‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

THE GREAT GATSBY
Based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Book by Kait Kerrigan
Music by Jason Howland
Lyrics by Nathan Tysen
Directed by Marc Bruni
Broadway Theatre
1681 Broadway at 53rd Street
(212-239-6200), www.BroadwayGatsby.com

By David NouNou

Hallelujah! I can finally say that an extravagant, splashy, glitzy musical has landed at the Broadway Theatre by the name of The Great Gatsby.  The show surprisingly sticks to the facts and styling of the way F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote this timeless classic American tale from the late teens and 1920s Jazz Age.

Set in 1917 in both New York City and Long Island, there is the established old-money rich and the nouveau riche. Nick Carraway (Noah J. Ricketts) has just arrived from Minnesota and needs a place to stay, but Manhattan is expensive. He finds there is a little cottage to be rented out by Jay Gatsby (Jeremy Jordan). Gatsby would be new money and he has done everything in his power to reclaim his former love Daisy Buchanan (Eva Noblelzada), now married to Tom Buchanan (John Zdrojeski) who represents old money. Daisy’s father refused to let Daisy marry Jay because he was penniless. So, he went and fought in World War I. Although Tom is very abusive and has constant affairs, including the one with Myrtle Wilson (Sarah Chase)—the local floozy in Queens, who is married to gas-pump jockey George Wilson (Paul Whitty). He thought he was a better match for Daisy. In the mix is also Jordan Baker (Samantha Pauly) who befriends Nick.

Life on the outside is luscious parties galore, champagne is flowing and it was the Jazz Age. That party lasted the whole summer of 1917, when all things and disillusionments started setting in. All the rich people were really quite evil, life and death were meaningless and love was just bounced around as a plaything not to be taken seriously. Jay Gatsby was the best of the best of them and the ultimate loser. He even built that eternal “green light” for Daisy that only he could see from his balcony.

The book by Kait Kerrigan follows F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous narrative almost perfectly. The score by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen is melodic, grand and lush. Marc Bruni’s direction is a delight but some of the comedic segments could have been left out.

Which brings us to the two leads: Jeremy Jordan has never been in finer voice and his stage presence was never felt so profoundly. Eva Noblezada has outshined all her screen predecessors, portraying Daisy with the right mix of strength and vulnerability. They make a dynamic duo indeed.

What gives lushness to the proceedings is Paul Tate De Poo III’s scenic and projection designs. They transform you to other worlds, and Linda Cho’s costumes are innovative and a delight.

For a grand musical and a fun night at the theatre, The Great Gatsby is the ticket. It is a rare gem and one of the 2024 season’s best new musicals.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 25, 2024
Reviewed at April 23, 2024 press preview performance

‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: Samantha Pauly (center) & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: Eva Noblezada & Jeremy Jordan. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: Jeremy Jordan & Eva Noblezada. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: (left to right) Noah J. Ricketts, Sara Chase, & John Zdrojeski. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: Paul Whitty. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: Eva Noblezada. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

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‘THE LITTLE PRINCE’: The cast. Photo: Joan Marcus.

THE LITTLE PRINCE
Based on the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Music by Terry Truck
Librettist & co-direction by Chris Mouron
Direction & choreography by Anne Tournié
Video programming by Étienne Beaussart
Through August 14, 2022
Broadway Theatre
1681 Broadway at 53rd Street
(212-239-6200), www.TheLittlePrinceBroadway.com

By David NouNou

Not to be confused with the 1982 musical The Little Prince and The Aviator, starring Michael York as the aviator, Ellen Greene as Rose, and Anthony Rapp as the Little Prince—it had a book by Hugh Wheeler, music by John Barry and lyrics by Don Black.  That production ran for 20 previews and never opened. This Little Prince is not a revision or a revival of that. This is also not a musical. It’s The Little Prince set to music and performed as variations of interpretive dance and using aerial fabric acrobatics to have the characters fly and swirl around the stage.

The novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry has a narrator (Chris Mouron who is also the librettist) and tells the tale of an aviator who has crash-landed in the Sahara and meets the young Little Prince from another planet. The boy is most inquisitive and insists on answers. The boy travels to various planets, including Earth, and addresses issues such as love, friendship, loneliness and loss. In the process he has to disseminate life, adults and human nature.

In his travels, besides the aviator, he comes across a vain rose who deceives him, a king who has no subjects, a conceited man who loves applause, a tippler who drinks because he is ashamed of drinking, a businessman who wants to own the stars, a lamplighter, a snake who speaks in riddles, and a fox who wants to get tamed, among other characters.

The music by Terry Truck is exciting and at times exhilarating, but if you are not familiar with the novella, it is very hard to follow the narrative as spoken by the narrator. She has a delightful French accent, heavy at times, but there are TV monitors to interpret what she is saying. Since she has all the lines of all the characters from the Prince, to the rose, to the snake, it is very difficult to decipher just who is asking the questions and who is answering. It becomes a jumble at times, especially when dealing with the philosophical questions and answers of life through the free-wheeling interpretive dance numbers and aerial spinnings. It becomes less of a show and more of a convoluted, head-spinning Cirque Du Soleil.

All the elements of the novella are here, but in the most incohesive manner. Because every incident is interpreted through dance, and there is no other way to propel the story forward, the dances begin to bleed into each other and look alike.

Unfortunately, this is not a show that can pass as a musical or belongs in a Broadway musical theatre. It was sad to see how many people didn’t return to their seats after intermission. It’s meant for aficionados of dance and belongs at the Joyce Theatre or at City Center where their audiences would appreciate it more.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 17, 2022
Reviewed at April 16, 2022 press performance.

‘THE LITTLE PRINCE’: Aurélien Bednarek (lying down), Chris Mouron & Lionel Zalachas. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE LITTLE PRINCE’: Antony Cesar (top) & Lionel Zalachas. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE LITTLE PRINCE’: Laurisse Sulty & Lionel Zalachas. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘THE LITTLE PRINCE’: Chris Mouron & company. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘THE LITTLE PRINCE’: The company. Photo: Joan Marcus

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