TOLEDO – The Stranahan Theater will be featuring eight performances of The Great Gatsby, bringing F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic story to life for a night of music and fun.
The Great Gatsby is a Tony Award-winning musical that features marvelous production numbers and melodies. The Broadway musical will be shown from April 7-12, and is recommended for ages 10 and up.
Joshua Grosso, a musical theater graduate from Carnegie Mellon University, plays Nick Carraway in the musical. His character is a WWI vet who comes to New York looking for a sense of meaning and escape from his past, and serves as the narrator of the show.
Leanne Robinson, a British actress and singer known for her six-year role as Nabulungi in The Book of Mormon West End production, plays Jordan Baker in the musical. Her character is a quintessential alpha female who is independent, speaks her mind and knows all the right people.
Gatsby. © Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
“When discovering my version of who Jordan was, the word ‘chameleon’ came to mind,” Robinson said. “Bringing her to life wasn’t too difficult, as I consider myself similar to Jordan in some ways. My life has forced me to move around and step into new spaces alone, and that, along with my parents, has allowed me to really develop a sense of confidence in who I am, no matter what room I’m in.”
Grosso said the musical honors many key aspects of the stories and characters, but it also gives room for a few cast members to expand upon their own decisions and get a chance to develop their characters as people.
“The development of specifically our female characters offers a different perspective of the story,” Grosso said. “This is simply my own personal opinion, but I always find an adaptation to be most successful when it not only honors the themes and characters of the story, but it also adds onto the already established lore and cultural phenomena that it is based on.”
Robinson said the show does a good job of modernizing the classic story, without losing its 1920s essence. She noted how details such as costume choices and the added element of music bring a new perspective to the story.
“Jordan in the 1920s would never wear pants, and even to play golf, women would wear long skirts, and choices like that make the show very cool, fresh and relatable,” Robinson said. “Adding the element of music and dance completely heightens the experience of the story. The stage brings all those elements together and places them right in the forefront, and it makes for a very exciting night.”
Grosso said it’s a privilege to bring the adaptation of a classic American story to audiences and see how people connect with the material.
“Veteran readers of the book will get their satisfactory easter egg moments with a few surprises; all the while, those who are unfamiliar with the story hopefully feel inspired to pick one of the most culturally definitive books of the last 100 years.”
Grosso said it takes a village to bring such a massive production to life in each city, and it’s a combined effort of their crew and the hardworking, welcoming local crew. Robinson expressed a lot of love to their entire crew, stating it takes an army to get the show up and running every night.
“Tireless hours of moving, packing sets, washing and preparing costumes and wigs, the list goes on,” Robinson said. “We have so many people supporting us in various ways behind the curtain to make our lives as easy as possible on stage, so we can deliver a stress-free performance for the audiences. We’d truly be lost without them, and quite frankly, there would be no show.”
Grosso said the fact that he gets to share this production with the audience makes it worthwhile.
“It’s truly a wonderful, unique experience to not only be a part of the story, but to also get to witness so much of it,” he said. “There are moments in the show where I get the immense pleasure of witnessing my cast members do what they do best onstage, alongside the audience.”
Robinson said she hopes that audiences feel inspired when they come to see The Great Gatsby. She hopes that audiences have an enjoyable time and feel all the emotions from the show.
“I want people to come to the theater and feel inspired to see more theatre,” she said. “I hope people have a good time, laugh and feel emotions and have a memorable night with us.”
The Great Gatsby has a run time of about two hours and 30 minutes, with a 15-minute intermission. Free parking is available in the lot around the Stranahan Theater.
For more information on The Great Gatsby, visit Americantheatreguild.com.
