THE GREAT GATSBY @ Paper Mill Playhouse Thread- Page 5

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 10/15/23 at 2:34pm

Based on the way it has sold, I could see them assuming this will be a Broadway hit, and it may be initially, but based on this feedback, once word of mouth gets out, it won’t have staying power. Unless there are big changes. I love Gatsby and hope Florence’s first foray into musical theater proves to be a fruitful one.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 10/15/23 at 5:23pm

SamVas said: "Hello chat. I’ve always been a JJordan fan but - wether or not this production makes it to broadway, it is truly one of the most magical nights of theater I’ve seen in a very long time. I respect everyone will have a different insight as the book has historically come with mixed response from the public. I can say I’ve seen near 95% of the current broadway season and I do wonder if some of these posts are intended to just be… nasty(?!). Will this production be the second coming to musical theater - No. What I can put input on is: I could see nearly every person in the orchestra sitting forward in their seat during the night that instantly stood to their feet. This has exceeded everything I’ve seen at Paper Mill in the past 15 years and I had to write to counter the questionably heartless posts here. The night was everything I’d want from a title comes with such high expectation. It was beyond great in my opinion and I applaud the Paper Mill for making this for the people that love this story."

ha ummm totally not what I'm hearing from various sources in the industry and that being nothing magical about it ! anyway...........

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 10/15/23 at 5:29pm

I'm hearing from my industry friends that this production is a dud and the music is unmemorable

Yes, Im sure your "industry friends" (so, like, plumbers) that a show that JUST started in previews and is almost entirely sold out is a COMPLETE dud, should be canceled immediately, and will never come to Broadway. Totally. Yup. 100%



 

Updated On: 10/15/23 at 05:29 PM

[singer234]

Posted: 10/15/23 at 5:35pm

This has a ton of South Korean money behind it-it will go wherever they want it to go next regardless of reviews-could be outside the US entirely..

Updated On: 10/15/23 at 05:35 PM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/15/23 at 6:47pm

It could be a dud critically but given its sales it might still be decent. It’s not like the mass public doesn’t enjoy a bland, basic show. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/15/23 at 7:27pm

Hard to judge since it's only a month long run.

[austinyourface]

Posted: 10/15/23 at 8:15pm

Sutton Ross said: "I'm hearing from my industry friends that this production is a dud and the music is unmemorable

Yes, Im sure your "industry friends" (so, like, plumbers) that a show that JUST started in previews and is almost entirely sold out is a COMPLETE dud, should be canceled immediately, and will never come to Broadway. Totally. Yup. 100%

"

It’s amazing how you perfectly manage to create the written equivalent of a fart so consistently on this board. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/15/23 at 8:27pm

Robbie2 said: "I'm hearing from my industry friends that this production is a dud and the music is unmemorable. Chavkin's production is the better one to focus on with aspirations for Broadway and will likely make it before this one so we shall see?"

All it takes is Shubert, Nederlander, or Roundabout giving them a house. (Jordan Roth is producing the Chavkin one.) If they see good earnings potential in the Paper Mill production, there's no reason for one of those owners not to give it a house whether it's good or bad. Unless Roth has done some wheeling & dealing behind the scenes to get the above-mentioned landlords on his side, which I kind of doubt but crazier things have happened.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/15/23 at 8:29pm

We certainly have had no shortage of DOA transfers in recent years that then manage to bleed money for months. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 10/15/23 at 9:34pm

Kad said: "We certainly have had no shortage of DOA transfers in recent years that then manage to bleed money for months."

Such as nearly every new musical to open on Broadway post-shutdown. 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 10/15/23 at 10:32pm

“Yes, Im sure your "industry friends" (so, like, plumbers) that a show that JUST started in previews and is almost entirely sold out is a COMPLETE dud, should be canceled immediately, and will never come to Broadway. Totally. Yup. 100%”


Girl…go see it. Enjoy it! Nobody is telling you not to! But sweating over random comments on the internet is a choice to say the least. The world will be ok if theatre fans disagree on a musical theatre forum. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 10/15/23 at 11:36pm

LOLZ. 

