After New York and London... Shin Chun-soo's 'The Great Gatsby' Lands in Korea

A man in a white suit looks at the green light across the river through the large window. Suddenly, the stage transforms like magic, and Nick Carraway, a naive young man from the American Midwest, begins a monologue towards the audience. Then, with a dazzlingly dressed male and female ensemble, they energetically sing the opening number 'Roaring On', inviting the audience to the golden era of New York in the 1920s jazz age, where parties never stopped.

The musical 'The Great Gatsby' is a notable work where Shin Chun-soo, CEO of OD Company, became the first Asian lead producer (executive producer) on Broadway. After passing through the West End in the UK, this work finally landed in Korea and officially opened on the 8th at the GS Art Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

This work, based on the novel of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald, a representative of 20th-century American literature, captivates the audience with its story of a 'dirt spoon' man whose American dream is thwarted by his love for a 'gold spoon' woman, set against a backdrop of dazzling jazz melodies, dance, and a versatile stage using high-resolution LED visuals, exploring the hidden sides of human desires.

Despite somewhat harsh reviews from foreign media such as "sensory overload, lack of emotional depth", it has received praise from audiences as "entertaining" and "wonderful acting and spectacular stage", proving how suitable the original is as a musical subject. Particularly, the fast-paced and seamless development and the multi-layered perspectives of the characters stand out.

While the original is structured with Nick recalling events from a first-person perspective, the musical interweaves the perspectives of each character, including the romantic dreamer Gatsby, Gatsby's eternal love Daisy, and Daisy's 'gold spoon' husband Tom, drawing in the audience's immersion and empathy.

The music is not an exaggeration to say "every song is a killer number". 'New Money', which combines vibrant jazz rhythms and dynamic choreography, and 'Roaring On', which decorates the beginning and end of the performance but leaves completely different emotional impressions, along with the emotional solo 'For Her' sung by Matt Doyle, who plays Gatsby and is a Tony Award-winning actor, instantly stick in the ear. The ensemble dance combining Charleston, jazz, voguing, and tap dance is visually overwhelming.

This work, with a very American style, possesses the attributes of a spectacular show, a strength of musicals. However, it does not merely remain a spectacle but also effectively reveals the themes of human desire, class issues, and the gap between ideals and reality from the original. Particularly, the more spectacular the stage, the more it contrasts with the emotions of sadness, leaving a bitter aftertaste.

Playwright Kate Kerrigan stated through the program, "From the beginning, I kept the Seoul stage in mind, constantly questioning how a 100-year-old American novel would resonate with today's Korean audience," adding, "The longing for class ascension is no different from the theme of the movie 'Parasite', and the narratives of characters quietly suffering in family and society are akin to Han Kang's 'The Vegetarian'." She also expressed, "I hoped the audience would empathize with the stories of dreams and desires, love and loss that transcend generations."

Perhaps Gatsby, who ran towards a seemingly reckless dream, resembles CEO Shin Chun-soo, who made new history on Broadway. CEO Shin dreamed of entering Broadway with the musicals 'Holler If Ya Hear Me' (2014), based on the life of rapper Tupac, and 'Doctor Zhivago' (2015), but experienced the pain of box office failure. He achieved his long-held dream with 'The Great Gatsby' after 10 years.


Shin Jin-ah Reporter