You're invited to the most lavish party on Broadway

It was a time unlike any other, in a place unlike any other. Every night was a lavish party, and every day was topped off with luscious luxuries. The finest touches were never too opulent and the chicest fashion was never too stylish. In short, life was like a musical extravaganza.

For the first time ever, that coveted-by-all, attainable-by-few lifestyle has turned into just that: the most razzle dazzle and bedazzled stage spectacular to hit Broadway in decades—The Great Gatsby.

A Classic Broadway Extravaganza 

Eight times a week, The Broadway Theatre, dials back the clock a century. Not only did the theater itself celebrate its 100th birthday last year, but the beloved F. Scott Fitzgerald novel (on which the musical is based) was published exactly 100 years ago in 1925. With these twin anniversaries, there's no better time or place for this ultimate Roaring 20s party. 

We're talking about an overflowing champagne tower, a thrilling casino craps table, a full-sized shiny yellow car, and bubbles floating through it all—and that's just in a single song, "New Money." The grand musical number even ends with dazzling sparklers and fireworks. Yes, on the stage inside the theater—that's the level of grandeur this new rendition of the classic reaches.

It’s a refreshing take on the literary favorite, so iconic that its titular character, Jay Gatsby’s last name has become an adjective—and the bachelor’s nouveau riche habits are draped in opulence throughout this two-and-a-half hour spectacle.

While this kind of thrill used to be the very essence of a Broadway show, in recent decades, there's been a trend of scaling back. Black box stages with minimal staging have risen in popularity, often with smaller casts and even smaller orchestras. So often, theatergoers step out of a show wondering what they actually paid for. 

But The Great Gatsby flips the trend, going all out—and making sure you get every bang for your buck, in that kind of spectacle of song and dance you expect during a night out at the theater.

It's a true visual treat, harkening back to the heyday of Broadway, from the impressiveness of its props (two different full-sized cars appear on stage!) to the tiniest elements of the wardrobe (from that extra gleam on Gatsby's shoes to the fine detailing on Daisy's dresses). It's no surprise that the show's costume designer Linda Cho even won her third Tony Award (Best Costume Design, Musical) for the fine fashioning of the bygone era.

The scale of the entire production—with 31 company members illuminating the stage with choreographed numbers so stunning it often seems like a cast of hundreds—is not just bigger, but brighter. Every setting, from the luxurious mansion parties and charming garden cottages to the rustic gas station feel so very authentic, making it truly feel like a journey through the lives and drama of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan.

As proof of how well-suited (literally) for the stage this show is, since its April 2024 Broadway debut, the production has sparked such intrigue that it's also opening on London's West End in April, debuting in Seoul in July and launching a national tour in 2026. Another little bonus: unlike most Broadway shows, The Great Gatsby puts on Monday night performances (and goes dark on Tuesdays), meaning you can kick off your week on the Great White Way.

This Immersive Party is For Everyone

Even before the curtains lift, the party has begun. In fact, going through the theater entrance process here feels less like going to a show and more like heading into a Met Ball-level affair you've scored an invite to. In a true immersion, some audience members even dress to the nines in Gatsby era fashion, from sleek suits topped with savvy hats to flapper-style dresses with an accent on sparkles.

All around the theater, there's a buzz of anticipation doused with a festive atmosphere. But the beauty is in the wide range of audience members. During one afternoon matinee, there was a mix of longtime theatergoing couples, excited to catch a show based on a story they already knew well, as well as several high school groups, not just seeing their required school reading come to life, but also experiencing live theater for the first time.

On a recent evening performance, I sat in front of a group of teens on a theater field trip. Their pre-show chatter proved they had done their homework and were anticipating the production of a lifetime, already buzzing about the two new leads who had recently stepped in.

