The party's roaring on Broadway! The Great Gatsbyis a “great, big Broadway extravaganza that explodes with life and energy” (Entertainment Weekly). Directed by Marc Bruni (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), this story of extravagance and longing features choreography by Dominique Kelley (So You Think You Can Dance), a book by Kait Kerrigan (The Mad Ones) and a jazz- and pop-influenced original score by Jason Howland (Little Women) and Nathan Tysen (Paradise Square).
"The male lead was phenomenal and the secondary leads. Female lead’s acting was wonderful, but standard vocals could be improved. When she belted lyrics she was best.
The dancers needed improvement. Being in the field myself, the sharpness and energy was low.
Some were not even singing. The groups tap sounds were, I believed, dubbed to make it sound muffled and as if there were more dancers in the routine. Unfortunately, myself and guests were disappointed. :("
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Broadway.com Customer on Feb 17, 2025
Written on the Fly?
"Wow, didn’t like this one at all. I thought it was poorly written and executed. Def a level down from many shows. The script didn’t portray Gatsby as mysterious and dark as intended. The songs were for the most part whiny and overly redundant, except for 2-3 numbers. "
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Rebecca B from Plano on Feb 1, 2025
A sad pastiche of the film
"The Great Gatsby on Broadway promised a fresh take on F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic novel, but the result felt more like a pastiche of the 2013 Baz Luhrmann film. Rather than offering a bold reinterpretation, the production leaned heavily on familiar visuals and themes, rendering it basic and uninspired.
The set design, though opulent, lacked innovation, relying on clichéd representations of Gatsby's world rather than creating something truly captivating. Similarly, the costumes borrowed too much from the film's flamboyance, failing to add any new dimensions to the aesthetic. This dependence on existing interpretations made the production feel stagnant rather than imaginative.
While the dialogue remained true to Fitzgerald’s prose, it often felt more expository than evocative. The performances, though competent, suffered from shallow character development. Gatsby’s charisma, Daisy’s complexity, and Nick’s introspection were flattened into predictable archetypes, leaving little emotional impact.
The musical elements also fell short, blending period-inspired tunes with a nod to modernity, but without the boldness or innovation that made the film’s soundtrack memorable. Instead of enhancing the story, the music felt like a half-hearted imitation.
Ultimately, The Great Gatsby lacked the creativity and depth required for a compelling stage adaptation. It delivered a surface-level portrayal of a rich and complex story, offering little for audiences seeking either nostalgia or fresh insights. For fans of the novel or the film, this production is likely to feel disappointingly prosaic."
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camille D from Paris on Jan 2, 2025
Really did not like it
"The show did not need to be a musical or if anything why was there so so much singing? Why did they focus so much on Jordyn and Nicks romance over Jay and Daisy? Characters were not cast well to fit the original story in particular Gatsby. "
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Broadway.com Customer on Feb 10, 2025
Awful music.
"Costumes were wonderful; otherwise, we did not like anything and left at intermission- a first for us."
