Chavkin-directed GATSBY musical from Welch and Majok to premiere in 2024- Page 8

[OhHiii]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 9:20am

jakethesnake said: "You’re hearing this for a show that has never performed in front of an audience? You’re a mind reader?"

They’ve actually had several workshops and there have long been murmurs that word coming out of those that the show was a nonsensical mess and that Chavkin wasn’t getting along with the other creators. So just because YOU aren’t hearing that information doesn’t mean that it isn’t something that’s been said several times already at multiple points in the show’s development. Casting was also a wrought process.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 9:40am

Can't speak to any specifics related to this show, but:

A shotgun marriage of a creative team can be tricky: a bookwriter and composer/lyricist who've never done musical theatre, a change in director midway (someone who's used to building shows from the ground up with contemporaries), and a director working with some new collaborators on the creative/design team.

Casting being wrought is usually indicative of poor collaboration AND can be a sign of poorly-written characters.

They've also had the looming specter of the other Gatsby –– which may be only a subconscious thing, but it's still a thing.

And now the failure of Lempicka looms.


Looking forward to hearing reports out of Cambridge (because I probably get there to see it).

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 10:17am

The current Broadway Gatsby doing so well and Chavkin’s aura of the moment can’t be putting smiles on the dials or hope in their hearts right now. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 10:47am

BorisTomashevsky said: "The current Broadway Gatsby doing so well and Chavkin’s aura of the moment can’t be putting smiles on the dials or hope in their hearts right now."

I've said this since the beginning, but I think it would be foolish to open Chavkin Gatsby within one year of the other Gatsby closing. The bottom could fall out of Broadway Gatsby at any time (their profit margin is not high), but realistically Jordan Roth & co. should be looking at 2026 at the earliest for Chavkin Gatsby in New York. If a ton of work is needed, then that will be a blessing.

A selling point of the current Broadway Gatsby is it's a huge, lavish-looking production told extremely conventionally, where attractive actors sing high notes. And I don't expect that's what we're going to get from the Chavkin version.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 11:10am

“You’re hearing this for a show that has never performed in front of an audience?   You’re a mind reader?”

Rumors/word of mouth from the cast about what’s going on over there are well known and discussed. People do forget that theater people with friends/family working on these shows, do post here and discuss. 

[BJR]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 11:56am

I've also heard some word of a tense room between people not otherwise mentioned in this thread.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 1:13pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "a change in director midway (someone who's used to building shows from the ground up with contemporaries)"

Who did Chavkin replace? I was unaware there was someone directing this before her.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 1:53pm

Call_me_jorge said: "Who did Chavkin replace? I was unaware there was someone directing this before her."

Rebecca Frecknall

Chavkin may be a better choice for the material, though Majok had an existing relationship with RF.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 3:30pm

dramamama611 said: "And..... Friday has been cancelled, Sat is now the "invited dress" .



Maybe I'm a pessimist, but I'm begining to doubt my tix for Sunday."

 

AND now Sunday is the first preview.  (I don't know if that means that SATURDAY is now simply being referred to as the invited dress, but it's not listed at all on the website as of now.)  Craziness.

[joshdog2014]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 4:02pm

They've been pretty confusing about it all, but Saturday matinee was canceled, Saturday evening is “invited dress” for pre-existing ticket holders, Sunday is first preview.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/23/24 at 4:33pm

Thanks for the clarification! 

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 5/24/24 at 10:21am

Now that Gatsby has extended, there will be an overlap with previews for Kristen Chenoweth's Queen of Versailles. I'm tempted to fly to Massachusetts and make it a double feature. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/24/24 at 11:23am

There was always an overlap (just a week or two, at most)... Now it's just longer. 

 

C'mon up!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/25/24 at 8:16pm

FYI.   As Ive mentioned, Im attending Gatsby tomorrow evening, and rec'd my tix yesterday. Today rec'd an email "getting me ready for the experience" but of note:  The show is running 2:40.   Hope it's good!

 

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/25/24 at 9:00pm

I really want to do the Gatsby / Queen day. Just need to figure out which days they work. 

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 5/25/24 at 9:14pm

Act I

Welcome To The New World

Golden Girl

Valley Of Ashes

Shakin Off The Dust

New York Symphony (on booze)

One Heart Beat

Month Of Love

Deathless Song

Feels Like Hell

I've Changed My Mind

Pouring Down

Mr. Nobody From Nowhere

Act II

Just A Little Party

Welcome To The New World (Reprise)

Out Of The Ashes

What Is This Worship

What Will We Do With Ourselves?

What Of Love, What Of God

The Dream Fought On

The Damage That You Do

Vigil

America, She Breaks

Pouring Down (Reprise)

We Beat On

[Robbie2]

Posted: 5/25/24 at 10:07pm

https://gatsbybway.com/

[Ricey2]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 11:38am

Saw it last night. Don’t feel like fully commenting on a show that isn’t fully ready. During the welcoming speech, Rachel mentioned that the sets were not loaded in and to use our imagination, haha. It was very charming the way she talked about it.

 

As this was their first full run, I thought it was amazing. I really want to go back in a month or two to see how it has improved. Some amazing things being done on that stage. 

[MarilynMonroeSmash]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 12:11pm

I know it was billed as an invited dress, but last night really felt like experiencing something very special for the first time. I don’t think I will forget tonight for a long time. There is work that needs to be done, but overall it was beyond expectations and an incredible experience. It is everything “The Great Gatsby” should have been and certainly is a huge step up from “Lempicka” for Chavkin. Four workshops paid off.

