Last April, a brand new musical opened at The Broadway Theater in New York.  The Great Gatsby is a stage rendition of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel. The story follows businessman Nick Carraway as he moves to New York from Minnesota. While in New York, he becomes intrigued with his new neighbor, who happens to be one of the richest and well-known men in the city, Jay Gatsby. Upon meeting and talking to Mr. Gatsby, Carraway is drawn to Gatsby’s charisma as he strives to win back the girl he left years before, Daisy Buchanan. It is a beautiful, twisting love story filled with (mostly) likable characters and both heartwarming and heart-wrenching scenes. Since its opening, the musical has been extremely successful, already generating over $1,000,000 in the box office since it’s opened, and has been met with nothing but love and praise from the theater community. According to Entertainment Weekly, the show is “a great, big Broadway extravaganza that explodes with life and energy!”

After premiering off Broadway in 2023, the sneak peeks into the official Broadway production began in March 2024, and the actors on the playbill amazed the public. Jeremy Jordan, who plays Jay Gatsby and is known for Disney’s Newsies, and Eva Noblezada, who acts as Daisy Buchanan and previously starred in Broadway’s Hadestown, became the most talked about duo. Both of them have extraordinary, legendary footprints on Broadway, so when fans heard that both of them would be the leads, the musical sparked much excitement. The Chicago Tribune even wrote that “The Great Gatsby brings back big Broadway.”

With Jordan’s solos in the musical “For Her” and “Past is Catching Up to Me,” his powerful tenor voice highlights the scale of his vocal range, rendering audiences awestruck. Noblezada’s  big number “Beautiful Little Fool” is powerful enough to touch the hearts of the listeners and help them dive deeper into the longing and sorrow of her character. Olympic Heights sophomore Brielle Crawley reports that she “enjoyed the way [The Great Gatsby] models women of the time while … showing a world where necessity often trumps love.”

Other cast members include Samantha Pauly (Broadway’s SIX) and Noah J. Ricketts (Disney’s Frozen on Broadway), who play the main supporting characters Jordan Baker and Nick Carraway. These two share upbeat duets, such as “Better Hold Tight” that showcase their talent and chemistry on stage. Pauly has even gone as far as to say she “wouldn’t miss [being in the musical] for the world.”

Since this musical has been released, many of Gatsby’s songs have influenced social media trends. For example, the dance for the song “New Money” swept through TikTok with people of all different ages and qualifications posting their rendition of the dance. It even inspired the choreographer, Dominique Kelly, to hold live classes with Pauly to teach aspiring fans the dance. Other simple trends have evolved from songs like “Only Tea,” creating funny videos and artwork throughout social media.

Currently, the original cast is still performing the show primarily. Next time you’re in New York, think about going to see the show for a night of magical music and breathtaking performances. They’d love to have you, old sport!