Best known for playing Haley Dunphy on ABC's hit sitcom Modern Family from 2009 to 2020, Sarah Hyland returns to her New York City roots as Daisy, a role she was born to play. It's a fitting return to the Broadway stage for her, having grown up in a theatrical family. Most notably, her dad Edward James Hyland spent more than six years as an original cast member of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Hyland, fresh off an off-Broadway run of Little Shop of Horrors, has long been fine-tuning her innate talent for musical theater. In fact, she made her Broadway debut more than 18 years ago as an original cast member of 2006's Grey Gardens in a production that snagged a best musical Tony nomination.

There's an ease and simplicity to the way Hyland plays the complicated character of Daisy, making her so relatable as she navigates the realities of her opulent lifestyle, juxtaposed with her great love who got away, and suddenly reappears in her life.

That would be the mysterious and lovelorn title character, Gatsby, played by Ryan McCartan. The row of theater teens behind me shrieked with delight the moment he stepped on stage—and it's no wonder. McCartan bears a prince-like quality that has crowned him as a Broadway staple, having starred as Hans in Disney's Frozen and Fiyero in Wicked.

He's also shown his range, originating the role of JD in the classic off-Broadway favorite Heathers: The Musical. And, like his leading lady Hyland, McCartan also has a TV fanbase from playing Diggie on the Disney Channel comedy Liv and Maddie.

On stage, the pair are a natural match with the forbidden longing of their characters infectiously tugging emotionally on the audience's heartstrings. When their voices come together for "My Green Light," it's nothing short of Broadway magic.

Gatsby is a Distinctly New York City Show

As a lifelong Broadway fan, I’ve made some funny choices—like seeing Jersey Boys in London instead of in my home state where it originates. I originally wondered if I journeyed out to the Paper Mill Playhouse, in Millburn, New Jersey, to catch the very first pre-Broadway performance of The Great Gatsby might feel the same way.

Even in the suburbs, I was immediately swept up in the beauty of this new musical with a book by Kait Kerrigan, music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Nathan Tysen, produced by Chunsoo Shin, and directed by Marc Bruni. But every element was elevated when I then saw it on Broadway. 

After all, sitting there in the theater on 53rd and Broadway, I was just six blocks south and two avenues over from one of the locations in the musical, The Plaza Hotel. As iconic today as it was then, there's an inherent excitement about actually being in the setting brought to life in front of you. 

On top of that, the mansions that inspired the story, and are projected on stage, are all just to the east of the city in Long Island, so close that the characters talk about walking to the city. In real life, you can also complement your Gatsby show with an actual visit to the homes of that era, now appropriately known as the Gatsby Gold Coast Mansions (though a drive is wiser—no spoiler alerts!).

Set on this particular Broadway stage—fittingly at one of the handful of theaters with an actual Broadway street address—it also feels like there's more depth to the story, and that's not imagined. As Hyland pointed out during her appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, the original story was told through just one character's perspective, but the female point of view has been expanded in this Broadway retelling.

"I always felt there was more to Daisy than what was written," the actress said, adding that the musical rounds out "why they make the decisions they make, how they're feeling and how they're going about life," all coming together to show that "Daisy is such a beautiful complex woman."

Through the show, the ebbs and flows of the characters are relayed through an emotional roller coaster, captured in both in the music and lyrics, particularly when McCartan belts out "For Her," with such beautiful longing in his voice that the audience erupted into a chorus of screams of approval that's so rare mid-show. Hyland also impresses with her stage voice, drawing bursts of applause after both Daisy's solos, "For Better or Worse" and "Beautiful Little Fool."

The Gatsby cast is rounded out by the most delightful mix of talents, from the enchanting Noah J. Ricketts as Nick Carraway and the sassy Samantha Pauly as Jordan Baker to the whimsical Sara Chase as Myrtle Wilson to the compelling John Zdrojeski as Tom Buchanan, among a whole cast of sparkling talents.

A throwback stage spectacular with the draw of the alluring 1920s elevated with theater magic of today and topped off with the most enthralling performances. This is one invite you can't turn down. Gatsby is waiting.

Ready to go? Find tickets for The Great Gatsby on Broadway.