If you don’t want spoilers, please stop reading here. You were warned lol!

The night started with Chavkin explaining that this is the first time anyone, even herself, have seen the show in full. There were two large set pieces that were supposed to rise from below that would not be happening tonight. Speaking of the set, it is entirely made of crushed and wrecked silver cars with two massive staircases, one that moves. The rest of the sets are pushed on (sometimes by the crew members) and are all very elegant. The lighting is beautifully done and it’s an entire wall of lights in the back that is used as rain and city lights. 

The book is particularly strong relying heavily on the novel, but digging in deep with new develops. Particularly moving was Gatsby’s father being seemingly indigenous conveying that this Gatsby is POC. It trusts its source material and pulls direct dialogue from it. I thought the beginning through Nick’s and Tom’s trip to NYC could be a little tighter. This may have been the book or just being the first run through. Transitions felt a little awkward in these moments, but it really builds the themes and characters.

The biggest addition is the deepening of Myrtle. She and Wilson had a child they lost in the years prior and they are both mourning in different ways. She is the heart of the musical in my opinion. She is given a lot to do and Solea knocks it out of the park. Give her her Tony! Her death was beautifully done with choreography. Myrtle is the heartbreaking character that wants nothing more then to be apart of the American Dream, but never can be and it’s ripped from her. She is more the tragic character than Gatsby, which could be a fault of the book, but I think it’s making the point that Gatsby is not a clean slate.

The score is beyond. The lyrics are clever and dig into the dirt of America and the faults she creates. It sounds like nothing else before. Some some highlights are “Shakin Off The Dust” sung by an amazing Solea, “New York Symphony (on booze)” sung by Nick, Daisy, and Myrtle, Adam Grupper delights the audience with “Feels Like Hell,” and I cannot wait to listen to Isaac Powell sing “Mr. Nobody From Nowhere” everyday. Act Two is almost all sung through and is thrilling.

The show is very dark and sexy. The choreography is integral to the storyline. And it’s queer baby! Very queer and I loved it. Nick is very much gay and has a great moment with the other character from the book.

Isaac is a very strong Gatsby. He switches his Gatsby incredibly well with the characters he’s interacting with and flashback scenes. I could hear him sing and look at him all day. As I said before, Solea is an incredible and heartbreaking Myrtle. Charlotte was a wonderful debut and delivers a stifled Daisy that finally bursts open when she’s with Gatsby. Matthew breaks your heart with “America, She Breaks” and is a great foil to Solea. Eleri has a few great solo moments and is very funny as Jordan. Cory was terrifying as Tom and also tender at the end. Ben is always wonderful and sounds great, but I wish there was a little more from Nick. They’ve developed his character, but I wanted him to be in love with Gatsby more. That could just be a personal thing and the production did not want to stray from the source material. 

On the subject of “Beautiful Little Fool,” it is not directly included, but there are very interesting hints at it. Daisy mentions it a few times in “The Damage That You Do” and Wolfsheim refers to Gatsby as a fool as end, but juxtaposes it by saying “but wasn’t he beautiful?”

As I said, it’s not perfect, but it’s a strong strong production that I think they will keep working on. Maybe they want to do another tryout, but if they use this one correctly, I don’t think they need to. Maybe another workshop if they really want to put in the work. The score would win the Tony right now and be strong contenders in all other categories. The audience reaction was incredible and I cannot wait to go back because it can only get better than this.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 12:25pm

All I can say at the moment but…The score!

[ren598]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 12:46pm

Thank you all for the updates from the dress rehearsal.  I feel much better about getting tickets to multiple shows during the run.  My first show is next week and I’m really looking forward to it.  I didn’t really enjoy the current version with Jeremy and Eva on Broadway.  I was just hoping this would be better than that.  

[Kad]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 12:47pm

Very promising early reports, particularly given the "it's another mess" gossip some have been spreading.

[sndtrklvr]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 1:12pm

Saw this last night and like others believe this with some work it will be a hit. While an invited audience may not be the best measure of a positive response, it was still very positive. I like the way they gave Daisy more agency and Myrtle more back story. Nick seems very underwritten and would like to hear more of his story. I am going to try to see it later in its run when some of the kinks are worked out.

The person I was is a super Florence Welch fan and was hoping she was there. During the opening a number a woman appeared next to us (we had aisle seats in the second to last row) and I did a quick double take and it was indeed Welch. Fun to watch her bouncing to her own music. She also did a huge fist pump at the end of the number. And if anyone has ever wondered, she dresses in real life just like she does for performances - lots of fringe and flowing material.

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 2:08pm

Kad said: "Very promising early reports, particularly given the "it's another mess" gossip some have been spreading."

I mean obviously the invited dress people aren't going to say anything negative about the show. 

Fascinating that one of the song titles is the same as 2nd act opener of Lestat.

[MarilynMonroeSmash]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 2:14pm

pagereynolds said: "Kad said: "Very promising early reports, particularly given the "it's another mess" gossip some have been spreading."

I mean obviously the invited dress people aren't going to say anything negative about the show.

Fascinating that one of the song titles is the same as 2nd act opener of Lestat."

 

I don’t think that is true at all. This may have been called an invited dress, but I bought my ticket as a third preview and I was not invited. If I didn’t like it, I would have felt that way no matter what.