By Steven Csak
The rights to The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, have been in the public domain for four years, and while many works have capitalized off this, none stand out quite like “Great Gatsby! An Early 2000s Pop Parody Musical.”
Michael Busani, standing second from left. Contributed photo
Open Arts Alliance interviewed the creator, writer, and director, Michael Busani, ahead of bringing this hysterical new parody to Connecticut for the first time after months of sold–out shows in New York.
While Michael is an alumni of Greenwich High School and Boston University, he also was a student at Open Arts Alliance, going on to graduate from theatre student to theatre professional.
Today he is an agent assistant at William Morris Endeavor and fills his spare time with writing, acting, and comedy improv.
This original musical comedy blends memorable moments from the beloved Fitzgerald novel with exaggerated humor and songs from the 2000s to create a show that is both familiar and intriguing. When asked about the potential challenges of blending these ideas, Mr. Busani responded, “I probably could’ve found an early 2000s pop song for every scene in the book… it was a match made in heaven.”
Busani continued, “As over-the-top as the show may be, it is shockingly a really faithful adaptation of the novel.”
The feel of the final product is informed by Michael’s long history of improvisational training.
“There were a lot of moments that started off in the rehearsal room as improvised bits, where (they) would riff off of what was on the page, that have now been fully incorporated into the script. The energy behind that is what makes the show fun,” he said.
Mr. Busani added that the songs are what he grew up listening to and the appeal is hearing them “repurposed in a completely different capacity.”