To borrow the iconic quandary from Sex and the City and paraphrase it, consider this: are you a Jay, Tom, Daisy, Nick, or Jordan? Solve this personality test and you might just find yourself holding the key to understanding some of the larger mysteries of our universe. Here’s a sample question: you’re on a hot date at a fancy downtown eatery. You haven’t eaten for hours (since you were so excited about tonight,) but now your food is an hour late, the drinks are incredibly weak, and the waiter is nowhere to be found… What do you do? If you (1) smile patiently, take a sip of water, and confess to your date how bad you feel for the other patrons and over-worked servers, you’re a Nick Carraway-type: compassionate, sympathetic, and non-judgmental. If, instead, you (2) demonstratively grab your friend by the hand and stride across the dining room towards the door, stopping only to berate the bartender for the lower quality of their cocktails, insult the busboy with an ever-so-vaguely bigoted remark, and announce to the manager that there’s “no way in hell I’m paying for the appetizers after the sh*t show we just had to sit though”, you’re a Tom Buchanan: arrogant, entitled, conveniently hypocritical and, yes, kind of a bully. Or, if your coping mechanism is comprised of (3) delivering a sharp public rebuke about the pitfalls of fine dining in this day and age and charming your fellow diners into a hastily organized mutiny, only to quickly elope to a nearby bar with a handsome stranger, well then my friend, you’re a Daisy: sophisticated and vivacious, but also materialistic, sarcastic and easily bored.

Whichever Gatsby character you most identify with, “The Great Gatsby: The Immersive Show” now offers a golden opportunity to go all in, don your finest prohibition-era attire, and step back in time to the Roaring Twenties to see F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel’s protagonists hop off of the page and onto a subterranean ballroom under a midtown Manhattan hotel. Over the course of two and a half hours you will not only get to choose your own adventure, following scenes and vignettes as they unfold simultaneously in different parts of the venue, but also mingle with the aforementioned Daisy and Tom Buchanan (the delightfully intense, at once scary and hilarious Shahzeb Hussain, brilliantly cast against type,) as well as Jordan Baker, Myrtle and George Wilson, Owl Eyes, Meyer Wolfsheim and the man himself – Jay Gatsby (the debonair Joel Acosta, easily commanding attention as the picture perfect host and hero of our story.) This non-linear approach allows for a personalized experience that adds an exciting element of discovery: witnessing intimate conversations, intriguing confrontations, and expertly coordinated dance and musical sequences in close proximity, largely delivers on the immersive premise of the production. “Gatsby” is a great night out, despite perhaps not quite fulfilling all of the potential of its interactive format: while attendees have the freedom to explore and observe different characters and narrative arches, the level of engagement varies, and some interactions can feel bland or clearly scripted. Allowing for a freer, more improvised, truly unrestricted environment could do much to elevate the show to a transportive experience, deepening the connection between the audience and the story. Nevertheless, with its quality musical and set design, solid-to-strong performances, and the freedom to explore story lines from different angles, this literary-meets-real world journey is a must-see for fans of F. Scott Fitzgerald, and any theater-goers looking for a unique performing arts experience pulling double duty – as both a dress up party and a distinct theatrical event.

The word on the street is that Jay Gatsby’s next grand gathering is just around the corner… click here to sign up!