The Great Gatsby has finally come to Broadway, and it is better than ever! Gatsby first premiered at the Papermill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey in October of 2023. Then, finally after such a long wait, it finally opened on Broadway, April of 2024. It was definitely worth the wait. This show blew everyone away over and over again. Anyone would think after one number this show could not get any better, but it did. Seeing Gatsby performed at the Papermill Playhouse could be best described as seeing it in its baby stage, and now seeing it on Broadway was like seeing it in its adult form. The Broadway production of The Great Gatsby really transports everyone in the theater back to the 1920s, where anyone in the audience feels they are a part of Gatsby’s Party.
Most know the plot, but in case some don’t, The Great Gatsby is a novel originally written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It is the story of a man, Jay Gatsby, who holds onto his dreams so tightly that he loses sight of everything else important in life. Jay Gatsby is a man who truly believes he can repeat the past.
Jay Gatsby is played in the musical by the fabulous Jeremy Jordan, who can be called one of the most talented actors in theater. Opposite him is Eva Noblezada, playing Daisy Bucannon, who is also extraordinary for a lack of a better word. As said in a previous article, her talent is so raw and real, truly there are not many others who can sing like she does. Both Noblezada and Jordan individually are so talented and together, in terms of chemistry and vocals, they blow away the expectations of what you want to see and hear in a musical, especially a musical like Gatsby.
In the production I saw, the following actors performed in supporting roles: The supporting role of Nick Caraway was played by Noah J. Ricketts; Jordan Baker was played by Samantha Pauly; Myer Wolfsheim was played by Eric Anderson; Tom Bucannon was played by John Zebrowski; Myrtle Wilson was played by Sara Chase and George Wilson was played by Paul Whitty. Every single actor and actress put their own spin on their character and it was amazing. Each one of them is so talented and honestly this show could not be better casted. Everyone in the cast in this production came straight from The Papermill Playhouse version besides Eric Anderson, who joined Gatsby after leaving Moulin Rouge The Musical.
The way the writers incorporated the songs into an already complex story was very interesting. There are so many people that refuse to listen to Gatsby because they don’t like the writing and how the songs fit into the story. Many believe that Gatsby has made it to their top 5 list. It may be a hot take but the album is amazing because of both the writing and because it’s Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada. There are a few numbers in particular that really get the audience drawn into Gatsby’s world. Those are “Only Tea,” “Past Is Catching Up To Me” and “Made To Last.” Each one represents Gatsby’s unraveling.
The last thing to talk about is the props, costumes and sets. First off, The Great Gatsby won a Tony Award for Best Costumes. And it was well deserved, as the costumes resemble the 1920s so well and the costumes for Gatsby’s parties were also exceptionally detailed! The best part of the show is always the sets and props. For starters, there were real cars on stage. That was impressive. Also, the billboard of Dr. T.J. Ekleberg (doc for short) was so cool to see hanging above the gas station.
Overall, this show gets a 5/5. I’d even give it a 100/5 if I could! Everything involved with this show, from something so small as the green light on the curtain to the big time actors makes The Great Gatsby a must-see show! I loved everything about this musical, both when I saw it at The Papermill Playhouse before it was on Broadway and when it finally made it to Broadway!