By Kimberly Rau
The national tour of “The Great Gatsby” is in Providence this weekend, giving you the chance to indulge in all the decadence the setting carries, with lots of style and little substance.
Based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, “The Great Gatsby” musical follows everyday man Nick Carraway as he arrives in New York after serving in World War I. Nick is swept into the upper echelons of Long Island and Manhattan’s elite when the mysterious wealthy Jay Gatsby takes him under his wing, but quickly realizes all that glitters isn’t necessarily treasure. While he pursues the emotionally unavailable Jordan, Jay is busy chasing the literally unavailable Daisy, whose husband, Tom, is anything but kind.
However, that’s where the similarities end. Past film adaptations have sacrificed a lot of the novel’s depth in the pursuit of box office sales, jettisoning nuance and symbolism in favor of a tighter script and flashier visuals. Likewise, the musical, while pretty and packed with talent, abandons much of the story’s heart in hopes of capturing the ticket holders’.
The novel puts Nick as our main character and Gatsby as Nick’s. By making the musical’s main character Gatsby, and offering a third person omniscient perspective, we lose what makes the novel great, which is, essentially, finding out alongside Nick that the rare air he’s breathing is nothing more than pretty poison. If Nick doesn’t know it, we shouldn’t know it, and yet, we do, often through over-exposition that shows the authors have little faith in their audience.
Rant over.
For all the aforementioned shortcomings, this is a breathtakingly gorgeous musical. The sets are magnificent, with soaring architecture, and grandiose backdrops, all saturated and glowing, the perfect gilded cage for the narrative. In contrast, the area outside of the manicured lawns of East and West Egg is pathetically shabby, with worn-down billboards, crumbling infrastructure and a palpable desperation in the air.
The lighting is perfectly appointed to the season and time of day, setting the mood before anyone sings a note, and remains consistently impressive throughout the show.
The music is reminiscent of Broadway’s golden age, a swelling score underneath a libretto full of big ideas and all the optimism that this time it’s all going to be not just okay, but everything our characters have ever dreamed of. Whether that ends up being true is entirely dependent on birthright and bank account. And with many of the scenes being one party after another, there’s lots of time to enjoy the authors’ interpretation of the 1920s.
“Gatsby” is blessed with an unquestionably talented cast, from a strong ensemble proficient in multiple dance styles to the supporting and lead roles.
Nick Carraway (Joshua Grosso) is a man clearly out of his element, but Grosso couldn’t be more at home embodying the well-intentioned war veteran. Grosso is clearly in tune with Nick’s essence and connects well with the material. His rapport with the elusive Gatsby (Austin Colby) is particularly effortless. For his part, Colby offers an engaging, charming Gatsby, winning over nearly everyone in the room, and does a great job with some difficult songs as well.
Nick and Gatsby are opposites, and so are the leading ladies. Daisy Buchanan (Senzel Ahmady) may be a woman trapped by circumstance, but, considering that circumstance is enormous wealth, is still largely doing just fine in life. Ahmady is lovely to watch on stage, and has a rich, powerful voice. Her rendition of “Beautiful Little Fool” especially showcases her enormous talent. Jordan Baker (Leanne Robinson) is superficially feminist – progressive, but not to the point of actually standing for anything beyond her immediate interests. Robinson does a great job with Jordan, though her chemistry with Ahmady is often stronger than what she shares with Grosso. Daisy is endlessly charming, Jordan is endlessly cynical, and both turn out to be eternally selfish, proving they’ve landed exactly where they ought to.
While I will steadfastly maintain that Tom’s mistress Myrtle (Lila Coogan) was never intended to have backstory or be personified for us, she has a wonderful number in Act 2 that Coogan does so well, it’s hard to be upset at the level of her inclusion. And our true villains, Meyer Wolfsheim (Edward Staudenmayer) and Tom Buchanan (Will Branner) are left deliciously unrepentant and unredeemed.
Overall, this is a very pretty musical with a setting and score bound to please any aspiring Daisy or Gatsby. If you can separate the musical from the incredible source material, you’ll enjoy being swept up in the decadent whirlwind that is “The Great Gatsby.” If you can’t, you may find the clear departure from the novel frustrating. Decide for yourself through the weekend.
“The Great Gatsby” runs through Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, at the Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset St., Providence. Tickets may be obtained at the box office, online at ppacri.org or by calling 401.421.2787
