Unlike most American teenagers assigned F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” in high school, Ryan McCartan wasn’t nearly as fascinated by the dazzle-infused parties and Jazz Age romance as he was with the socio-economic angle. Written at a time when self-made individuals were elbowing their way into polite society, Fitzgerald’s aim was a farce about the American Dream.

Ryan McCartan in The Great Gatsby, credit Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade).

“What I remember most, what I found both fascinating and poignant about the book, was the class breakdown and how much Gatsby longed to be accepted,” says the 30-something actor who stepped into the title character’s spectator wingtips this past January. And as it happens, McCartan’s arrival in the blockbuster musical was timely, coinciding with the launch of the novel’s Centennial Celebration.

Having already appeared twice on Broadway as the romantic interest of leading female characters (Fiyero in Wicked and Hans in Frozen), he found the prospect of being “the guy the show was about” amazing—and, initially, intimidating. When approached to play the provocative Jay Gatsby, he wondered whether he could handle the challenge of a) following Jeremy Jordan’s original take on the role, and b) the weight of carrying the lead eight shows a week. Fortunately, he was on the receiving end of some serious encouragement. 

“A lot of people were in my corner,” he says, recalling that while he was still somewhat on the fence about signing on, he went to see the show “to get a vibe check…a gut check.” And watching from the audience proved a game changer. “I can sing these songs…I want to do this…I have to do this,” he told his partner.

The clincher came from the creative team who assured him this was in no way cookie-cutter theatre—he could do the role his way, whatever that entailed. 

“They looked at the artist in front of them and asked ‘How do we make this work for you?’, which is such an admirable way to make art. There is only one Jeremy and he’s amazing, but I didn’t want to get stuck in filling his shoes; I wanted my own pair of shoes,” he says. In this way Gatsby—from stance to voice to emotional core—is 100% McCartan. His is a magnetic performance that taps into Gatsby’s insecurities while maintaining the character’s seductive charm, allowing Fitzgerald’s 1920s literary genius to live and breathe within a truly extraordinary 21st-century production.

TIMELESS GLAMOUR

Photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman.

According to McCartan, the musical mirrors the sophistication of Fitzgerald’s novel by zeroing in on parties, passion, and heartbreak. “Everything in this world is glamorous, enticing, glitzy, sexy, and tragic,” he says, praising Kait Kerrigan’s meticulous script. “It’s so well written the dialogue genuinely feels like the book.”

Meanwhile, the score by Jason Howland (music) and Nathan Tysen (lyrics) sizzles from the first chords of the opening number, “Roaring On.” The floodgates are thrust open to a wild Art Deco bacchanalia filled with sensualists and sycophants anxious to hobnob with their host, the mythic Jay Gatsby, who, aside from a fleeting prologue appearance, doesn’t materialize for several scenes. This time lapse allows McCartan to get into character and get a good warmup,  physically and vocally. “Still, artistically the Tony-winning costumes [by Linda Cho] are magical. You put on those perfectly tailored three-piece suits and you stand taller, you move differently,” he says. “It’s transformative.”

ON-STAGE SPARKS

Ryan McCartan as Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby (credit Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade).

The heart of the story and the one thing that drives Gatsby is his desire for Daisy Buchanan, the now-married beauty who’s haunted him for years and who he is determined to win back—whatever the cost. 

Playing Gatsby’s holy grail is Aisha Jackson, last seen on Broadway in The Notebook. Jackson masterfully slips into one of literature’s most compelling female characters—a woman willing to accept the infidelity strings attached to her brutish old money husband, Tom Buchanan (Austin Colby), while allowing herself to be swept into Gatsby’s new money world of acquisition and excess. It’s a tricky dynamic to pull off, but the chemistry between Jackson and McCartan is irresistible, soaring in the duet “Green Light,” as they sing:

“You’re a signal flare/ There’s love and danger everywhere/ If I save you, will you save me too…”

As with every other scene in the musical, their passion plays out against one of scenic and projection designer Paul Tate dePoo III’s epically stunning sets.  

BACK STORY

Photo: Nina Westervelt.

Like Fitzgerald, Ryan McCartan’s roots are planted in Minnesota—a geographic link that naturally appealed to him as teen and has gone on to color his relationship to the musical in the best of ways. Born and raised in Minnetonka (a western suburb of the Twin Cities), he caught the acting bug early, working professionally from the age of eight. He recalls that even as a kid he approached the craft on his own terms. Fast forward to a restless first semester at the University of Minnesota where, recognizing the school format and his career goals were at loggerheads, he packed up for L.A. 

“I hit the ground running, and was very lucky, booking a couple of guest spots until my first big thing—Liv and Maddie on the Disney Channel,  and things just spanned out from there,” he says. As for his New York stage debut: J.D. in the Off-Broadway cult fave Heathers The Musical.

QUINTESSENTIALLY BROADWAY

Photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman.

“If you are a tourist, one of the reasons you want to see a Broadway show is the scale and illustriousness of a mega-musical,” says McCartan. “And The Great Gatsby is definitely that: a show where actual fireworks go off on stage. But there’s another aspect. When you come to see us, you also get to experience American culture through fascinating stories and characters. It’s the American Dream through Fitzgerald’s eyes…and it is quintessentially Broadway,” he says. “You get so much for the price of one ticket.”

The Great Gatsby is playing at The Broadway Theatre, 1681 Broadway (btw. 52nd & 53rd Sts.). For tickets call 212-239-6200 or visit broadwaygatsby.com.