PicksInSix Review: The Great Gatsby: A New Musical - Broadway in Chicago
“BORNE BACK CEASELESSLY INTO THE PAST”
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy
The splashy opulence of the 1920s Jazz Age comes to life in the national touring production of "The Great Gatsby: A New Musical," which opened at Broadway in Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre on Wednesday night. F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel—considered by many one of the finest works of the 20th century—explores wealth, power, privilege and intrigue. The stage adaptation features a book by Kait Kerrigan with music by Jason Howland and lyrics by Nathan Tysen and is directed by Marc Bruni with choreography by Dominique Kelly.
Jake Davis Smith and Senzel Ahmady star as the ill-fated lovers Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan, reunited through Daisy's cousin Nick Carraway, played by Joshua Grosso. Carraway's romance with Daisy's best friend, amateur golfer Jordan Baker (Leanne Robinson), draws him into Gatsby's extravagant world. There he uncovers that Daisy's domineering husband Tom (Will Banner) is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson (Lila Coogan), the socially ambitious wife of George Wilson (Tally Sessions)—a well-meaning mechanic entangled in a bootlegging operation run by the nefarious Meyer Wolfsheim (Edward Staudenmayer).
By necessity, the musical reimagines Carraway as less of a narrator than in Fitzgerald's novel, where his voice serves as the story's binding, poetic force. Even so, Kerrigan's book successfully frames the story's broader themes, though some of the darker character details—fully exposed when the tide turns on Gatsby—are condensed along the way.
That depth emerges through the lush Howland-Tysen score. Highlights include Smith's soaring ballad "For Her," the duet "My Green Light" with Ahmady, and "Past Is Catching Up With Me." Robinson shines alongside Grosso, Staudenmayer and the company in the swinging "New Money" and with Grosso in "Better Hold Tight." Ahmady's "For Better or Worse," Coogan's "Second-Hand Suit," "God Sees Everything," and Grosso's "The Met" also stand out. Ensemble numbers "Roaring On" and "Shady" are stellar and Joann Gilliam's Gilda Gray alongside the electric performance of The Sugars (Anna Gassett, Josiah Hicks, Tyler Johnson-Campion and Macy McKown) steal the show with "La Dee Dah With You."
The production unfolds on Paul Tate DePoo III's magnificent set, whose elegant panels and scenic elements frame vivid projections—from the shimmering shoreline and Daisy's green dock light to Gatsby's grand estate, Carraway's Long Island cottage, the Sugar Hill apartment, the Plaza Hotel suite and George's garage in the Valley of Ashes, loomed over by Doctor T. J. Eckleburg's billboard eyes. Two cars—Tom's modest blue coupe and Gatsby's gleaming yellow roadster—make a striking and memorable impression. Linda Cho's exquisite costumes and Cory Pattak's lighting design complete a stunning visual tapestry.
Ultimately, "The Great Gatsby: A New Musical" is an American tragedy of indulgence and deception—a portrait of the privileged few who sacrifice integrity for self-preservation. It is a reflection that feels urgent for this moment in time, and a powerful reminder of the enduring significance of Fitzgerald's work and the flickering green light of hope for the future.
PHOTO|Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
Broadway in Chicago
presents
The Great Gatsby
A New Musical
Cadillac Palace Theater
through May 3, 2026
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