Chavkin-directed GATSBY musical from Welch and Majok to premiere in 2024- Page 9

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 2:33pm

Marilyn - were you not refunded?  I thought the first scheduled preview (Thurs) that was changed to an invited dress (before being ccancelled) rec'd refunds.  Or at least that's what I thought I heard.

Regardless, the people at this "invited dress" were regular patrons, not friends, families and producers.

 

I'll be there tonight, can't wait!

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 2:36pm

Correct. I purchased these as preview tickets. 

[joshdog2014]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 2:41pm

It wasn’t an actual “invited dress” since the delay meant the attendees are just the normal ticket holders for what would’ve been the preview that day. I wonder why they didn’t just call it the final dress.

And yes, before Thursday was canceled we were offered refunds whether or not we still attended the “invited dress”, which I guess if still true for yesterday may somewhat affect expectations, but not in the same was as an actual invited dress.

Updated On: 5/26/24 at 02:41 PM

[bear88]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 2:47pm

One general question about the score: Is it modern? 1920s-style? A mix?

I had been puzzled that Solea Pfeiffer was cast as Myrtle. I guess I have my answer.

[MarilynMonroeSmash]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 2:53pm

I was refunded! I was just mentioning that even though they refunded and called this an invited dress. I was still going in as a patron and not a friend or family, so I don’t know why one of the above posters said that all invited dress attendees would like the production because we were not invited. ART chose to call it that, but that didn’t alter my expectations at all.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 3:19pm

I was just looking for clarification....I knew what you meant.  

 

Quick question about the Yondr pouches: is there room in the pouch for both my phone AND a charger?  My charger is pretty streamlined, size wise.  Would be nice to be throw them in together! 

[MarilynMonroeSmash]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 3:41pm

dramamama611 said: "I was just looking for clarification....I knew what you meant.



Quick question about the Yondr pouches: is there room in the pouch for both my phone AND a charger? My charger is pretty streamlined, size wise. Would be nice to be throw them in together!"

My friend and I put our two iPhones in one Yondr pouch, so I think a phone and charger could work.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 4:06pm

Thank you for the quick response! 

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 5:16pm

bear88 said: "One general question about the score: Is it modern? 1920s-style? A mix?

I had been puzzled that Solea Pfeiffer was cast as Myrtle. I guess I have my answer."

My understanding is that it's very recognizable Welch. 

[Ricey2]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 6:13pm

I’ll mention more. The choreography is amazing. Very big high point through it all. I do echo the person who posted after me that wishes Nick would pine after Gatsby more. Him fully being realized as gay in this production but not obsessing over Gatsby’s “damned smile” in the book is a missed opportunity. They do subtly allude to Nick thinking Gatsby is gay. Don’t want to spoil, but wish it would be fleshed out more. That’s my main complaint. It’s minor, but so many different threads were touched on that I LOVED, but they didn’t go far enough. 
 

Another thread I wish they’d pull on was Gatsby had a very negative and conflicted reaction to meeting Daisy’s child and then.. that isn’t touched on again and I’m like… this would be so nice for him to talk to Nick or Daisy or someone about seeing her daughter, but I don’t know. Very much a nitpick. I think it will be in great shape by opening. I see the vision and I love it. 
 

Before anyone asks, comparing the two Gatsby productions is impossible. Two different beasts. 

[Ricey2]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 6:17pm

And yes. This score is bleeding Florence through and through. As a Florence fan, part of me wishes she could do a concept album herself, lol. 
 

and mentioning dancing in my previous post, the ensemble is everything. The first and third tracks were my favorite because they were giving their everything on stage. Solea was also a powerhouse. A clear frontrunner in embodying her character, but I wouldn’t say anyone else lacked. Myrtle just had such a strong focus and Solea took that and ran. Loved it. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/26/24 at 11:14pm

Well.

I'm not as positive, but it's gads better than the Papermill version. But, I think I he possibility for this to improve during the run exists.

The good: This actually tells the story complete with themes and understanding. Ben Levi Ross as Nick, was excellent, and his involvement is very much in focus. Solea Pfeiffer was terrific as Myrtle and made her complex and smart. Charlotte MacInnes as Daisy, lots of layers. 

The bad: the set isn't fully completed. They use a gawdy tinsel curtain in several places... Which I hope it temporary. The music and choreo starts off strong but is weaker and redundant in Act Two. Isaac Powell is terribly miscast here. He felt more like a 17 year old boy that just had sex for the first and was scared he never would again. 

 

I'm sure there's more, feel free to ask. 

[bear88]

Posted: 5/27/24 at 12:14am

Dramamama,

This certainly isn’t the first time an out-of-town tryout starts with a couple of strong songs then goes downhill.

I realize Powell looks younger than his age - 29 - but is his problem something that could be fixed with acting choices and directorial guidance or is it he just miscast in a way that may not be easily addressed?

The unfinished set will be finished eventually. It sounds intriguing, at least. A Daisy with layers. How is the actor who plays Tom? 

[noahseestheatre]

Posted: 5/27/24 at 12:19am

MrsSallyAdams said: "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."

