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Ryan McCartan (Heathers The Musical, Wicked, Disney Channel’s “Liv & Maddie”) will play the enigmatic Jay Gatsby in the new smash hit Broadway musical The Great Gatsby beginning January 21, 2025. McCartan joins the company as the musical kicks off The Great Gatsby Centennial Celebration, a year-long party in honor of the timeless and enduring novel, with a benefit performance and Gatsby-style soiree on January 16, in partnership with The New York Public Library.
A dashing and daring performer, McCartan made his New York stage debut originating the role of JD in the cult-hit Heathers The Musical, also performing on the Original Cast Recording. He went on to star on Broadway as Fiyero in Wicked and Hans in Disney’s Frozen. Additional stage credits include Mac in Scotland, PA (Roundabout Theater Company), Tony in West Side Story (Lyric Opera of Chicago), and most recently, Randy Newman’s Faust: The Concert at The Soraya. McCartan’s film credits include The Rocky Horror Picture Show, directed by Kenny Ortega, Emma’s Chance from Sony Pictures, Summer Forever with Relativity Media, and The Standoff on Amazon. His television credits include “The Winchesters”, “Freakish”, “Royal Pains”, “Midnight TX”, “Monday Mornings”, “Last Man Standing”, “The Middle”, and several seasons of Disney Channel’s “Liv and Maddie”.
This January, The Great Gatsby on Broadway will also kick off the Centennial Celebration of the timeless and enduring novel, with a grand soiree in true Jay Gatsby fashion. On Thursday, January 16, 2025, the musical will host a benefit in partnership with The New York Public Library, honoring the 100thAnniversary of the novel’s publishing in 1925. The evening will begin with a gala performance of the hit show starring Tony Award nominees Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada, at The Broadway Theatre, and culminate with a spectacular party at The New York Public Library, with all proceeds benefiting The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. The celebratory evening will also toast the final performance week for the show’s original star, Jeremy Jordan, and the passing of the torch to McCartan.
Roberta Pereira, the Barbara G. and Lawrence A. Fleischman Executive Director of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, said, “We are honored that the Library for the Performing Arts will be celebrated by The Great Gatsby Broadway production. The musical adaptation of Fitzgerald’s landmark novel is a perfect marriage of our interests between literary history and Broadway excellence. As a kick-off to our 60th anniversary celebration in 2025, we couldn't be more thrilled that they have invited us to be a part of their story.”
In addition to Jeremy Jordan (Newsies, “Smash”), who plays his final performance on January 19, 2025, and Eva Noblezada (Hadestown, Miss Saigon), the show stars Noah J. Ricketts (“Fellow Travelers”, Frozen) as Nick Carraway, Samantha Pauly (Six) as Jordan Baker, Sara Chase (“The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) as Myrtle Wilson, John Zdrojeski (Good Night Oscar) as Tom Buchanan, Charlie Pollock (Urinetown, “The Good Wife”) as George Wilson, and Eric Anderson (Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Waitress) as Wolfsheim. Completing the production’s ensemble are Raymond Edward Baynard(MJ: the Musical), Austin Colby (Jersey Boys), Curtis Holland (Mean Girls), Traci Elaine Lee (Shucked), Dariana Mullen (The Great Gatsby at Paper Mill), Ryah Nixon (Boop! The Musical), Pascal Pastrana (A Beautiful Noise), Kayla Pecchioni (Paradise Square), Mariah Reives (Funny Girl), Dan Rosales (Trevor: The Musical), Dave Schoonover (Bad Cinderella), Derek Jordan Taylor (Funny Girl), Tanairi Sade Vazquez (On Your Feet!), and Katie Webber (Rock of Ages). Kurt Csolak (Funny Girl), Carissa Gaughran (Pretty Woman National Tour), Morgan Harrison (Beetlejuice), Brandon J. Large (AladdinNat’l Tour), Samantha Pollino (Sweeney Todd), Alex Prakken (New York, New York), Elena Ricardo(Water for Elephants), Jake Trammel (The Great Gatsby at Paper Mill), and Jasmine Pearl Villaroel (After Midnight) round out the cast as swings.