Ottawa's National Arts Centre is about to get a lot glitzier. Broadway Across Canada is bringing The Great Gatsby to the NAC stage this week, and it's set to be one of the season's must-see productions for local theatre lovers.
If your mental image of Gatsby is Leonardo DiCaprio raising a glass under fireworks in Baz Luhrmann's 2013 film, this production asks you to reset that picture. Rather than leaning on the movie's neon-lit party aesthetic, the musical goes back to F. Scott Fitzgerald's original 1925 novel as its source material, rebuilding the story of Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, and the hollow glamour of West Egg from the ground up for the stage.
Why This Matters for Ottawa
The NAC has increasingly become the local stop for major national touring productions, and landing a high-profile Broadway Across Canada show like this one is a win for the city's arts scene. Ottawa audiences don't always get first crack at buzzy touring musicals, so having The Great Gatsby make a stop downtown means locals can catch a big-budget production without a trip to Toronto or Montreal.
For anyone who has walked past the NAC's glass facade along the canal and wondered what's playing inside, this is exactly the kind of show that fills the building with energy: live orchestration, period costuming, and a story that still resonates a century after it was written.
What to Expect
Expect the hallmarks of the Jazz Age brought to life on stage: flapper dresses, live band numbers, and the doomed romance at the heart of Fitzgerald's novel. The musical format gives the story room to breathe in ways a two-hour film can't, with numbers built around Gatsby's parties, Daisy's conflicted heart, and narrator Nick Carraway's slow disillusionment with the wealthy crowd he's fallen in with.
For Ottawa theatregoers who studied the novel in high school English class, this is a chance to see the material reinterpreted rather than simply restaged from the film version. It's also a solid pick for date night or a family outing with older teens, given the source material's status as a Canadian and American curriculum staple.
Plan Your Visit
The production runs for a limited engagement at the NAC, so Ottawa theatre fans who want tickets shouldn't wait too long to book. Given the NAC's central location near Confederation Square, it's an easy add-on to a downtown evening out, whether that means dinner on Elgin Street beforehand or a stroll along the canal after the curtain falls.
Check the National Arts Centre's box office or the Broadway Across Canada website for showtimes and remaining availability.
Source: Ottawa Life Magazine
