Spotlight 814

Spectacle vs Story.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby has always been a story about illusion. A mysterious millionaire spends years building a fortune and an identity in hopes of winning back the woman he loves, while those around him chase status, wealth, and a version of the American Dream that never quite lives up to the fantasy.

One thing the show gets absolutely right is Fitzgerald’s criticism of the wealthy elite. For all the glamour, champagne, and extravagant parties, The Great Gatsby is ultimately a story about privileged people making a mess of other people’s lives and then walking away from the wreckage. Nearly 100 years later, that part still hits pretty hard.

Adapted from Fitzgerald’s classic novel, the musical features a book by Kait Kerrigan and music and lyrics by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen. Their score blends contemporary Broadway pop with jazz-age influences, creating a sound that feels accessible to modern audiences while still capturing the glamour, longing, and heartbreak at the center of Gatsby’s world.

If you’re looking for spectacle, The Great Gatsby delivers. This touring production throws everything it has at the audience: stunning costumes, massive dance numbers, moving scenery, and larger-than-life visuals. Director Marc Bruni clearly wants Gatsby’s world to feel bigger than life itself. The result is often exciting, though there were times when all that visual excess threatened to overshadow the story and performances underneath it.

The biggest issue for me was the digital scenery. Massive projections dominate much of the production, constantly shifting and moving behind the performers. While impressive on a technical level, they often felt distracting rather than immersive. At times they looked oddly synthetic (possibly AI), pulling my focus away from the actors. It’s a strange choice because the production already has everything it needs. The costumes are stunning. The physical set pieces are effective. The performers are charismatic enough to fill the stage without a giant digital backdrop competing for attention.

The other challenge was diction. There were several moments where important lyrics and dialogue got lost in the mix. Since most audience members already know Fitzgerald’s story, they can fill in the blanks. If this were your first exposure to Gatsby, however, I suspect you’d miss some major plot points and character motivations.

The score itself is one of the production’s strengths. Howland’s melodies soar, particularly in the show’s ballads, while Tysen’s lyrics often find the emotional core beneath the spectacle. Songs like “For Her,” “My Green Light,” and “Beautiful Little Fool” give the principal cast opportunities to dig deeper than the lavish parties and champagne-soaked excess. That makes the diction issues all the more frustrating. There’s good storytelling in these songs, and I occasionally found myself working harder than I should have to catch it.

Whatever frustrations I had with the production, they rarely stemmed from a lack of talent onstage.

Joshua Grosso’s Nick Carraway is the heartbeat of the show. While everyone else is busy building their own illusions, Nick remains the audience’s steady guide through the story. Grosso’s voice is absolutely beautiful, rich and effortless without ever feeling showy. More importantly, he brings a naturalness to the role that grounds the entire production. Every time he stepped on stage the show felt more focused.

Jake David Smith brings plenty of charisma and vulnerability to Jay Gatsby, making the title character feel less like a myth and more like a man desperately trying to recreate a moment that has already slipped away. Senzel Ahmady delivers a strong Daisy Buchanan, balancing charm and emotional distance in a way that captures the character’s complexity and contradictions.

Will Branner leans into Tom Buchanan’s arrogance with confidence, creating a villain audiences love to hate, while Leanne Robinson brings warmth and intelligence to Jordan Baker. Their scenes give the story some much-needed texture beyond Gatsby and Daisy’s central romance.

Lila Coogan’s Myrtle Wilson is fiery and sympathetic, making her tragic arc land with real emotional weight. Tally Sessions also deserves recognition for bringing depth to George Wilson, a character who can easily get lost in larger productions.

Still, it was the ensemble I found myself wanting more of.

Whether they’re filling Gatsby’s mansion, dancing through party sequences, or helping create the show’s biggest visual moments, they’re consistently excellent. I found myself wanting the production to trust them more. Every time the ensemble took center stage, the show seemed to come alive.

Nowhere was that more apparent than during “La Dee Dah With You,” the evening’s undeniable showstopper. The tap choreography brought the house down. The four performers leading the way with the tap choreograpy, Anna Gassett, Josiah Hicks, Tyler Johnson-Campion, and Macy McKown, absolutely steal the moment. McKown’s tap credentials are obvious the second she takes the stage, and the entire group attacks the choreography with precision, energy, and infectious joy. It was one of those rare musical theatre moments where you could feel the audience collectively leaning forward in their seats. It earned one of the biggest audience reactions of the night.

That’s ultimately where I landed with The Great Gatsby. There is a genuinely entertaining musical underneath all of the excess. The performances are strong. The score has several memorable moments. The ensemble is exceptional.

I just wish the production trusted those strengths more often.

The green light shines brightest when there are fewer distractions around it.

– Ryan Dawley (Spotlight 814)

★★★☆☆

The Great Gatsby opened on Tuesday, June 9, and continues at the Connor Palace in Cleveland’s Playhouse Square through Sunday, June 28, as part of the KeyBank Broadway Series. Tickets are currently available and can be purchased by calling 216-241-6000 or through the official website, Playhouse Square.