BWW Reviews: BalletMet's THE GREAT GATSBY Reinvigorates Literary Classic

With shimmering costumes, beautiful sets and music straight from a 1920s dance hall, the dazzling world of F. Scott Fitzgerald's West Egg comes to life in BalletMet's production of "The Great Gatsby."

Choreographed by BalletMet company member Jimmy Orrante, the Columbus-based ballet company's production of "The Great Gatsby" made its debut in 2009, but has returned to the Capitol Theatre stage this year to once again engage audiences in a timeless story of decadence, deceit and the true meaning of the American Dream.

BalletMet succeeds in staying true to Fitzgerald's carefully layered storyline, which, like many of the book's characters, is a gilded façade covering up the deeper themes on which the author touches. The choreography accentuates dancers' movements to achieve the commendable feat of translating ideas originally written with ink on paper to emotions and thoughts conveyed through kinesthetic movement on stage.

In the very first scene, the audience is introduced to narrator Nick Carraway, pensively reminiscing on a summer spent in the company of an eclectic mix of personalities. In both the book and the ballet, Nick serves as the audience's guide throughout the events that unfold in Long Island one tumultuous summer.

Soon, we meet Daisy Buchanan, a former debutante living with her husband, Tom, in the town of East Egg, known for its stately mansions and society based on the prestige gained from "old" money.

Also included among the constantly revolving cast of characters is Daisy's friend Jordan Baker, an amateur golfer and Nick's love interest, Myrtle and George Wilson, a couple living in the grungy "Valley of Ashes" who have their fair share of martial troubles, and of course, the mysterious Jay Gatsby, who uses his wealth to host lavish parties in hopes that Daisy, his former lover, will return to his life.

BalletMet's interpretation of "The Great Gatsby" respectfully pays homage to Fitzgerald's magnum opus, and those familiar with the story will be pleased with the attention to detail upheld in this staged rendition. The carefree spirit and lively atmosphere that shrouds the more sinister aspects of the book are expertly incorporated into the ballet's retelling; indeed, there is no shortage of elements, from swing dance moves to music choices, alluding to the luxury and excess that personifies the Roaring Twenties, yet the party atmosphere of the Jazz Age does not distract from Fitzgerald's intended message.

Striking a balance between glamorized movie adaptations and the didactic essays written in countless high school classes and college lecture halls each year, BalletMet's production of "The Great Gatsby" respects Fitzgerald's literary intentions while engaging audiences in a fast-paced story of love, revenge and redemption.

BalletMet's "The Great Gatsby" is set to run until Saturday, Feb. 14. Times and tickets are available on the BalletMet website.

The Capitol Theatre is located in the Vern Riffe Center at 77 S. High Street.

Photo credit: Jennifer Zmuda

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