Adapting one of America’s classic novels into a Broadway-style ballet is no small feat, but producers Gulya Hartwick and Sasha Gorskaya were up for the challenge.
After more than half a dozen years of production, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby finally hits the stage in a way never seen before in its previous incarnations as a Broadway, an opera and five different filmed versions.
“Can’t repeat the past?… Why of course you can!” said Jay Gatsby, Fitzgerald’s protagonist (played by Robert Redford in 1974 and Leonardo DiCaprio in 2013).
Taking audiences back 100 years to the roaring ’20s, complete with dazzling sets, large parties, acrobatics, an all-original jazz score and dazzling ballet footwork, the World Ballet Company’s The Great Gatsby is coming to Silicon Valley for one night as a part of a 140-city tour.
“I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties, there isn’t any privacy,” said the Gatsby character Jordan Baker.
“We’ve wanted to create this production for so many years,” Hartwick says. “The idea got into our minds in 2018. When my co-producer and partner Sasha wrote the libretto, our goal was to stay as close to the book as possible because we loved the story so much. We were of course inspired by both the film adaptations and the musical as well, which had a very interesting approach.”
Hartwick loves Fitzgerald’s descriptions of Gatsby’s “no tomorrow attitude.”
The production conveys one of the most recognizable pieces of 20th-century literature through not only the medium of ballet but also the acting work of the company’s dancers.
“It’s a Broadway-style ballet, which is a unique mix of genres, and it allows the audience to truly immerse themselves in a story,” Hartwick says. “We integrate live singing, effects, projection and acrobatics with the beauty and grace of classical ballet and traditional theater scenery, making it all come together into a stunning piece.”
A hundred years after the 1925 novel debuted, its narrative about the emptiness of wealth without love—and the importance of knowing who your true friends are—still holds true today, with flashy clothes and social media stories replacing stylish cars and lavish parties.
As the last line of the novel puts it, “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
“It’s a timeless story about love, friendship and most importantly the American dream,” Hartwick says. “The ending makes everyone think about what’s important. What is the chase about and is true love worth it? Questions that make you want to speak with your loved ones.”
One standout company member is Hollywood composer Anna Drubich, known for her work on Navalny (2022), Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) and America Unfiltered (2024). Drubich has composed a jazz score that takes audiences through the tides and currents of Fitzgerald’s narrative.
“This music is so very special that it still sings in your head when you go to sleep and then stays with you when you wake up in the morning,” Hartwick asserts. “Anna accepted the challenge by switching to a new genre for her from film. I’m sure that the audience will notice those blockbuster motifs.”
The World Ballet Company’s mission is to create professional classical ballet that is accessible to modern audiences, from fans of ballet to the “ballet curious.”
Hartwick says, “You will fall in love with the dancing and singing and glitter and dazzle. This will be an evening that will be hard to forget, so get your special someone, dress up and enjoy the show.”
The World Ballet Company production takes place at 7pm on Feb. 8 at the Heritage Theatre, 1 W Campbell Ave, Campbell. 408.866.2700. Tickets: $50.50–$106.50.
