Immersive Gatsby

[BroadwayPhan]

Posted: 6/7/23 at 8:49am

Anybody go to the first preview last night of the Immersive Gatsby production? Any tips/feedback on if it's worth seeing? 

[binau]

Posted: 6/7/23 at 9:30am

Is this the same thing that was in London or different? 

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 6/7/23 at 11:34am

My friend was in London years ago (like 2016 maybe) and saw it and loved it, said it was highly immersive and you got to chat with different characters, etc.  When we went last year, it was still immersive, but you were mostly sheparded around in groups and didn't really get the same kind of open world exploration.  I'm wondering which version of the show this would be.

[matty159]

Posted: 6/7/23 at 12:08pm

chrishuyen said: "My friend was in London years ago (like 2016 maybe) and saw it and loved it, said it was highly immersive and you got to chat with different characters, etc. When we went last year, it was still immersive, but you were mostly sheparded around in groups and didn't really get the same kind of open world exploration. I'm wondering which version of the show this would be."

My understanding is that it is a mix of the two experiences.  The layout of the "Mansion" is very cool - that I can say for sure.  Will be seeing it next week, so will share more then!

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 6/14/23 at 11:42am

This is up on TDF now so I might snag a ticket, but looking forward to hearing reports from anyone that might've gone!

[jpbran]

Posted: 6/14/23 at 4:55pm

Me too. Might add it to our Oct trip, but guessing it’s not too likely it’ll be running then. 

[matty159]

Posted: 6/21/23 at 7:54pm

I have to admit this was a fun time.  It really helps if you know the story going in or else you can get lost.  The cast is game and all in.  I wasn’t sure about the casting of Tom, but it worked.  Everyone is having a great time.  A great mix of music, dance, and acting.  Go in to the ballroom ready.  I’m rather the introvert, but they made me want to be involved.  It’s definitely something you need to see more than once.  I did all of the breakout rooms I was invited into, but there were many more to experience.  It was the first performance for Nick’s understudy and he killed it.  Just expect a fun time to sing, dance, and be a part of it.  The drinks are expensive, but quality.  No need to buy a VIP package IMHO.  It’s well done, though I wonder if the two upcoming projects might do it in.  About a third of the audience was DRESSED for it and they love for you to chime in.  For the price point, it is a great time.

(Full disclosure:  I work at the hotel renting the space, but have nothing to do with production or sales.  I’m am just merely saying what I would honestly say to my guests.)

Updated On: 6/21/23 at 07:54 PM

[Theater3232]

Posted: 7/7/23 at 8:56pm

I did not know the story beforehand and was unable to follow it.  I'd estimate that fully 50% or more (including me) of audience members did not get taken to any of the breakout rooms.  So I stayed in the ballroom for the full (almost) 3 hour runtime.  The lady who "taught" the Charleston dance was going way too fast for anyone to be able to follow and it appeared as if she wasn't watching to be sure anyone was actually learning it; she was just going through the motions. The staff were particularly rude.  When we entered, there was a man who forced everyone to check any bags larger than a very tiny handbag and he wasn't very nice about it.  During the show, a couple having fun took a quick photo of the ballroom, and a woman very rudely came up to them about 2 minutes later and threatened that "if i have to say it again" they would be escorted out.  Many times, actors told audience members to give up their seats in the ballroom since the chairs would be needed (they actually weren't).  Another time, actors rounded up 5 or 6 people to carry some heavy-looking furniture from one room into the ballroom (I certainly wouldn't have done that since I have a bad back).  The acting was very amateurish and cruise-ship/regional quality.  Not recommended.  Far too long of a show and needed to be cut to 90 minutes no intermission. Also, since this is in a (deep?) basement, there was no cell phone service, which I found both annoying as I was unable to reach friends during intermission and a safety hazard in case of emergency.

Updated On: 7/7/23 at 08:56 PM

[PublicHorizons]

Posted: 7/8/23 at 2:35pm

This was pretty bad, I do know the story and was still completely confused, I was shuffled into Meyer Wolfsheim's den where tries to sell you on a scheme? He goes on about the American Dream and how you should team up with him to do crimes? One room involved Myrtle's apartment and I also was confused but happy to sit down.

I was a "Premium Member" and they allowed me to walk in before a few other people waiting, they also gave me a Party City gift bag with literally two tiny chocolates and a drink ticket worth only one free glass of Prosecco- I guess gifts are gifts but for a Premium Member you'd think you could try at least one specialty cocktail.

Was anyone else distracted by the cop who just walks around but isn't part of the show? He seemed to be doing a lot and wasn't one of the characters. 

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 7/8/23 at 2:56pm

I went last week and generally enjoyed it.  It feels similar to the one I went to in London last year, though I think they might've added more elements/side storylines.  My friends and I stuck together as a group, but I kind of wish we went separate ways so we could compare notes afterwards about what we each did.  I thought the actors for Gatsby and Nick Carraway were excellent, with some fantastic dancers all across the board (the dance numbers were some of my favorite moments).  They have some really smart staging moments, with how they transition from the party happening in the pre-show to Nick Carraway's narration, as well as the swirling arguments between multiple sets of characters in act 2, and the set seems quite well done throughout.

I think individual experience will really depend on which storylines you get pulled into as well as your personal preference of how much you enjoy interactive elements vs just want a well-told story.  We were pulled into Gatsby's office where we were also propositioned by Meyer Wolfsheim to join his scheme, but there was some direct interaction with Gatsby beforehand where he asked some questions of the audience (the actor was great at staying in character for the time period and working with the answers he got).  I was also impressed at how characters could convey the same "gossip" multiple times in different ways, to try to get different audience members on the same page even if they've been in different rooms and didn't hear an earlier iteration of it.  I had only been familiar with the story through the London version of this show so I was able to follow along well enough, but if someone was completely new to it, they might've had a bit of trouble.

If you like Great Gatsby but have no interest in the immersive element of the show, I'd say you could probably skip this iteration and wait for one of the two musials currently in the pipeline.  The main selling point of this is really the environmental form of it.  Otherwise, I wouldn't say they're doing anything particularly interesting or groundbreaking, and the overall storytelling takes a bit of a toll from it (don't expect to find any of the actual themes from the novel unless you're planning on digging for them yourself).  It's really just an excuse to feel like you're partying in the 1920s and give some shape to the kinds of characters that could possibly have been around back then.

Also, since I had asked about this earlier, there's no open-world exploration in this.  You're kind of just expected to hang out wherever you are until a cast member invites you to join them in a separate room or something (though I did really like the design of the main ballroom, and I think the separate rooms were also done up nicely).  Like others have mentioned, there's not much opportunity for seating so you either have to be really proactive about snagging a seat in whichever room you're in or just be prepared to stand for 2.5 hours.  The bar is open before the show, at intermission, and after the show, and you can walk around with drink in hand while the show is happening (cocktails are $21).  There's also a self-service water station, which we definitely appreciated because it was HOT outside.