Chasing the Green Light: THE GREAT GATSBY Musical Comes to New Orleans
Experience the magic of THE GREAT GATSBY musical in New Orleans.
One hundred years after F. Scott Fitzgerald first put Jay Gatsby on the page, the Jazz Age's most enduring tragedy is back; this time, with a full orchestra, killer choreography and a fresh set of voices determined to make the story hit harder than ever.
The touring production of THE GREAT GATSBY the musical is currently playing at New Orleans' historic Saenger Theatre through March 29, and for the cast stepping into these iconic roles, the appeal of the material is immediate and personal.
Joshua Grosso, who plays Nick Carraway, puts it plainly.
"It's not only a story that is almost known universally with these big, relatable themes, but it's so inherently American,” Grosso said. “That's what fascinates me. Its thumbprint is so undeniably American that I was curious to flesh out and grapple with whatever that means in our modern context."
Leanne Robinson, who plays Jordan Baker, came to the project through a different door (the Baz Luhrmann film), but found her connection to the material just as visceral.
"I'm also a huge fan of a full, glamorous musical," Robinson says. "Big bands, sounds, lights, big choreography numbers, heartfelt ballads and The Great Gatsby has it all."
A New Voice for the Women of West Egg
Both performers identify the same breakout element of the stage adaptation: what it gives to Fitzgerald's female characters, long considered the novel's weakest dimension.
"Fitzgerald famously was a bit underwhelmed with his female leads, seeing them more as symbols than actual people,” Grosso said. “Our show gives those 'symbols' a real sense of presence: wants, needs, opinions. They are fully fleshed out."
Robinson agrees, and speaks to what drew her specifically to Jordan.
"She is confident, independent, not afraid to speak her mind when it's necessary, and is adamant on having autonomy over her own life and destiny, even if that means not conforming to the social norms of 'marriage and having a child.'"
She described the expanded female perspective as one of the production's great gifts.
"We get to hear their private thoughts and perspective on the world they are living in," Robinson said. “Watching women make decisions for themselves and dealing with the consequences is thrilling and inspiring to me."
The Narrator Question
Any production of Gatsby must reckon with Nick, the self-appointed moral compass who may or may not deserve that designation.
"I think giving a definitive answer on that sort of ruins the fun,” Grosso said. “I think the very fact we ask that question is what makes the story something worth revisiting time and time again and it's what gives our show the liberty to have more than one interpretation."
Robinson is slightly more generous to Nick's credibility, though no less nuanced.
"I think Nick is the best narrator to give the audience a somewhat balanced view of the happenings within the story,” Robinson said. “Does he come with his own biases and blind spots? Yes, as we all do. But I believe Nick to be the best option, especially as he is around for most of all that is taking place."
What Grosso does find compelling about his character is the audacity of that famous opening declaration.
"Any character who starts out saying 'I'm one of the few honest people that I have ever known' already has me itching to see who else he's met to give such a wonderfully arrogant statement."
Inside and Outside the Party
One of the production's richest tensions is the dual position of both Nick and Jordan, drawn into Gatsby's glittering world while remaining, in some ways, apart from it. Grosso describes Nick as someone who "gets swept up in the glamour of it all but oddly enough sees Gatsby with a certain clarity and transparency that I don't think anyone else does."
He points to Nick's stated mantra, to reserve all judgment, as the through-line of his performance.
"I have my own thoughts on whether he succeeds or fails in maintaining that line of thought," Grosso said, "But that's something I'd love for the audience to decide and experience."
Jordan, meanwhile, operates by a different code entirely.
"The word 'chameleon' came to mind," Robinson said. "Jordan is extremely clever, and knows exactly what is appropriate in each environment and how far she can go without facing damaging consequences. She understands when she needs to sit up straight, when to speak up, and when to be quiet."
Together, the two characters form a quietly compelling dynamic at the center of all the spectacle.
"It's a classic tale of opposites attract," Robinson says. "The introspective, caring, empathetic nature of Nick is what Jordan is drawn to. He is nothing like her, or any of the other men she has grown up around."
From Grosso's vantage point, that magnetism runs in both directions:
"I think Nick is definitely drawn to Jordan's grounded energy,” Grosso said. “It's a completely different rhythm than everyone else in the show."
Why Now?
Does Gatsby's themes require any updating to feel urgent?
"Not at all," Grosso said, when asked if wealth and reinvention hit differently today. "Hence why the book is still revisited 100 years later, has two movie adaptations, a musical, et cetera."
"People are still chasing dreams,” Robinson said. “Still aspiring to reach new heights in terms of status, finances, ownership of their life decisions. We are all still searching for that green light, even if it isn't money or love. For some people it's peace within themselves, or something as seemingly small as committing to drinking more water. We can all resonate with 'not having' something we desperately want and doing whatever it takes to get it."
THE GREAT GATSBY runs through March 29 at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans. Tickets are available at the Saenger box office and online
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