Gatsby, American Repertory Theater, Loeb Drama Center, Cambridge, through August 3. 617-547-8300 or amrep.org
Is the American Dream an impossibility for most Americans? Is class a major factor? Clearly F. Scott Fitzgerald was exploring these disturbing questions with a kind of prophetic vision in his 1925 masterwork "The Great Gatsby." Now "Gatsby"—an American Repertory Theatre musical adaptation of the novel with music by Florence Welch and Thomas Bartlett, lyrics by the former and book by Martyna Majok—is bringing timely attention to its prescient insights.
A.R.T.'s visually stunning world premiere staging may need some tweaking in capturing the tragedy of its enigmatic title character, but a truly great cast sings and dances with the kind of Jazz Age intensity that Fitzgerald would admire.
"Gatsby"'s gifted design team brings North Shore Long Island's Jazz Age to dazzling life right from the start. Scenic designer Mimi Lien captures the burgeoning business and industry of Long Island and New York City with high concept metal constructs. The shimmering stage left streamers match costume designer Sandy Powell's flapper and stylish evening wear for the guests at Gatsby's West Egg parties. Alan C. Edwards' smart lighting brings neon beauty to the art deco skyscraper backdrop.
At the same time Lien nails the novel's "valley of ashes" imagery and sharply brings contrasting sparseness to mechanic George Wilson's garage and George and wife Myrtle's simple residence. Throughout the two-act musical, director Rachel Chavkin smoothly moves between the upscale and working class sets and situations.
Now that the novel resides in the public domain, Majok's sensitivity to the working class—as seen in her Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Cost of Living"—may help to explain why the Wilsons seem to have extra attention and musical expression in "Gatsby." Of course the conflict between nouveau riche Jay Gatsby and old money Tom Buchanan gets its due. Gatsby's ongoing pursuit of his earlier love Daisy—now a Buchanan— and Tom's brazen affair with Myrtle are also clearly stated.
Narrating bond salesman Nick Carroway does gradually provide insight about bootlegging millionaire Gatsby and as in the novel serves as a kind of go-between for Gatsby and Daisy. Majok has sexually ambivalent Nick respond to advances from a male partygoer with a reciprocated kiss-a response alluded to in the novel. The generally strong book could do with inclusion of the novel's back story detail about the influence of predatory miner and mentor Dan Cody.
Chavkin's cast is first-rate. Isaac Powell has all of Gatsby's elusiveness and outsider demeanor at his parties and in diverse encounters. Charlotte MacInnes catches Daisy's vulnerability and insecurity. Powell and MacInnes have persuasive romantic moments. Cory Jeacoma finds all of Tom's arrogance and dangerous insincerity. MacInnes and Jeacoma catch fire with their characters' accusations in "The Damage That You Do." Ben Levi Ross moves convincingly from relative cluelessness to growing insightfulness as Carroway. Eleri Ward has trophy-winning golfer Jordan Baker's distant demeanor with Nick and strong caring for close friend Daisy.
Full plotting about West Egg Gatsby, the East Egg Buchanans and emotionally conflicted Carroway notwithstanding, some of the strongest moments go to the Wilsons and their respective challenges—George's work frustrations and Myrtle's need to escape an unsatisfying marriage. Majok has intriguingly inserted a back story factor in which their daughter has died after failing to receive treatment for the flu. Matthew Amira possesses aching despair as Wilson. Solea Pfeiffer has remarkable tenacity as Myrtle—especially in the impassioned "What of Love, What of God.".
Adam Grupper, rivetingly savvy as Gatsby's Jewish bootlegging mentor Wolfsheim (based on crime kingpin Arnold Rothstein, reputed to have fixed the 1919 World Series), has the musical's unquestionable showstopper "Feels Like Hell." Here Grupper combines arresting soft-shoe and vocal ferocity. Gifted choreographer Sonya Tayeh (Tony Award for "Moulin Rouge") captures the vivacity of the Jazz Age here and in all of the finely synchronized dance ensembles.
When Fitzgerald died (1940), he believed himself a failure and thought his work would be forgotten. Time has of course proven his self-judgment wrong. Likewise "Gatsby," tweaking aside, endorses Fitzgerald's cautionary look at the American Dream in a timely musical that deserves to endure.