Interview: Jeremy Jordan on Upcoming SCERA Concert and New THE GREAT GATSBY Musical

Broadway and television star Jeremy Jordan, known for leading the original cast of Disney’s NEWSIES and appearing in SMASH and SUPERGIRL, will join the Utah Valley Symphony for a large-scale solo concert at the SCERA.

He will perform on Thursday, August 31, 2023 at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre. (The final concert in the amphitheatre this season will be Thompson Square on Labor Day, September 4.) For tickets, call the box office at 801-225-ARTS (2787) or visit www.scera.org.

“This will be only my second time performing in Utah, so it’ll be fun, Jordan told BroadwayWorld. “I do remember when I was in BYU, the crowd was really great, and they seem to have a really good energy and appetite for musical theatre.” 

“We will be doing a lot of different songs, although some of the stuff will be the same,” Jordan said when asked how the set list will compare to last year’s concert at BYU. “There will be a few things that I'm known for, you know, like some of the greatest hits, if you will, but definitely throwing in some new stuff that hopefully a lot of people haven't heard or that I don't usually do live because they are more interesting and exciting with a full orchestra.”

He said the audience can expect to hear songs from NEWSIES, WAITRESS, and THE LAST FIVE YEARS, as well as Disney, the Great American Songbook and classic musical theatre.

“The show is gonna be really fun and dynamic, and I'll tell some stories,” he added. “It's gonna be a great night.”

Jordan is currently starring as Seymour in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS off Broadway through September 17. Despite the rigors of the vocally demanding score, he’ll still travel back to New York after his SCERA performance to return to the show the following day. 

Right after LITTLE SHOP, he’ll go into rehearsals to play the title role in a new, ostensibly Broadway-bound musical adaptation of THE GREAT GATSBY at New Jersey’s Paper Mill Playhouse (where he originated “Jack Kelly” in NEWSIES), beginning October 12. 

The show’s score was written by Tony Award nominees Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen (PARADISE SQUARE). Howland, who also composed LITTLE WOMEN, worked in Utah last year at Pioneer Theatre Company providing musical supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations for the world premiere of SHUCKED.  He’ll return to PTC in a few months for the in-development musical comedy CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT, which features his original score, opening December 1.    

“The music is just really, really gorgeous,” Jordan said, referring to THE GREAT GATSBY. “I've known Jason for a long time, and this is, I think, some of his best work. And, you know, it's still an early stage. I did a workshop of it back in December, and it's only gotten better since then.”

“It’s the first new show that I’ve gotten to work on where I feel like I'm just going to work with a bunch of my friends,” he continued. “And as for the show, it's sort of contemporary musical theater; it's high energy. We’re trying to stay true to the book in the best way we can while still remaining theatrical and putting our own juice on it. But you know, I haven't seen the sets yet, or the costumes, so I'm really excited to see. I've heard that it's going to be pretty spectacular to look at, though, so should be quite the evening.”

Photo Credit: Jeremy Jordan

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