Broadway: The Great Gatsby?

For those who don’t know: I hate The Great Gatsby. I hate The Great Gatsby so much. In fact, if you scroll down the Bruin Broadcast website, you’ll find an article I wrote about how much I hate it. That is how much I hate it (see The Mediocre Gatsby). Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the book is an outdated, fickle, overrated piece of literary trash; yet somehow, they made a musical out of it?

The Great Gatsby musical first premiered in New Jersey, 2023, but within a year they found themselves performing for the Manhattan crowd on Broadway. In fact, on Broadway is where we, the BHS Fine Arts students, saw them perform just last week.

Now, before we dive into the show itself, there’s a bit of context we’ll need first. Per the usual New York Fine Arts Trip, courtesy of Emily Gruver (theater teacher), we were not only able to watch the musical, but also be taught a dance number by some of the ensemble members. Let’s get into it!

On 8th Avenue sat a very large building: The Pearl Studios multi-floor audition and rehearsal space. After security checks, elevator rides, and a bit of waiting, we finally entered a room which largely resembled a dance studio. The wall was lined with mirrors, the windows were cracked (AC was broken), but most importantly, there was a piano practically banished to the corner. Behind it, barely visible but for the whites of his eyes, sat the Nick Carraway understudy and swing member, Alex Prakken. He gave us a warm welcome along with the usual pleasantries, then dived right into the nitty gritty. He taught us the chorus from New Money, an original song from the musical filled with champagne floats, crap tables, and endless depravity.

Before long, the song gave way to the entrance of another figure: the incomparable, Dariana Mullen. In the show, she’s an ensemble member, singer Gilda Gray, and understudy for the roles of Jordan/Myrtle. However, to us she came as choreographer and yas enthusiast, equipped with an aloof catchphrase. After each new set of moves, she’d ask the group with a hilarious lilt: “Any questions?” At this you could hear the room grin ear-to-ear, despite the breathless, sweaty ecstasy of it all. Dancing was not my thing, but for people like Sara Kaufman (10) and Millie Fritsch (9), it was a perfect space to show off their immense talent. They performed for the group, bursting with the kind of free flowing, energetic bodies that will doubtless one day end up on Broadway, bowing to the cheers of hundreds each night.

As our session came to an end, we found ourselves humming New Money in a sort of anguished anticipation. There were still 24 hours until we would see the show, and yet, like children on Christmas, we wanted it now now now!

Then, the day came: April 9th, evening production of The Great Gatsby musical! As any lover of the theater knows, audio and visual recordings/photography were prohibited. Therefore, the only real photos I can supply are the ones taken before and after. This includes the beautiful before, a coastline of the Long Island Sound, complete with a green light blinking on the horizon. That light will become a symbol of love, hope, death, and the unattainable dreams which haunt us all. Welcome to The Great Gatsby musical.

Now, I always like to start things out positively, so we’ll begin quite simply. The musical fixed the book. Indeed, the moments from which the musical deviates from the literature adds such extra depth and understanding that one must wonder why the hell Fitzgerald didn’t write it that way to begin with? 

Let’s cover Nick Carraway, protagonist and resident himbo. Goodness he could act! He could sing! Played by Michael Maliakel, he floated from song to song with such a passion you’d practically believe he thought Carraway sacred! Such a bland, wet blanket of a literary figure suddenly came to life before our eyes, coming to terms with his life in a nuanced, interesting way.

In connection to the previous elucidation of deviations, the most effective change a mon avis was the choice to portray Nick Carraway and Jordan Baker's relationship. In the novel it’s overlooked, a wisp of a possibility that fails on every aspect. In the musical, it’s an asset which speaks to the contrast of Jay Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson, and Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s sordid affairs. Tom and Myrtle get spoiled bacchanalia numbers, like The Met and Second-Hand Suit. Gatsby and Daisy get opulent revenge numbers, like Shady and La Dee Dah With You (the latter of which is sung by the aforementioned, angelic-voiced, Dariana Mullen). But Nick and Jordan? They get ballads which express the true inner workings of a relationship. Whereas most of the shows romantic pairs are poisoned from beginning to end, Nick and Jordan show the accomplishments and pitfalls of independence within a romantic entanglement.

This flipped the entire script on its head, allowing for a more meaningful outlook on the entire plot without feeling forced or in-your-face. Instead, it was a subtle change which bettered the musical for it.

Furthermore, the show was immaculate from start to finish. The sets were lavish, the costumes were gluttonous, and the vocals were, although a tad underwhelming in Act One, quite phenomenal in Act Two. The soundtrack itself is a marvel, and attempts to refrain from dancing would be futile. 

As for our Fine Arts group fidgeting a symphony in the balcony, we let ourselves run wild. We eagerly awaited that one special moment during New Money where we’d get to dance along, knowing each move by heart. Needless to say, we were not disappointed. 

By the time the musical was done, its twists and turns had done their dirty deed. In this green-lit sense of the whole, I enjoyed the musical enough to buy $70 worth of merch. However, I did have my cons to the following pros. 

Jay pretty boy Gatsby: where is your passion? Where is your flavor? Was it left behind on the move from Jersey to Broadway? I mean, you’re playing a delusionally obsessive and passionate paramour, yet there’s no passion? 

The musical’s version of Gatsby is far too reserved for my tastes, and furthermore, needs to be approached in a different light. This is one of the more major issues with the performance: Gatsby is not supposed to be a good person. So why do they portray him as such, you ask? Well I don’t know, dear reader, but I’m wondering as well! In comparison, the remaining cons are minuscule and unimportant, so I’ll simply wrap up my little rant with a simple plea: Please Ryan McCartney, fix Gatsby.

With that unpleasantness out of the way, I have to admit, the performance was quite a spectacle. There's nothing like it on Broadway’s boulevard; no other show could compare to the raucous Roaring On of The Great Gatsby in all its golden splendor. The 20’s never looked so good on a stage. 

Thank you to the loveliest of sirens, Dariana Mullen, as well as the maestro of keys, Alex Prakken. Thank you as well to Diggy from Liv and Maddie (Ryan McCartney/Gatsby), as well as Haley from Modern Family (Sarah Hyland/Daisy) for making not only our childhoods perfect, but our teenage years as well. Bravo to an incredible performance on Broadway!

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Written by Thomas Repass

Photography by Vivi Fox, Sailor Long, and Thomas Repass