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Jeremy Jordan (left) and Eva Noblezada perform in the OD Company's "The Great Gatsby" at the PaperMill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey, during its premiere last year. (OD Company) |
"The Great Gatsby," a musical production by South Korean producer Shin Chun-soo, will open at the Broadway Theatre in New York in March.
After the one-month pre-Broadway run from Oct. 12 to Nov. 12 last year at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey, Shin’s company, the OD Company, decided to bring the musical, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel of the same title, to Broadway.
The preview will run from March 29 before it officially kicks off on April 25.
Jeremy Jordan, who performed “Jay Gatsby,” and Eva Noblezada, who took the role of “Daisy Buchanan” for the premiere last year, will return for their roles.
The stage production, which features music and lyrics by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen, and a book by Kait Kerrigan, is an ambitious project by Shin, who hopes to expand his domestic success to Broadway and beyond.
Since the company started in 2001 with the production of “Guys and Dolls,” Shin has produced numerous licensed and original musicals, including "Sweeney Todd," "Death Note," "Jekyll and Hyde," "Man of La Mancha," "Dracula," "Grease," "The Story of My Life" and more.
Currently, OD Company’s recent original, “Il Tenoro,” which is about three college students who fall in love with opera in the 1930s during the Japanese occupation, is running in Seoul with positive reviews from both the audience and critics.
With “The Great Gatsby,” Shin will take his third shot at Broadway -- this time as the sole lead producer, unlike in his previous productions “Holler If Ya Hear Me" and "Doctor Zhivago."
“We transformed a masterpiece novel, 'The Great Gatsby,' which constantly generates new values and meanings, onto the stage with a unique plot and vibrant characters that are exclusive to the musical. We aim to create a work that expands the understanding and interpretation of the era for modern audiences, prompting them to contemplate the ideals we should not lose,” Shin said in a statement.
"As the original lead producer, I aspire to grow (this production) into (one) loved by audiences worldwide, not only in Korea but also in the UK, Australia, Asia and beyond, using Broadway as a stepping stone," he added.