[ILoveYourPuppies]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 2:49am

I was there on Friday night. I am glad that I saw it. I agree that the sets are absolutely incredible, and Jeremy Jordan, Eva Noblezada, and Samantha Pauly completely blew me away! But the songs aren't memorable and nothing really knocked me off my feet at this performance (and I know I am very easy to please). I wasn't bored; it was a decent night in the theatre, but I also have tickets to the closing performance and I am wondering if I even want to go. I was underwhelmed.

[rkade21]

Posted: 10/18/23 at 8:31pm

MarilynMonroeSmash said: "I attended last night and this was probably one of the worst pieces of theater I have ever seen.

To preface, I must say the performances are excellent though. The cast is making the most out of nothing. I wish Jeremy was in the Florence Welch production because he’s a great Gatsby; he just has terrible material to work with. I also enjoyed some of the direction and the sets (except for Gatsby’s mansion, which looked like a factory), but the writing was a mess. These authors, especially the book writer, should never be allowed to touch an American classic again.

The score is beyond generic. There is not one song that stands out. They all sound the same and the lyrics are pretty terrible and bland. It felt all surface level for these characters while trying to go deep, but never reaching past ground soil. I think five songs can be cut off right from the bat. Too much music that I don’t think I will ever list to again. And it does all sound like other shows. I couldn’t stop singing Santa Fe at intermission.

Now the book…I am embarrassed for Kait Kerrigan because it is obvious that she failed 11th grade English. She completely misses the point of Fitzgerald’s work and removes everything for Gatsby that makes it Gatsby. She has altered the plot and character motivations way too much to suit her own ego. (Remember she is the person who said she never liked the book before and thought she couldn’t relate to the characters, so the first thing she was going to do was change that!) The story is so uneven and at times feels like more of a love story between Nick and Jordan than Gatsby and Daisy. I can go in detail about all the plot changes if anyone wants because there is a lot.

I’m not a huge fan of the novel and I understand some things will always have to be changed for a stage adaptation, but I do think when adapting a great American novel, you don’t start rubbing your fingers on it and try “to improve it.” I don’t know where the previous poster was sitting because only the Jeremy and Eva fans enjoyed this or people who have never read the book. There felt like a mutual feeling in the audience that night that we all watched a trainwreck that night. I didn’t hear anyone say a word leaving the theater. Everyone quickly left to get to their cars or trains. I have attending a lot of first previews and the excitement and tension of these performances can usually make **** shine, but no amount of glitter, glue or bleach can make this **** shine."

Attended 10/13 and echo many of these sentiments. It was one of the worst shows I’ve seen. Music (particularly lyrics) were forgettable or just bad. The pacing and book/story were a mess. Scene transitions were a mess and too often went from some long, story development scene and emotional musical closer RIGHT into a different song with a different mood.  The conflict and dramatic “climax” was messy and felt very rushed - although at my show they had to stop the show for 15 minutes because of an apparent issue with their big prop gimmick, and they skipped the rest of the scene and re-started with the dramatic high. I also found it very strange for Daisy to have her 11 o’clock number after the other dramatic climax that kinda of ends all suspense. Thought the story telling into the trip to the plaza was mind boggling.  Not sure if it was the goal for the character or if Sam Pauly’s acting is …shall we say more suited for a show like Six. I don’t know the novel too well but it seems they just struggled to capture what meant to be a long-form story in 2.5 hours while trying to cram so much music into it.
 

I went for Jeremy and Eva and they did not disappoint despite the material to work with. 

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 10/21/23 at 6:05pm

Saw the show today. I’ll say this for now. It needs a lot of work before going anywhere else. Will post more tomorrow. 

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 10/21/23 at 6:57pm

I was at the show today. It needs a lot of work, but my god, the vocals from the cast were wonderful. I’ll never regret any time spent listening to Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada singing. 
 

The show starts off rough but does improve - particularly in Act II. That said, the show opener and Act II opener are duds that really need some work. 
 

As others have mentioned, the audience ATE IT UP. I heard a lot of older audience members absolutely raving about it afterward and saying it was one of the best things they’ve ever seen. The ones I heard griping about it the most were people waiting for the train back to NYC. And we all know Broadway producers want money from more than just us NYC theater folk. 
 

Another aside, I was shocked by how many audience members clearly weren’t familiar with the source material. There were some gaps in moments that I just assumed most people wouldn’t be surprised by. The book has been required reading in a lot of US school systems for decades, and even if a person didn’t read it or wasn’t expected to read it, it’s also a story that’s been in the cultural zeitgeist for quite some time on screen as well.  
 

