lundi 20 janvier 2025

The Great Gatsby (musical)

by on


The Great Gatsby (The Musical): A Presentation

1. Introduction

  • Overview:
    "The Great Gatsby (The Musical)" is a theatrical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel. This production combines the glamour and drama of the Roaring Twenties with the emotional depth of musical theater.

  • Key Themes:

    • The pursuit of the American Dream.
    • Love, wealth, and social ambition.
    • The illusions and disillusionments of life.

2. The Storyline

  • Setting:
    Long Island, New York, during the 1920s—a time of jazz, excess, and the Prohibition era.





  • Main Characters:

    • Jay Gatsby: A mysterious millionaire with a longing for lost love.
    • Daisy Buchanan: Gatsby's love interest




    • Tom Buchanan: Daisy's husband, a wealthy and arrogant man.
    • Nick Carraway: The narrator and Gatsby’s neighbor, who observes the unfolding drama.
    • Jordan Baker: A professional golfer and Daisy's friend, who becomes romantically involved with Nick.


  • Plot Summary:
    The story revolves around Jay Gatsby's attempts to rekindle his romance with Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby hosts extravagant parties in the hope that Daisy will attend, but their reunion leads to a chain of events that reveal the destructive nature of obsession, lies, and social stratification.





3. Musical Elements

  • Score and Style:
    The musical captures the jazz age with lively big band numbers, romantic ballads, and songs that reflect the decadence of the era.





  • Notable Songs:

    • "Roaring On" – Celebrating the glamour of the time.
    • "Past is Catching Up to Me" – An access to Gatsby's character and deepest motives.
    • "Beautiful Little Fool" – Daisy’s inner conflict between love and societal expectations, and her complaint about the society's expectations of women.
    • "My Green Light" – Symbolizing hope and unattainable dreams - and a beautiful love song.

  • Choreography:
    Features energetic jazz dances, Charleston routines, and moments of intimate storytelling through mouvement.



  • Musical Numbers at Paper Mill Playhouse 


  • Musicals Numbers at Broadway
  • Changes
    • "Roaring On" was originally also sung by Gatsby and Wolfsheim
    • "Sophisticated" has been changed to "Absolute Rose"


    • "My share of heavens" was deleted? (here's apparently the lyrics)
    • In the Broadway's production, "New money" includes Wolfsheim
    • "Louisville" has been entirely deleted, but it "used to belong to a whole flashback scene of Gatsby and Daisy first dancing to the song at the officer's ball". 
    • What happened to "The great gatsby" song?
    • "Bootstraps" has been replaced by "La Dee Dah with you". 
      • https://www.tiktok.com/@newsies_/video/7425189716871351585
      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYD3kK22Qo0&ab_channel=NewsiesForeverSecondToNone
    • A Reprise of "For Better or Worse" has been added in the Broadway production
    • A reprise of "New money" has been added in the Broadway production
    • Nick also sings in the reprise of "For her" in the broadway production
    • the reprise of valley of ashes has been deleted 


4. Production History

  • Development:

  • The Great Gatsby started in New Yersey at the Paper Mill Playhouse. Its official opening night was October 22nd. 

  • It is directed by Marc Bruni and choregraphed by Dominique Kelly, with a music by Jason Howland, Lyrics by Nathan Tysen, and Book by Kait Kerrigan





  • First Productions:

    • The show started on Broadway in 2024 (March 29th). It officially opened on April 25th.
    • It should arrive on WestEnd in April 2025 at the London Coliseum, from April 11th to September 7th - casting yet to be announced
    • The Original Cast contains:
      • Jeremy Jordan: Jay Gatsby
      • Eva Noblezada: Daisy
      • Noah J.Ricetts : Nick
      • Samantha Pauly : Jordan
      • Sara Chase : Myrtle
      • (Original Stanley Wayne Mathis) Eric Anderson: Wolfsheim
    • In Broadway, the show is directed by Bruni with set design by Paul Tate dePoo III

  • Changes

    • Wolfsheim was originally played by Stanley Wayne Mathis, who was then replaced by Eric Anderson
    • Chilina Kennedy will replace Sara Chase from July to September 2024
    • In January 2025, Ryan McCartan replaces Jordan.
    • Also in January 2025, Terrence Mann is replacing Anderson in the role of Wolfsheim.
    • Later in February, Sarah Hyland will replace Eva.

  • Critics and reception

    • The production seems to be well received because it is selling tickets through February 23, 2025


  • Awards nominations

    • Outer Critics Circle Awards - Outstanding Scenic Design Category : Paul Tate dePoo III
    • Outer Critics Circle Awards - Outstanding Costume Design : Linda Cho
    • Tony Awards - Best Costume Design in a Musical : Linda Cho




Quick review and notation: 

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
I reallly liked the musical! Eva Noblezada and Jeremy Jordan are obviously part of my fav artists from Broadway so I was truly happy to see them together. I believe both Eva and Jeremy truly embodied the unlikable characters of Daisy and Gatsby. You feel pity for them, but at the same time you cannot really like them for their actions are pathetic and -let's admit it- annoying. 
I read the book and saw Baz Luhrmann's adaption, and he is my favourite director in the world so I really liked the movie. 
What I felt lacking in the musical was the meaning of the book, and mostly the critic of the Old money versus the New money in the early 20th century, after WWI, in the US. I felt like the musical focused a bit too much on a romance that didn't exist in the book, because Daisy was completely over Gatsby and only saw him as divertissment, whereas Gatsby only saw her as a goal to reach - most toxic relationship ever // Scott and Zelda. But anyway, even though the musical was lacking in deeper meaning and focused too much on superficial stuff, I liked that they gaved more character and agentivity to Daisy! 
Overall it was a great musical, the choreographies are nice, the jazz is sooooooooo Hot, and Jeremy and Eva are perfect!




à
Tags , , , , , , , , , , ,

Aucun commentaire:

Enregistrer un commentaire

Inscription à : Publier les commentaires (Atom)