The Florence Welch Great Gatsby musical has had a creative team shake-up, with Tony winner David Cromer now at the helm and Global Creatures' Carmen Pavlovic (King Kong, Moulin Rouge!) joining the producing team. The musical—which features a score by the Florence and the Machine singer-songwriter and a book by Martyna Majok—made its world premiere last year at Massachusetts' American Repertory Theatre with Rachel Chavkin directing.
The musical, titled Gatsby: An American Myth, has been in development since at least 2021, with producers Amanda Ghost and Len Blavatnik (for Unigram/Access Entertainment) leading the project—both are still attached. The 2024 world premiere came as a separate musical adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel opened on Broadway and became a surprise hit, continuing its run at the Broadway Theatre. That musical's success—an interesting wrinkle made possible by the source material falling into public domain—plus a mixed critical reaction to Gatsby: An American Myth put the once-Broadway-bound future of the latter into question.
Ghost, Blavatnik, and Pavlovic are continuing the project's development process in London, with a reading to be performed there this week. Further plans for the musical are expected in the coming weeks.
“This is one of the most elemental stories of the American Dream and its dark underbelly," says Cromer in a statement. "Gatsby continues to resonate because it speaks to ambition, illusion, and the cost of longing. To build upon the extraordinary work of Florence Welch and Martyna Majok is both a privilege and a thrilling challenge. Their artistry has created a world that is haunting, poetic, and deeply human. I’m honored to collaborate with them to bring this next chapter to life.”
“We are thrilled to welcome David Cromer to this very special work," adds the producing team. "David is one of the most sought-after directors working today. His artistry and visionary approach to storytelling are both distinctive and inspiring. Alongside the remarkable talents of Florence Welch and Martyna Majok, this team promises to be an exceptional creative force.”
