Alysha Umphress, Jay Armstrong Johnson & More to Star in Reading of THE GREAT GATSBY New Musical Adaptation

A private 29-hour reading of a new musical adaptation of The Great Gatsby, written by the Tony Award-nominated songwriting duo of Nathan Tysen and Jason Howland (Paradise Square), with book by Kait Kerrigan (The Mad Ones) and directed by Mark Bruni (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), will be held tomorrow, Friday, May 20 in New York City.

The reading features Jay Armstrong Johnson (On the Town) in the titular role of Jay Gatsby, and Noah J. Ricketts (Frozen), Phoenix Best (Dear Evan Hansen), Alysha Umphress (On the Town), John Behlmann (Tootsie), Eric Anderson (Moulin Rouge!), Paul Whitty (Come from Away), and Grace Yoo (Hadestown), with an ensemble featuring Milo Alosi, Tyrone Davis Jr., Victoria Huston-Elem, Danny Kornfeld, Elena Ricardo, Housso Semon, Yasmeen Sulieman, and Daniel Torres.

The event is presented by Chun-Soo Shin of OD Company, and music directed by Daniel Edmonds, stage managed by Brian Bogin, general managed by Foresight Theatricals, with sound design by Brian Ronan, and casting by Stephen Kopel.

Set in the Roaring Twenties, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of the greatest American novels. It chronicles the rags-to-riches story of Jay Gatsby, an eccentric millionaire, and his tragic pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, a wealthy young woman who he loved in his youth. This new musical brings beloved characters to life against the backdrop of a Jazz and pop-infused score, bringing The Great Gatsby into the 21st century.

BIOGRAPHIES

Nathan Tysen (Lyrics). Broadway & West End: Paradise Square (Tony nomination), Amélie (Olivier & Grammy nominations), Tuck Everlasting. Off-Broadway: The Burnt Part Boys, Fugitive Songs, Stars of David. Regional: Stillwater, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. TV/Film: A Killer Party, "Sesame Street," "Elmo's World," and "The Electric Company." Awards from the Kleban, Ebb, Rodgers, and Larson foundations. Writer/director for Lovewell Institute, creating original musicals with young adults. MFA NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, BFA Missouri State University. nathantysen.com

Jason Howland (Music) is a musical theater composer, playwright, conductor, music director, and producer. Broadway: Paradise Square (Tony Nomination), Little Women. In 2015, he won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album for his work producing the cast recording of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.

Kait Kerrigan (Book) is an award-winning lyricist, book writer, and playwright. Off-Broadway: The Mad Ones, Henry & Mudge. She has written book and lyrics for The Bad Years, Republic, Irena, and lyrics for Justice (world premiere Arizona Theatre Company 2021), Ernxst (Or the Importance of Being), Rosie Revere, Engineer & Friends,and Earthrise. Her plays include Father/Daughter (world premiere at Aurora Theatre Company 2021), Disaster Relief, Imaginary Love, and Transit. Her work has been developed by La Jolla, Kennedy Center, Theatreworks/Silicon Valley, Primary Stages, Goodspeed, and others. Awards: Kleban, Larson, Theatre Hall of Fame Most Promising Lyricist. Alumna of Dramatists Guild Fellowship, Page 73's I-73, Barnard College, BMI Musical Theatre Writing Workshop.

Marc Bruni (Director) directed the Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Award winning Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway, in the West End, US/UK Tours, and in Australia, winning the Helpmann and Green Room Awards for Best Direction of a Musical. Bruni's other directing credits include: Trevor the Musical (Off Broadway- Stage 42, Writers Theatre), The Explorers Club (Manhattan Theater Club), The Tale of Despereaux (with PigPen Theatre Co.- Old Globe Theatre, Berkeley Rep), Old Jews Telling Jokes (Westside Theatre and Royal George in Chicago- Jeff Award nomination for Direction), Hey, Look Me Over!, Paint Your Wagon, Pipe Dream and Fanny for NY City Center Encores!, The Music Man, How to Succeed.., and 50 Years of Broadway (Kennedy Center), Roman Holiday: The Cole Porter Musical (Golden Gate), The Sound of Music (Chicago Lyric Opera), and 7 shows for the St. Louis MUNY including Singin' in the Rain, My Fair Lady, The Music Man and The Sound of Music (Two Kevin Kline nominations). He also directed the eight-episode streaming musical A Killer Party. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and member of SDC.

For more information, email Andrew Joy at ajoy@fstheatrical.com.