Florence Welch to Write the Lyrics for the Great Gatsby Broadway Musical
Florence Welch, the English lead singer for rock band Florence + the Machine, has embarked on a new project to write the lyrics for a Broadway musical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.
The Great Gatsby has become a classic piece of American literature. Set in the 1920s, Fitzgerald’s iconic portrayal of the American Dream through the lens of Jay Gatsby, a new money businessman, and his interactions with socialites is a cultural staple.
Fans of Welch and Florence + the Machine have expressed their anticipation for the upcoming project, taking to Twitter to celebrate the news.
I just found out florence welch is going to write a musical adaptation of the great gatsby 😭😭😭😭 brb passing out
— lovella! the musical (@lovella_mole) April 29, 2021
According to BroadwayWorld, Welch said, “This book has haunted me for a large part of my life. It contains some of my favorite lines in literature. Musicals were my first love, and I feel a deep connection to Fitzgerald’s broken romanticism. It is an honor to have been offered the chance to recreate this book in song.”
The Great Gatsby THE MUSICAL 😍 AND by Florence Welch – I didn’t know I needed this so badly
— Vanessa Balti (@VaaMESSaabb) April 29, 2021
Welch, a Grammy-nominated musician, is set to write the lyrics and collaborate with Thomas Bartlett, who will write the music. Bartlett, who also goes by the name Doveman, received recognition for producing the soundtrack for Call Me By Your Name and his work on Taylor Swift’s “Evermore,” earning him Academy and Grammy Award nominations, respectively. Bartlett and Welch have previously worked together on “Jenny of Oldstones,” which was featured in an episode of Game of Thrones.
Amanda Ghost and Robert Fox, the producers of the project that will be called The Great Gatsby: A New Musical, excitedly shared that “Florence’s passion for Gatsby and exceptional musical storytelling will bring this iconic love story to life in ways we have never experienced before.”
The musical will also feature a book written by Pulitzer Prize winner, Martyna Majok. The stage production will be directed by Rebecca Frecknall, who was nominated for an Olivier Award for her work on Summer and Smoke.
