Immersive 'Great Gatsby' review: Gatsby is having a party in New York — and you're invited

Walking into Gatsby's party the other night, I had a question.

The question isn't who Gatsby was. I knew him. Everybody in the room at "The Great Gatsby — The Immersive show," an interactive event newly arrived at the Park Central Hotel in New York for an open-ended run, knew him.

Everybody who has seen the "Gatsby" movies in 2013, 2000, 1974 or 1949 (a 1926 silent version is, alas, lost) knew him. Everybody who has ever been assigned a certain 1925 novel, by Mrs. Mackie in 10th grade English, knew him.

No, the question isn't who Gatsby was. The question is who I was.

"Dress to the nines and join this heart racing, immersive theatrical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic tale direct from London after 7 years of sold-out performances," read the press release.

"1920s dress code is encouraged but not compulsory."

Audiences at "Immersive Gatsby," in other words, are encouraged not just to watch, but be a part of this story of a mysterious young millionaire in jazz age Long Island who throws wild, extravagant parties for hundreds of strangers.

So how could I participate?

Dressing the part

I could, I decided, be a reporter — coming to investigate just who this Gatsby is, and where he got his money.

It wasn't much of a stretch. I was a reporter. And reporters do figure in Fitzgerald's book, in a small way. "About this time an ambitious young reporter from New York arrived one morning at Gatsby's door and asked him if he had anything to say. 'Anything to say about what?' inquired Gatsby politely. 'Why — any statement to give out.' "

I would be that 1920s newshound. And I would dress the part — in my retro ice cream suit and bowtie. If not exactly Twenties, it was close enough.

"Thank you for joining me," said Gatsby (Joél Acosta), who had taken a crowd of us from the main hotel ballroom — where most of the action takes place — to a side salon, decked out as Gatsby's famous library full of stage-prop books ("Absolutely real — have pages and everything," marvels the resident drunk).

"If you woke up this morning with more money than you ever dreamed of, what would you do?" asked Gatsby. He was immaculate in white jacket, black pants, bow-tie and two-tone shoes.

"Not teach summer school," said one lady.

Drinking it in

It was pretty easy to tell the ticket buyers from the cast members.

The latter wore cloche hats, tiaras, feathers, fringed and sequined gowns, long gloves, sported watch fobs or carried ukuleles.

The former wore Hawaiian shirts, Tibetan pullovers, shorts, iridescent sneakers, or tassel loafers. That night, anyway, I seemed to be one of the few customers who tried to dress in period.

I sidled up to Tom Buchanan (Shahzeb Hussain) at the bar.

"Say, who is this Gatsby anyway?" I asked him. "Where does he get his money?" He glared at me.

"I'm a reporter from The Record in New Jersey, and I'm trying to find out," I said, taking out pad and pen.

"That's what I'd like to know," he said in brusque, Buchanan fashion.

"He could be a bootlegger," he said. "Maybe me and you should work together."

At the bar, George Wilson (Keivon Akbari) was serving cocktails: The Bees Knees (Dorothy Parker Gin, Honey, Lemon), The Daisy (1800 Tequila, Curacao, Ginger, Lemon, Agave), and The Old "Sport" Fashioned (Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Bitters).

Unlike Gatsby, who wouldn't dream of having his guests pay for his illicit liquor, Immersive Everywhere, which produced this show, serves cocktails that are both tasty and pricey (the "Carraway Daquiri," which I can heartily recommend, was $21 with mandatory $5 tip).

"I would like to propose a toast — to old friends and first loves," said Gatsby at a climactic moment.

"Mr. Gatsby, Chicago is on the line," the butler interrupted.

"I apologize, I must take a telephone call," Gatsby said.

Two aims

"The Great Gatsby — The Immersive show" has an ambitious double program.

It aims to be a you-are-there recreation of one of Gatsby's stupendous Roaring Twenties parties. Music. Dancing. Drinking.

