Book-to-movie-to-musical adaptations are taking over Broadway right now with so many shows including Water For Elephants, The Notebook, The Outsiders, and The Great Gatsby. Everyone has probably heard the phrase, “The book was better” when a new adaptation of a novel is released. However, after seeing The Great Gatsby on Broadway, I think this story was destined to be on stage.
I was fortunate enough to see the original Broadway cast of The Great Gatsby in New York City on July 24, 2024. This show brings 1920’s glamor and extravagant musical numbers back to Broadway, while still incorporating the original heartbreaking story from the novel. The themes from the 1925 novel are portrayed beautifully and some of the changes made in this adaptation really make it special. While the story is amazing; the cast really carries this show. Jeremy Jordan’s portrayal of Jay Gatsby brought me to tears and I can’t imagine him being played by anyone else. Eva Noblezada gave a stunning performance as Daisy Buchanan and made the audience feel sympathy for the controversial character. Alex Prakken was on in place of Noah J. Ricketts for the role of Nick Carraway. He was the perfect Nick and his performance had my grandma state, “I can’t believe he’s an understudy.” Traci Elaine Lee was in place of Samantha Pauly for the role of Jordan Baker. She is an understudy who is newer to this role and she seemed like she was still getting comfortable with some of the material. Her performance of the hit song “New Money” was a bit underwhelming, however Samantha Pauly leaves some big shoes to fill. I enjoyed her sweeter approach to the strong and sometimes cold character that is Jordan Baker. Aside from the main cast, the ensemble is extraordinary, and brings the show to a whole new level.
Although it was one of the most popular during the Broadway summer season, it faced a lot of backlash from lovers of the book. Slight changes are made to the characters and the plot line in the Broadway production. Some critics feel that this production does not capture the darker themes of the book, and tries to glamourize them and cover them with humor. I personally disagree with these claims. The common theme of Gatsby’s American dream is portrayed beautifully in the finale song and with the visuals onstage. While this show is very glamorous and funny, I assure you it has plenty of dark moments that left audience members in tears. I thought there was a good balance between happy and dark and I don’t think many people want to sit through a show about misery for two and a half hours. I read the original book last school year in Ms. Mercure’s Advanced Language Arts class and we studied this book very thoroughly. I think that many of the changes made are what makes this show great. The choice to pursue a relationship between Nick Carraway and Jordan Baker added another layer to the story and let the audience get to know their characters more. A common complaint is drawing back the attention on the character of Nick Carraway, but I think it is important to remember that the book is told completely from Nick’s perspective, while this production is not. This gives the audience a chance to hear the other characters’ perspectives rather than just his opinion. Because this story is full of so many layers, I think this decision was a smart one.
Anything in the spotlight is bound to have controversy in the media. However, these conversations show how important it is to read the original story before a new adaptation is released. It gives audiences more to think about and adds a whole new perspective to the experience. Even if there is controversy, it gives people a chance to debate, share new ideas, and dig deeper into literature which is so important. What I learned while reading this book in class made seeing this show even more special.
I interviewed Ms. Mercure, who teaches students The Great Gatsby in eleventh grade language arts, and asked her how she felt about this controversy. She says she thinks it is important to always read the book first because it provides a foundation and it gives you an appreciation for the new adaptations. When asked if she is upset about any of the changes they made to the original story in this adaptation, she said she would enjoy seeing a different perspective. She said it would be an interesting comparison and would appreciate the director’s perspective. Ms. Mercure does not plan to see the Broadway production even though she would love to. However, she does plan to include it in her lesson plans for the upcoming school year.
