you were my style.” (They are both charmers.) Chase’s “Myrtle” Brooklyn accent adds authenticity to her portrayal of working-class desperation.
A highlight is the choreography by Dominique Kelley, particularly in the “Everybody Shady” number, where gangsters dance with capes in a delightfully sinister routine. The ensemble of gangsters and flappers brings the era to life.
However, the production occasionally veers into melodrama, particularly in the climactic scenes. Jeremy Jordan’s singing lacks the color and depth one might expect from that complex character. And the themes of wealth and class sometimes get lost amidst the spectacle.
Despite these quibbles, the jazz-infused score, complete with show-stopping dance numbers, keeps the energy high.
This production of “The Great Gatsby” may be as excessive and overwrought as one of Gatsby’s own parties – but that works. Its glittering, champagne-soaked delusion captures the essence of Fitzgerald’s cautionary tale about the American Dream.
“The Great Gatsby.” Book by Kait Herrigan, music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Nathan Tysen. Directed by Marc Bruni, choreography by Dominique Kelley. Broadway Theatre, 1681 Broadway at 53st Street, NYC. Runtime 2hrs30min. Opened April 25, 2024. Open run.