Global Creatures joins Unigram & Access Entertainment to produce the show, as Gatsby projects heat up in London
London-based producer and theatre owner Len Blavatnik of Access Entertainment, and Broadway producer Amanda Ghost of Unigram are moving forward with their new musical Gatsby: An American Myth.
Based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel, the show boasts a score by rock star Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine, and a book by Pulitzer Prize-winner Martyna Majok (Cost of Living).
Grammy Award-nominee Thomas Bartlett (Doveman), who contributed music and lyrics to the original production, was not listed in today’s news release.
The show has also attached a high-profile new director, with Tony Award-winner David Cromer (Dead Outlaw; Good Night, and Good Luck) on board to direct.
Gatsby: An American Myth premiered at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University on 5 June 2024. That production was directed by Tony Award-winner Rachel Chavkin (Hadestown).
Originally, British director Rebecca Frecknall (A Streetcar Named Desire, Cabaret) was also tapped to direct Gatsby when the project was first promoted in 2021.
In other Gatsby news today, producer and Tony Award-winner Carmen Pavlovic is joining the show as producer and general partner on behalf of Global Creatures, the Australian production company behind hits such as Moulin Rouge! The Musical, and Muriel’s Wedding The Musical.
Intriguingly, Gatsby: An American Myth is getting a planned reading in London this week, fuelling speculation that London may see this new show ahead of Broadway. Further plans for the musical are “to be announced soon”.
According to their press statement, the musical is acknowledged as “the official musical by the F. Scott Fitzgerald Estate.”
That’s as opposed to current Broadway transfer The Great Gatsby A New Musical, which is playing at the London Coliseum until 7 September.
That show, by Jason Howland, Nathan Tysen and Kait Kerrigan, features a heavyweight West End cast including Jamie Muscato as Jay Gatsby, with Frances Mayli McCann as Daisy Buchanan, Corbin Bleu as Nick Carraway, Amber Davies as Jordan Baker, John Owen-Jones as Meyer Wolfsheim, Jon Robyns as Tom Buchanan and Rachel Tucker as Myrtle Wilson.
If Gatsby: An American Myth does come to London, then the Theatre Royal Haymarket may be in the mix as a possible venue: billionaire businessman Leonard Blavatnik’s Access Entertainment owns the historic London theatre.
Florence Welch (Music and Lyrics) is the Grammy Award-nominated international rock star of Florence + the Machine. Martyna Majok (Book) was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, Cost of Living, which debuted on Broadway in 2022.
David Cromer’s impressive director credits include Dead Outlaw, which closed on Broadway last month, and Good Night, and Good Luck, the recent, blockbuster Broadway production starring George Clooney, and which is rumoured to be coming to London with Clooney.
Cromer’s other credits include The Antiquities; The Counter; I’m Almost There; Prayer for the French Republic; Camp Siegfried; A Case for the Existence of God; The Sound Inside; The Band’s Visit; The Treasurer; The House of Blue Leaves; Brighton Beach Memoirs; Nikolai and the Others; The Effect; When the Rain Stops Falling; Tribes; Adding Machine; Our Town; and Orson’s Shadow.
Director David Cromer said in a statement: “This is one of the most elemental stories of the American Dream and its dark underbelly. Gatsby continues to resonate because it speaks to ambition, illusion and the cost of longing. To build upon the extraordinary work of Florence Welch and Martyna Majok is both a privilege and a thrilling challenge. Their artistry has created a world that is haunting, poetic and deeply human. I’m honoured to collaborate with them to bring this next chapter to life.”
The producers said in a joint statement: “We are thrilled to welcome David Cromer to this very special work. David is one of the most sought-after directors working today. His artistry and visionary approach to storytelling are both distinctive and inspiring. Alongside the remarkable talents of Florence Welch and Martyna Majok, this team promises to be an exceptional creative force.”
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📷 Main photo: Gatsby An American Myth, written by Florence Welch (Photo provided by production)
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