A private industry reading of a musical stage adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's landmark novel The Great Gatsby, which entered the public domain in 2021, will be presented later this month.
Featuring music and lyrics by Tony nominees Nathan Tysen (Paradise Square) and Jason Howland (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) and a book by Jonathan Larson Grant winner Kait Kerrigan (The Mad Ones), the new musical will be directed by Marc Bruni (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical).
Chunsoo Shin, one of the most influential producers in Korea’s theatre industry, will produce the Broadway-aimed musical with Mark Shacket as executive producer. A regional bow is expected during the 2023-24 season with additional details to be announced.
Set in the Roaring '20s, The Great Gatsby follows eccentric millionaire Jay Gatsby, who will stop at nothing in his tragic pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, a wealthy young woman who he loved in his youth.
The Great Gatsby has sold over 30 million copies worldwide since its release in 1925. The novel has been translated into over 40 different languages and has been adapted into various media forms, including the Baz Luhrmann feature film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. In 2021, the work entered the public domain, meaning anyone can adapt it without having to pay royalties.
That means this newest musical is one of many Gatsby adaptations in the works. Rock star Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine), Thomas Bartlett, and Pulitzer Prize winner Martyna Majok are also collaborating on a musical stage adaptation of Fitzgerald's novel (Welch wrote a song for the Luhrmann film adaptation). And, Immersive Everywhere's interactive production of The Great Gatsby, created and directed by Alexander Wright, will begin March 9, 2023, at Park Central Hotel New York, which will transform its 16,000 square foot ballroom into The Gatsby Mansion.
And since 2005, the theatre company Elevator Repair Service has performed Gatz, an eight-hour, word-for-word recitation of the novel. Gatz has been presented worldwide.
