Photos courtesy of Shadowbox Live
Shadowbox Live is channeling the roaring ’20s with their upcoming dance theatre production of Broken Whispers, a modern adaptation of the timeless classic, The Great Gatsby.
Broken Whispers debuts Thursday, Aug. 18 at Shadowbox at 7:30 p.m.
The Great Gatsby is a tale of money, power, love and the American dream. Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925, the narrative follows Nick Carraway as he witnesses the opulent drama between the Buchanans and the mysterious Jay Gatsby.
Broken Whispers remains true to these themes, but also adds several new layers to the story. For example, in this rendition Gatsby is a woman – she’s a female, self-made millionaire – something that would have been nearly unheard of in the 1920s.
Moreover, this means that the love triangle between Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan and Tom Buchanan now involves a same-sex relationship. This adds a layer of complexity to the whirlwind romance between Daisy and Gatsby. The production will explore the stigma that plagued gay relationships in the 1920s, which is a theme that is still salient today.
The music encompasses a broad spectrum of genres including artists such as Portishead, Wham and Sade. Some of these modern songs undergo a 1920s makeover and have been remade by Postmodern Jukebox, a music collective based in New York that is known for reworking popular contemporary music into the styles of swing and jazz.
Like Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 film adaptation of The Great Gatsby, Broken Whispers blends modern music with the swing vibe of the ’20s.
The show runs Wednesdays and Thursday through Nov. 10, as well as on two Sundays, Aug. 21 and 28. General admission tickets are $25. Students, seniors and military can purchase tickets for $20. For more information, call the box office at 614-416-7652 or click here to visit the Shadowbox Live website.
Hailey Stangebye is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
