It’s finally happened: a century after its publication, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel The Great Gatsby is now a musical. Continuing to dazzle audiences in a brand-new light, The Great Gatsby: A New Musical — book by Kait Kerrigan, music by Jason Howland, and lyrics by Nathan Tysen — d ebuted on Broadway in 2024. This grand spectacle of a show, with its unique soundtrack combining elements of ’20s jazz, ’90s RB, and modern pop, has now made its way to the National Theatre. Directed by Marc Bruni and conducted by Charlie Alterman, The Great Gatsby: A New Musical is playing for only a short stint and should not be missed. The classic story depicts a world of increasing moral decay, with widening social divides and a shift toward materialistic desires, leading to a loss of innocence and spiritual depth. This new musical version, however, is slightly more stripped back, primarily when it comes to our two lead lovers, Jay Gatsby (Jake David Smith) and Daisy Buchanan (Senzel Ahmady). The musical focuses more on their overall love story, adapting it into a purer, more honest, and more accessible love.  The First National Touring Company of ‘The Great Gatsby.’ Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade. In the novel, Jay Gatsby is a deeply sad and unfulfilled man. Coming from nothing, he can never be satisfied, even when he gains the wealth and the woman he spent so much of his life longing for. He’s always reaching for that green light — the thing that’s just out of reach. In the book, that green light represents not only his desire for Daisy, but also his desire to be accepted by a society that will never accept him, as well as his inability to reconcile with the choices he’s made in life. Gatsby’s musical counterpart depicts this longing for a lost love, but he’s less sorrowful and instead leans more into the boyish charm of a lovesick puppy dog. Similarly, Daisy Buchanan is originally portrayed as rather flaky, materialistic, and pessimistic, prizing an “ignorance is bliss” sort of idealism. Her musical counterpart maintains this rational (if slightly pessimistic) understanding of the world as it is, along with her exuberant energy and graceful appearance, but ultimately presents as more honest, grounded, and even hopeful at times — her love for Gatsby isn’t in question in this version. Despite these differentiations, the performers were utterly electric in this updated version. Smith, as our titular character, possessed a voice with a beautifully controlled fluidity, a voice that swam gracefully yet powerfully like a magical fish leaping through a crystal-clear pond. In “Past Is Catching Up to Me,” a sadly hopeful love song, Smith held his final note for an incredible length, never faltering, inviting several audible praises from the audience.  This impressive final note was only rivaled by what felt like an even longer note produced by Ahmady in the show’s penultimate number, “Beautiful Little Fool,” a powerfully poignant number that speaks to the infuriatingly relatable struggles of being a woman navigating a man’s world. Ahmady sang with such sincerity and passion that as the tears began trickling down her face, I found myself incapable of not crying along with her.  TOP: Joshua Grosso (Nick Carraway), ABOVE: Leanne Robinson (Jordan Baker), and the First National Touring Company of ‘The Great Gatsby.’ Photos by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade. In addition to our two leads, the entire cast of The Great Gatsby: A New Musical was beyond stellar. One individual had me absolutely head over heels from beginning to end, though. Joshua Grosso as our narrator, Nick Caraway, tackled the role with masterful magnitude. Grosso could sing the phone book and bring the house down. Not only did his voice blow me away, but his acting skills exceeded expectations. At times, the stage would slip away as I got lost in his earnestness, and I’d swear I was watching a dramatic film.  His comedic moments were also just as successful. During “The Met,” in which he is forced to accompany Tom Buchanan (Will Branner) and Tom’s mistress Myrtle Wilson (Lila Coogan) to the Plaza Hotel for a mid-day romp turned bacchanal, the awkwardly academic Nick gets swallowed up by the depravity of Tom’s not-so-secret secret life. Grosso’s languid drunken movements had the entire audience laughing as he slinked and slid his body back and forth over the ornate penthouse sofa. Branner as the privileged, pompous Tom Buchanan and Coogan as the colorful social climber, Myrtle Wilson, were an entertainingly provocative duo. Their fun, jazzy flirting during “Second-Hand Suit” was vibrant in every sense of the word, with the number featuring several colorful props and set designs, including racks of pink and purple dresses flying by, resulting in a fun quick-change by Coogan, assisted by the incredible ensemble cast.  Another spectacular duet came from Grosso and Leanne Robinson as Nick’s love interest, Jordan Baker. Robinson had a silky yet robust tone to her voice that absolutely embodied what we’d expect from that character. She maintained the strong, independent, 1920s “new woman” aesthetic. Grosso and Robinson together were utter magic. Their duet, “Better Hold Tight,” was both playfully seductive and unapologetically honest.  Then there’s Meyer Wolfsheim (Edward Staudenmayer), Gatsby’s seedy gangster business partner. Staudenmayer’s song, “Shady,” which opened the second act, was an underrated delight, a surprise standout of the night. His rich, raspy voice and overt confidence filled the stage as he took his place at the center of this shockingly catchy tune, built on dark, jazzy vibes. The ensemble cast backed Staudenmayer with sultry, sleuthing movements, tipping their gangster fedoras and whipping about their floor-length trench coats. As big as that number was, it was rather small in comparison with the large ensemble numbers such as “New Money” and “La Dee Dah With You” with their grandiose set and projection elements from scenic/projection designer Paul Tate Depoo III, overtly opulent jewel-toned costumes from costume designer Linda Cho, and mesmerizingly complex choreography from Dominique Kelley.  In keeping with the era’s luxurious extravagance, a symbol of the greater economic disparities and increasingly materialistic and consumerist dependencies that Fitzgerald wrote about, this show was wonderfully ostentatious in the best possible way. The sheer number of backdrop projections and set pieces was beyond expectation. The prop elements enhancing the scenic design, further engulfing us in the world of the Roaring ’20s, included functional pieces such as a smoking cigar and fully constructed old-timey cars that “drove” on and off stage. This show has a bubble machine, a fog machine, sparkler cannons, and more effects than can simply be stated here. As much as I marveled at the spectacular nature of this production, I was pleased to see that the first time we finally meet Jay Gatsby, he doesn’t appear on some massive platform with lights and sparkles shooting about. On the contrary, immediately following “New Money,” the scene flips seamlessly, and we are in the library, decorated in warm, earth tones, not the royal, peacock-jewel tones we just left. We zero in on Nick out front and another man casually standing in the background. It’s Gatsby. He appears to us not in a grand ballroom, but in a warm nook of knowledge. This juxtaposition was a brilliant way to manipulate the audience’s emotions. This ability to use color, light, and sound to shift the mood was present throughout the show. Even before the show began, as the audience waded in, we were greeted by the view from Gatsby’s dock. The famous green light rested there like a bright star in the distance, fading in and out, reflecting off the water. Then, creating an almost 4-D experience, sound effects of peaceful waves and birds washed over me, and I swear I could feel a breeze. My senses were utterly enveloped, and I was hypnotized by that pulsating green light. We were all Gatsby. Running Time: Approximately two hours and 30 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission. The Great Gatsby: A New Musical plays through May 24, 2026, at The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC. Purchase tickets ($59–$280) online or at the National Theatre box office. The national tour cast and creative credits are online here. ...read more read less