Authorized and Granted Exclusive Rights by the Fitzgerald Estate
Reviews
GUTHRIE THEATRE (Minneapolis)
Variety - "SWEEPING... EXCELLENT... AN UNDENIABLE CHEMISTRY AT WORK HERE THAT'S LAUDABLE... Levy's adaptation wisely anchors itself around the first-person account of narrator Nick Carraway... A SATISFYING CONCLUSION... AFFECTING!"
Minneapolis Post-Bulletin - "IT'S NOTHING LESS THAN MAGNIFICENT, a powerful realization of Fitzgerald's novel of obsession, love, money and the American dream. There's no question that 'Gatsby' has all the elements of GREAT THEATER... a grand christening of the main stage in the Guthrie's $125 million new home."
Minneapolis StarTribune - "GREAT START FOR NEW GUTHRIE!... in a new stage adaptation that provoked historic excitement... a clean, imaginative and sometimes surreal work... a production that is FLEET-FOOTED and, thankfully, not freighted with theatrical froufou."
The Falcon Newspaper(Minneapolis) - "A STUNNING PERFORMANCE... artfully synthesizing the writer's renowned work onto the stage with Simon Levy's adapted script... With these colorful and profound characters, the dramatic performance engages the audience both in laughter and in genuine sympathy. BOLD AND ENTICING, the intense and convincing acting, the simple yet fitting sets, and the elaborate costumes all add to the EXCELLENCE OF THIS PRODUCTION. THIS PLAY GIVES LIFE TO FITZGERALD'S TIMELESS STORY."
Performing Arts(Minneapolis) - "A CLASSY AND ELEGANT PRODUCTION THAT IS CAPTIVATING AND MOVING... The Guthrie's dramatization of this classic was BEAUTIFULLY ORCHESTRATED."
ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY
Arizona Daily Star - "By the end of the evening, THERE WAS A LONGING TO SEE IT AGAIN. AND THEN AGAIN... This adaptation by Simon Levy clearly understood that Fitzgerald's words are sacred and can't be improved upon. What was added, deleted or changed to adapt the story to the stage was so faithful to Fitzgerald that it became seamless. Stephen Wrentmore, ATC's associate artistic director, directed this piece with a reverence for the language and the story. The sets were simple but the vision grand - a revolving stage quickly brought us from one location to another; minimalistic set pieces were used to suggest opulence, or poverty, or a hydroplane. There's a purity to this story and its characters that Wrentmore honored and underscored... This is "The Great Gatsby," faithful to Fitzgerald and to the spirit of the novel. EXPECTATIONS WERE FAR EXCEEDED."
TucsonSentinel.com - "WELL-CRAFTED ADAPTATION... Amazing... This show is full of magical moments... Many brilliant turns of Fitzgerald’s words into succinct on-stage moments... This production of “The Great Gatsby” is worth seeing even for those not familiar with the novel. Though the book still deserves reading, think of the play as the most delightful, animated Cliffs Notes you’ll ever find. The show has quality professional acting, exceptional stagecraft... highly creative writing and direction. It is A SUMPTUOUS PRODUCTION THAT JOYFULLY DEMONSTRATES THE STRENGTHS THAT THE STAGE BRINGS TO STORYTELLING, even to a masterwork like Fitzgerald’s hallowed novel."
ExplorerNews.com - "There’s a place that makes for A GREAT DATE NIGHT in Tucson right now, as the Arizona Theater Company presents “The Great Gatsby” through March 17. A story tangled with romance and betrayal, director Stephen Wrentmore has created a fine production THAT HAD THE AUDIENCE YELLING "WELL DONE," during opening night last week... The play works for many reasons. First, the minimalist sets were dynamic and artistic, therefore putting the onus on the characters. And the cast pulled it off. No one in the cast really stood out simply because there were so many fine performances that came together to make for AN EXCELLENT PLAY."
SEATTLE REPERTORY THEATRE
Seattle Post-Intelligencer - "SEATTLE REP SUPERBLY MINES THE ESSENCE OF FITZGERALD'S 'GREAT GATSBY'... Playwright Simon Levy does a BEAUTIFUL JOB of distilling Fitzgerald's sometimes fussy prose. Levy's combination of narration, dialogue and action delivers most of what is best in the novel... BEAUTIFUL... STUNNING... AMAZING... A BRILLIANT DISTILLATION."
Tacoma Weekly - "A BRILLIANT REWORKING!... the only play version authorized by the Fitzgerald estate since 1926... The use of the Saxman to establish mood was a great touch... MAGNIFICENT."
Seattle Gay News - "'GREAT GATSBY' CONTINUES TO PACK IN CROWDS AT SEATTLE REP PREMIERE... The Seattle Repertory has one of its strongest audience hits in recent years with its solid solid production... AN OUT-AND-OUT AUDIENCE PLEASER AND A HOT TICKET!"
GRAND THEATRE (London Ontario Canada)
London Free Press - "GATSBY SMILES!... Somewhere out there, Jay Gatsby is smiling one of those enigmatic smiles, with everything and nothing behind it. 'Yes, old sport,' Gatsby is saying, 'That's about right. That's about right.' Surely, that SMILING SIGN OF APPROVAL would be Gatsby's suitably understated take on Simon Levy's adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby at the Grand Theatre. The Grand production is indeed a BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED interpretation of the 1925 novel which defined the Jazz Age. Director Susan Ferley and her fine cast and stage team have created a melancholy valentine to the Jazz Age and its iconic fictional hero in The Great Gatsby, which opened Friday. THIS IS INDEED A GRAND GATSBY."
The Gazette - "The Grand Theatre’s Canadian premiere of The Great Gatsby DOES JUSTICE TO F. SCOTT FITZGERALD'S WORK... Fitzgerald would likely approve of director Susan Ferley’s work, as the stage production stays honest to his novel. The Great Gatbsy’s actors... do a wonderful job portraying their characters... Simon Levy, who adapted The Great Gatsby for the stage, includes elements such as the green light on Daisy’s property that Gatsby continuously looks at over the docks. Through exaggerations and fine details, the stage production of The Great Gatsby reminds us that Fitzgerald’s plot is much more than a sad love story. The final scenes of the play are perhaps the best. After a shocking series of events, Carraway’s final reflections are of helplessness and bitterness. With a few final words, Greg Gale seals a melancholy tale and leaves the audience with a lingering feeling of nostalgia. Moving back to the 21st century is almost a shock—The Great Gatsby is NOT EASILY FORGOTTEN."