Glad I’m not the only one doing this! Excited

[Owen22]

Posted: 5/27/24 at 12:25am

bear88 said: "Dramamama,

This certainly isn’t the first time an out-of-town tryout starts with a couple of strong songs then goes downhill.

I realize Powell looks younger than his age - 29 - but is his problem something that could be fixed with acting choices and directorial guidance or is it he just miscast in a way that may not be easily addressed?

The unfinished set will be finished eventually. It sounds intriguing, at least. A Daisy with layers. How is the actor who plays Tom?"

Daisy doesn’t have layers!!! That's the point!! Gatsby is obsessively in love with an empty shell! They tried to give her an inner life on Broadway and people complained they were changing the novel. For a musical version of the show to work Daisy would have to be somewhat changed! I'm very intrigued to see how this new layered Daisy compares to the curtain Broadway layered Daisy...

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/27/24 at 12:33am

bear88 said: "Dramamama,

This certainly isn’t the first time an out-of-town tryout starts with a couple of strong songs then goes downhill.

I realize Powell looks younger than his age - 29 - but is his problem something that could be fixed with acting choices and directorial guidance or is it he just miscast in a way that may not be easily addressed?

The unfinished set will be finished eventually. It sounds intriguing, at least. A Daisy with layers. How is the actor who plays Tom?"

Re: Powell

Hard to say as I don't know how he's been directed. I've only ever seen him in OOTI, where he was terrific.

Tom was pretty good, too. He's saddled with weak dialogue (I don't remember if it's lifted from the text.) in his final scene. Wilfsheim was also very good.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 5/27/24 at 12:44am

Powell wasn’t amazing but serviceable. The direction was not anything to write home about, but I throughly loved this production. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/27/24 at 1:08am

Owen22 said: "Daisy doesn’t have layers!!! That's the point!! Gatsby is obsessively in love with an empty shell! They tried to give her an inner life on Broadway and people complained they were changing the novel. For a musical version of the show to work Daisy would have to be somewhat changed! I'm very intrigued to see how this new layered Daisy compares to the curtain Broadway layered Daisy..."

Let me clarify. She's still pretty shallow, but I think I understand her better here. They certainly aren't making her sympathetic.

 

Let me mention: I don't know what the hell is going on with the costumes. Domt get me wrong, some are stunning, but they do a lot of reveals for no real reason. A great deal of them feel like the workers in Hadestown might have worn them. They also but a gad of men in flapper dresses, and I don't know why. I'm ok with the choice, but there should be a reason. And if there is, it wasn't clear to me.

[binau]

Posted: 5/27/24 at 3:18pm

With Gatsby already open on Broadway what would the hypothetical long-term plans be for this production? 

[Kad]

Posted: 5/27/24 at 3:25pm

binau said: "With Gatsby already open on Broadway what would the hypothetical long-term plans be for this production?"

It could potentially go to the UK as its next step, I suppose. Continue its development and wait for the current Gatsby to run its course and put some space between them.

I think it would also be a savvy decision to release an album to drum up interest.

Updated On: 5/27/24 at 03:25 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/27/24 at 3:27pm

binau said: "With Gatsby already open on Broadway what would the hypothetical long-term plans be for this production?"

Jordan Roth, Len Blavatnik, Amanda Ghost, and Robert Fox are the commercial producers behind it.

I'm of the belief that this should not open within one year of the current Broadway Gatsby's closing, and at this point I reckon it can sustain at the Broadway at least through the summer, maybe to January, and then Chavkin's Gatsby could open in NYC in Spring 2026? The marketplace will not be able to sustain two adaptations of the same property, regardless of how different they are. $1.2 mil a week is good, but if those grosses drop much it's going to start bleeding money.

So maybe they just sit & wait? Maybe they try taking it to London next for a commercial run (edit: Kad, we're on the same page)? Maybe they do another out-of-town at a nonprofit? Chavkin's other Broadway musicals have all had multiple runs prior to Broadway and she may need that time to hone the show.

Updated On: 5/27/24 at 03:27 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/27/24 at 3:38pm

For those who've seen it at the A.R.T., what's the instrumentation and how do the orchestrations sound?

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 5/27/24 at 4:22pm

binau said: "With Gatsby already open on Broadway what would the hypothetical long-term plans be for this production?"

Last I heard they’re opening next spring in NY. 

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 5/27/24 at 4:51pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "For those who've seen it at the A.R.T., what's the instrumentation and how do the orchestrationssound?"

Conductor/Grand Piano: Wiley Deweese

Asst. MD/Keyboards: Jessie Rosso

Drums: Marques Walls

Acoustic/Electric Bass: Sahil Warsi

Violin 1: Matthew Vera

Violin 2/Viola: Marissa Licata

Cello: Thomas Barth

Trombone/Tuba: Skye Dearborn

Trumpet 1: Andrew Sorg

Trumpet 2: Chloe Francis

Reed 1: Jennifer Slowik

Reed2: Joe Larocca

Reed 3: Ryan Yure'

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/27/24 at 6:31pm

jacobsnchz14 said: "Conductor/Grand Piano: Wiley Deweese'"

I appreciate the flex