Musical 'The Great Gatsby' not so great in the end

Music & Performance

Published: 29 Apr. 2024, 08:27 Updated: 30 Apr. 2024, 15:10

Musical 'The Great Gatsby' not so great in the end

A scene from the ongoing Broadway musical "The Great Gatsby" produced by OD Company, at Broadway Theater, New York, starring Jeremy Jordan as Gatsby, left, and Eva Noblezada as Daisy [OD COMPANY]

[REVIEW]

New York, U.S. - Thursday’s opening night of “The Great Gatsby” at Broadway Theater in New York was a historic moment for producer Shin Chun-soo, the first Korean lead producer of a Broadway musical.

Introduced by the production’s director Marc Bruni as the “man whose green light was Broadway,” referring to the iconic scene in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, Shin marched upstage through roaring applause after the evening's curtain call.

Seemingly a bit overwhelmed, he took a moment to begin his speech but managed to make out his gratitude — in English — to the great American author of the 1925 namesake novel on which the show is based.

“I extend my respects to the source of inspiration for this work — Fitzgerald,” he said.

A scene from the ongoing Broadway musical "The Great Gatsby" produced by OD Company, at Broadway Theater, New York, starring Jeremy Jordan as Gatsby [OD COMPANY]

Written by Kait Kerrigan, the musical remains faithful to the book: Jay Gatsby, a mysterious “nouveau riche” man from the 1920s, looks to win back his young love and socialite Daisy Buchanan, who is married to a brutish man from money, Tom. The plot is narrated by Nick Carraway, Gatsby's new neighbor and Daisy's cousin.

Linda Cho's decadent costumes, Paul Tate DePoo III's gleaming stage designs and Dominque Kelley's ambitious choreography are a feast for the eyes and successfully transport the audience to the Roaring 20s.

However, the actual story behind these parties is less nuanced and creative. The critical American classic is, instead, whittled down to a rom-com turned tragedy between Gatsby and Daisy with the addition of a surprise feminist punch.

A scene from the ongoing Broadway musical "The Great Gatsby" produced by OD Company, at Broadway Theater, New York, starring Eva Noblezada as Daisy [OD COMPANY]

Broadway’s hottest talents, Jeremy Jordan and Eva Nobelzada, star as Gatsby and Daisy and display undeniable chemistry on stage. But without a sufficient tap into the source’s underlying themes exploring capitalism, morality and human ego, their relationship is reduced to an unoriginal, sappy romance. The show doesn’t shy away from this genre as the two stand on the balcony, holding hands, and declare their love, singing, “If I save you, will you save me too? My green light."

A scene from the ongoing Broadway musical "The Great Gatsby" produced by OD Company, at Broadway Theater, New York, starring Jeremy Jordan as Gatsby, left, and Eva Noblezada as Daisy [OD COMPANY]

The production manages to weave in some of Fitzgerald’s heavier social commentary near the end — however briefly — through Nick, played by Noah J. Ricketts, with much of it directly taken from the original text.

"You and Tom smash up things and creatures, and then you retreat into your money or carelessness or whatever it is that keeps you two together," he yells at Daisy with angry tears swelling up.

A scene from the ongoing Broadway musical "The Great Gatsby" produced by OD Company, at Broadway Theater, New York, starring Noah J. Ricketts as Nick Carraway [OD COMPANY]

But the show keeps much of the mood light, dotting the book with comedy and cheeky lines that keep the show generally upbeat. Actor Jeremy Jordan’s portrayal of Gatsby leans into this art with particular enthusiasm.

For instance, he gets so nervous before meeting Daisy for the first time that he dodges her, jumping onto Nick's lawn wearing a tailored white suit, only to climb over the fence and then ineffectively hide behind some shrubbery. Such a childish and clumsy depiction of the millionaire makes him an endearing Gatsby.

A scene from the ongoing Broadway musical "The Great Gatsby" produced by OD Company, at Broadway Theater, New York, starring Jeremy Jordan as Gatsby, left, and Noah J. Ricketts as Nick [OD COMPANY]

Noblezada paints a more poignant picture of Daisy, with the liberty given in the script. It dedicates a chunk of its time to exploring Fitzgerald’s feminism beyond Daisy's proudly unmarried friend, Jordan Baker.

Daisy is given several songs to explain her life choices, like why she chose Tom and won’t leave him. Her last, very melancholy solo, “The best thing a girl can be in this world is a fool,” is a definite highlight.

The music and lyrics are by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen.

A scene from the ongoing Broadway musical "The Great Gatsby" produced by OD Company, at Broadway Theater, New York, starring Eva Noblezada, left, and John Zdrojeski ·as Tom [OD COMPANY]

Myrtle, Tom's mistress, played by Sara Chase, largely remains one-dimensional until her solo in the second act, when she sings "One Way Road" to relay her lack of power, freedom and choice as a woman not born into wealth.

A scene from the ongoing Broadway musical "The Great Gatsby" produced by OD Company, at Broadway Theater, New York. From left are Noah J. Ricketts as Nick, Sara Chase as Myrtle and John Zdrojeski as Tom [OD COMPANY]

Infused with hints of jazz and pop, these songs may sometimes carry a heavier message, but the tunes are lackluster and quickly forgotten.

Nonetheless, the musical will surely amass an army of fans singing along soon enough, especially as the Broadway soundtrack release was announced earlier this week. Despite it all, it is a show eager to entertain with talented stars and glam and glitter aplenty. You just have to go into it with the right expectations.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]