A modern twist to Great Gatsby
Opening with a breath-taking jazztime rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” the gold cast welcomed audiences with an electrifying performance filled with eye-catching dances, jeweled-covered costumes and lushly decorated stage sets for the theatrical rendition of “The Great Gatsby.”
The play follows the monologues of bond salesman Nick Carraway who aids ambitious and hopeless romantic Jay Gatsby in his endeavor to woo and win over his lost love, Daisy, from her cruel husband, Tom Buchanan. Their lives are filled with luxury, mistresses and hit-and-runs, constantly keeping the audience on the edges of their seats.
The gold cast of the play starred seniors Brandon Kim as Carraway, Aeron McCoy as Gatsby and Dana Yang as Daisy Buchanan.
Kim did a fantastic job at not only setting the scene of every segment of the show, but also perfectly capturing the essence of each scene with Shakespearean-esque soliloquies and statements, while bringing more to Nick Carraway’s character with his impeccable comedic timing.
McCoy and Yang avidly evoked the audience’s empathy, portraying the mannerisms and characters of Daisy and Gatsby perfectly. McCoy’s exemplary execution of Gatsby’s elegant yet frantic demeanor complemented Yang’s frenzied performance as Daisy, who skillfully displayed Daisy’s innocence to irresponsible selfishness as the play went on.
Other notable characters of the show were Tom Buchanan (senior Spencer Song) and Jordan Baker (junior Kelly Xu). The two actors delivered undeniably fresh but jarring performances, receiving more than a few laughs from the audience throughout the show.
Xu brought out the flirtatious and clever character of Jordan Baker, and Song’s interpretation of Tom Buchanan left the audience constantly on their toes, anticipating his next move.
The show was full of ragtime variations of popular modern-day pop songs, all sung by senior Sarai Garcia, including “Chandelier,” “Levitating” and “Summertime Sadness,” as jazz instrumentals were played throughout the entirety of the production.
The performance itself was further enhanced by the intricate and elaborate sets that cascaded along the theater stage, courtesy of DBHS’s stagecraft. From the audience’s perspective, stage right was occupied by the infamous eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleberg portrayed in the original novel, watching over the entire show.
Versatile lounges and restaurant tables decorated the majority of the stage and were heavily used throughout the show. The lighting varied according to the mood of each scene, with the occasional use of green luminescence as a callback to the novel, representing Daisy Buchanan’s presence across the bay.
Each element of the show coincided and complemented the other flawlessly, with the cast’s performance, sets, costumes, and musical arrangements all tied together to help paint the jazz era of the roaring 1920s. The dramatic interpretation of Fitzgerald’s novel was executed beautifully, portraying the treacherous fates of Gatsby and Daisy.
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