A Musical Version of 'The Great Gatsby' Is In The Works
Fans of the glamor and excess of the 1920s get ready because The Great Gatsby is coming to Broadway. A musical stage production of the novel is in the development phase with music from Florence Welch and Oscar-nominated producer Thomas Bartlett.
Welch, who fronts the Grammy-nominated band Florence and The Machine, will write the lyrics and compose music with Barlett, who collaborated with Sufjan Steven on the Oscar-nominated song Mystery of Love for the film “Call Me By Your Name.”
The show will be directed by Olivier Award nominee Rebecca Frecknall (the West End’s Summer and Smoke). The book will be written by Pulitzer winner Martyna Majok (The Cost Of Living).
What To Expect From The Great Gatsby Musical
Producing the 1925 classic will is Len Blavatnik (“Moulin Rouge!,” “Jagged Little Pill”) English singer-songwriter Amanda Ghost and Robert Fox, (“The Crown.”) Fox said of the musical adaptation of the 1925 Jazz classic,
“There could be no better time for a new musical adaptation of the greatest party America ever threw.”
Fox and Ghost also showered praises for Welch, adding that her talent will give new life to the classic story in a way that has never been experienced before.
The Great Gatsby Musical and Other Variations
While the musical is set to make noise on Broadway, this is not the only variation. Fitzgerald's novel entered the public domain in January, which has allowed several unique spins on the story’s theme of aspiration in America.
Entering the public domain means that The Great Gatsby is now without copyright protection. Therefore, writers and artists are not liable to pay a fee or request permission to use the author’s characters or plots.
Florence Welch Gives The Great Gatsby Another Go
Welch is not a stranger to The Great Gatsby. Under her band Florence and The Machine, Welch performed “Over The Love” for the 2013 Baz Lurhmann’s adaptation starring Leonardo Dicaprio as Gatsby and Carrey Mulligan as Daisy. Welch says,
“Musicals were my first love, and I feel a deep connection to Fitzgerald’s broken romanticism. It is an honor to have been offered the chance to recreate this book in song.”
The novel settles at just over 200 pages. Despite its minimal girth, the book has received praise for decades. However, the 1925 novel on its initial release was not immediately well-liked and did not have the current financial and critical success.
When is The Release Day
The date of release has not been announced. However, an original cast recording will be released by Warner Music. This is the first new Broadway musical announced since the pandemic-induced shutdown in March 2020.
The show is titled “The Great Gatsby, A New Musical” and will follow the storyline of the source material. Jay Gatsby is the titular Gatsby, a mysterious businessman who has an obsession with socialite Daisy Buchanan.
Where Else To Watch The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby has seen many interpretations in the past. There are various films, shows, ballets, and a video game which all make an ode to the classic novel.