At the same time, it attempts a rough enactment of the book's plotline. You know: How Gatsby, the poor boy turned wealthy bootlegger, tries to win back Daisy (Jillian Anne Abaya), the love of his life, from her rich boorish husband Tom Buchanan (Hussain), and the pileup of misunderstandings that finally leads an aggrieved working stiff (Keivon Akbari) to shoot Gatsby in his swimming pool.

In keeping with the party spirit, there music, song and dance.

Many in the cast sing and play instruments. Especially winning is Meyer Wolfsheim (Charlie Marcus), who in this version is not only the gangster who fixed the 1919 World Series, but also a consummate song-and-dance man whose parlor card tricks and rendition of "If I knew Susie" are swell.

In general, this Wolfsheim is a lot more presentable than the book's. No "fine growths of hair that luxuriated in each nostril." No cuff buttons made of "finest specimens of human molars."

"I'm gonna avail you of some business opportunities," he said, coming up to us at the beginning of the evening. "You're gonna be very connected."

Period detail

The music itself is a mixed bag. Some tunes are in period ("Ain't We Got Fun," "Charleston") some sound like contemporary show music, and at least one is in the 5/4 time signature of Dave Brubeck's "Take Five," which — not for nothing — Gatsby's guests would have had a hard time Lindy-Hopping to.

Then, every once in a while, characters burst onto the scene to enact little bits of the book. Which was at times awkward.

"'You mustn't ask too much of her' — excuse me — 'You can't repeat the past'," said Nick Carraway (Rob Brinkmann), brushing past me on the way to deliver his big line.

Just as the music wanders in and out of period, so does the dialogue — half Fitzgerald and half improv.

"You may fool me, but you can't fool God!" says the blue collar Wilson (Akbari) to his cheating wife Myrtle (Claire Saunders). Which is from the book.

"I don't need God to see me," Myrtle replies. "I need you to see me." That's not from the book. That's from couples therapy.

Nor — it turned out — was it very easy to fit myself seamlessly into the action. My reporter getup didn't win me friends among the cast of 14.

"Old sport, please stop taking notes and help me out," Gatsby said to me at one point, when we were helping him choose the right shirt from his fabled wardrobe.

"Full Windsor or half Windsor?" he asked, knotting his tie.

"Half Windsor?" I ventured.

"Full Windsor," he said, decisively.

Faithful in their fashion

Or course, there's no reason to expect this "Great Gatsby" to be more true to Fitzgerald than any of the various other movie and stage renditions (Baz Luhrmann's 2013 version had hiphop on the soundtrack, which worked out better than it sounds).

One doesn't begrudge certain changes, like making Wilson Gatsby's bartender, rather than an obscure garage mechanic. The first, 1926, stage version of the show made him Tom's chauffeur — and for the same reason (unity of time, place and plot).

But it might be be better if the show made up its mind. Is it going to be a goof, a fun "happening" a la "Tony n' Tina's Wedding"? In which case, there might have been more party and less "plot." A few scene-setting passages from the book, used impressionistically, would have been enough.

Or is it going to be a serious attempt to render Fitzgerald's story and style? In which case, they might have taken a little more care.

At the very least, Gatsby should not be seen overpowering Tom Buchanan — when as any reader of the book knows, the "hulking" Tom would have overpowered him (the casting doesn't help: Gatsby, here, is a head taller than Tom).

Nor would Wilson say things like, "I keep pushing and pushing and pushing to make your world brighter." If Fitzgerald wrote like that, his novel would have been as dead as Jay Gatsby on arrival.

So take "The Great Gatsby — The Immersive show" for what it is.

Not "The Great Gatsby." "Gatsby"-adjacent, perhaps. And with a slug or two of a Carraway Daquiri, fun.

Go...

"The Great Gatsby – The Immersive Show." Park Central Hotel, 55th Street and Seventh Avenue, New York. Open ended run. www.immersiveGatsby.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: 'Great Gatsby' immersive theater performance review