The Great Gatsby

Jennifer Grace & Liam Hogan Photo: Rachel Neville

However, by WWII, following a fortuitous distribution to US troops and the sobering experience of the Great Depression, Fitzgerald's depiction of the excesses of the '20s and the hollowness of the American Dream struck a chord across a culture still focused on reading books, not yet having fallen prey to electronic sensory gratification.

The current production of this story by the Colorado Ballet—choreography by Jorden Morris and music by Carl Davis—was originally scheduled for 2000, but cancelled by the virus event, and much like the original publication of the book benefited from a revisitation years later, the message of this story benefits from this scheduling delay, given the gilded excesses that dominate our current political, economic, and social life.

Although Fitzgerald's novel is relatively short, the story is complex, filled with cross-purposes, infidelities, class conflict, betrayals, and recklessness; yet, as the ballet company's artistic director, Gil Boggs, notes, Jorden Morris' choreography creates "vivid, emotionally rich characters through movement ... pushing our company artistically."

Indeed, Morris has solved what would otherwise be a difficult plot line to comprehend. Still, there were audience members who franticly searched their programs, a bit baffled by the intensely episodic story and the comings and goings of so many characters. Brief scene summaries via the Figaro seat back titling system in the Ellie Caulkins Opera House would have been much appreciated, and were conspicuous in their absence.

While the ballet contains a number of lovely and well-executed classical interludes of solos, pas de deux,and ensemble pairings and dances, much of the action is captured via modern movement, reflecting the emotional subtext and the atmospheric score. In the Friday evening, February 6th performance, Jessica Payne's emotive details bring full expression to Daisy Buchanan's life, as she is torn between her pre-war lover and now nouveau riche, Horatio Alger success story, Jay Gatsby (Mario Labrador), and her belligerent, old-money husband, Tom Buchanan (Patrick Mihm). Labrador and Mihm's high-contrast personifications amplify the poignancy and drama of the entangled relationships. Jeremy Studinski's portrayal of Nick Carraway (the narrator in Fitzgerald's book) is our accessible touchstone in this wild, amoral tale. Ariel McCarty as Myrtle Wilson, Tom's mistress, exemplifies the passionate and sexy heartbeat of the story.

Maestro Adam Flatt and the 31-piece Colorado Ballet Orchestra deliver a well-paced and dynamic score. The costumes (Peter Farmer & Janet Groom Campbell), sets (Peter Farmer and Andrew Dvaanaugh Holland, and lighting (Original design, Matthew Taylor, design by Andrew McDaniels) are a delicious testament to the opulance, glitter, and frills from the period. The scenery and costumes are courtesy of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.

The Colorado Ballet's presentation of The Great Gatsby, choreography by Jorden Morris and music by Carl Davis, based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, runs through February 8th, 2026. For tickets: Colorado Ballet tickets.

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