All in all, I’m very glad I went. Really curious to see where they take it after the run ends - and also very excited to see the ART production. 

[KJ4]

Posted: 10/23/23 at 2:56pm

Great review from Rye Myers. Funny that some ppl here are so strongly in am idea the music is crap. While some like here said it s fantastics. I guess u gotta judge urself then. Cus it s seem like either u hate it or u like it, no middle ground.

 

https://www.ryemyers.com/post/rye-reviews-the-great-gatsby-musical-at-paper-mill-playhouse-starring-jeremy-jordan-eva-noblezada?fbclid=IwAR2ka5iqboQMShx47K57G86O0t25aOzfrW-JQEvYOi0Rc1bNRhfEDrwre68

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 10/23/23 at 3:05pm

Updated On: 10/23/23 at 03:05 PM

[KJ4]

Posted: 10/23/23 at 3:09pm

It s n opinion. Like yours. So when u laugh at thise who wrote critic you mean your opinion have more value? Or hold more accuracy? By using what ground? 

Perhaps you can ket us know who you are in the real world? What u do for  a living?

Maybe after we all see that you are such an expert or have direct profession in Musical we can be in awe of your opinion more than others. 

Waiting to google ur name. Thanks.

Updated On: 10/23/23 at 03:09 PM

[Voter]

Posted: 10/23/23 at 4:58pm

KJ4 said: "Great review from Rye Myers. Funny that some ppl here are so strongly in am idea the music is crap. While some like here said it s fantastics. I guess u gotta judge urself then. Cus it s seem like either u hate it or u like it, no middle ground.



https://www.ryemyers.com/post/rye-reviews-the-great-gatsby-musical-at-paper-mill-playhouse-starring-jeremy-jordan-eva-noblezada?fbclid=IwAR2ka5iqboQMShx47K57G86O0t25aOzfrW-JQEvYOi0Rc1bNRhfEDrwre68"

A no name blog wrote a review that was shared here by someone whose posts are rife with spelling errors. Duly noted.

[KJ4]

Posted: 10/24/23 at 2:11am

Voter said: "KJ4 said: "Great review from Rye Myers. Funny that some ppl here are so strongly in am idea the music is crap. While some like here said it s fantastics. I guess u gotta judge urself then. Cus it s seem like either u hate it or u like it, no middle ground.



https://www.ryemyers.com/post/rye-reviews-the-great-gatsby-musical-at-paper-mill-playhouse-starring-jeremy-jordan-eva-noblezada?fbclid=IwAR2ka5iqboQMShx47K57G86O0t25aOzfrW-JQEvYOi0Rc1bNRhfEDrwre68"

A no name blog wrote a review that was shared here by someone whose posts are rife with spelling errors. Duly noted."

Again, what s this try to downplay others opinion? He might be no name, yet he s a person. Like you. One of your opinion vs one of his opinion yet everytime people like you open your mouth u trying to mock other for their opinion like yours are supirior than others. From what groud is this based at? What make ur opinion is worth much more to the point you are able to discredit others?

 

As for my spelling and gramartical. Im not a native speaker. I live in Asia. I barely use English. Infact to write this I have to use dictionary.

So, go ahead and mock my language skills. Mock my spelling. Im unaware that this board require only native speaker who are exellent in grammartical to be allowed to voice their opionions. And anyone who dont have the same language skills are consider as stupid opinion, and shouldnt be taken seriously.


I thought as long as we human can communicatie even use sign language is enough to convey the messages. So i was wrong then. From now on should i just shut up and not participate in any English board untill im perfect my English then? 

Updated On: 10/24/23 at 02:11 AM

[kdogg36]

Posted: 10/24/23 at 11:32am

KJ4 said: "I thought as long as we human can communicatie even use sign language is enough to convey the messages. So i was wrong then."

No, you were right. This isn't an online English class, so you should just ignore the complaints.

[EvanHansen]

Posted: 10/30/23 at 1:28pm

Selling one ticket to THE GREAT GATSBY at Paper Mill this Thursday, November 2nd at 1:30pm. Orchestra seat - just asking what I paid: $40. PM me if interested!