Warning: this review is biased. Like many students my age, I have a love for “The Great Gatsby” instilled in me by an incredible eleventh grade English teacher. She also happened to be an equally talented improv teacher and assistant director of musicals and shows I participated in throughout high school. So, this article is brought to you by an English major and a theater kid. 

It’s been years since I read the book, so I rewatched the 2013 film. Big mistake. Watching the film before the show ruined the shock of the dramatic ending that I somehow forgot–this is a testament to my own memory and not the un-memorability of the novel or talent of F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The actresses who play Daisy (Aisha Jackson) and Jordan (Samatha Pauly) were powerhouses! Both added a modern feminist characteristic to the fictional women, making the show more equal while exploring themes of gender roles in relationships. Further, I appreciated the erasure of all of Tom Beauchannon’s (played by Austin Colby) racist comments, which made the show resonate with me better, and I felt a bit of sympathy for Tom at the end.

Spoiler alert: The constant presence of Gatsby’s pool and Jay Gatsby’s (played by Jeremy Jordan) death bothered me. The set was incredible, like many Broadway shows, however, as the set changed with each scene, the pool remained. The tiles outlining the edge of the stage and the two ladders were in sight the entire show and were used twice; once, two dancers climbed on stage and finally, Gatsby’s death.

You may have already seen this on TikTok, like I had, so I was prepared, but still disappointed when I saw the moment in person. Before Gatsby is shot, he drags a pillow from the chair he was sitting in with him. It seems as if he is going to throw the pillow into the pool, but the actor uses it as a knee pad instead when Gatsby is shot and falls into the pool. The pillow then remains on stage until an ensemble character picks it up. It was messy and distracting. 

Even though the pool and pillow were distracting, “The Great Gatsby” is a good show and the costumes are gorgeous! The theater itself is something out of the novel and the book with crystal chandeliers, red carpets and endless mirrors in the women’s restroom. If you go, a lot of audience members are dressed up–not required but definitely fun and adds to the experience–and order the Old Sport or New Money but be prepared to pay a Gatsby price!