The Lakeland English 2 Honor classes and several theater students went on a class trip to see The Great Gatsby on Broadway on March 19th, 2026. After reading and analyzing the book in class with English teacher Mrs. Laura Fucilli, the students were able to experience the play in person and were blown away by the fantastic performance.
The Great Gatsby, written in the 1920s, is studied in many high schools around the United States. Written by F. Scott Fitzgreald, the novel is considered a masterpiece. It is a classic due to its gripping storyline, interesting themes, and its ability to show the reader the 1920s through the eyes of the people living during this time period. Because of this mass appeal, a musical was produced on Broadway and it is no surprise that it has remained in the theater after two years running with no end in sight.
Since Lakeland incorporates discussions of the American Dream and The Great Gatsby into its English curriculum, many students can enjoy the show after interpreting and analyzing the book.
When her students asked Mrs. Fucilli about the possibility of going to see the play again this year, she was inspired to see if it was still on Broadway and immediately started planning to bring the class to Broadway again.
After last year’s English class went to see the play, Mrs. Fucilli said, “I felt that it strengthened [the classes’] understanding of the play and let the students see the characters in a new light and improve their knowledge of understated characters from the novel.”
Directed by Marc Bruni, the play creates an incredible performance that captures the Gatsby spirit on Broadway with incredible music and acting. The musical has no low moments with the students agreeing that there was no weak musical number in the play. A few stand out songs included the first song of the play “Roaring on” along with “For Her”, “Shady”, and “New Money”, all of which dazzled audiences with the superb costume and set design and incredible choreography that left audiences wanting more. With notable performances by Ryan McCarten as Gatsby and Michael Maliakel as the narrator Nick Carroway, the show dazzled as brightly as the green light shining across the Long Island sound.
The students were lucky enough to meet some of the cast member of the play after the show as the actors came outside to greet fans and sign playbills with some students even getting selfies with the actors.
“My favorite thing about the trip and the play was being able to meet the cast and meet the actors at stage door,” said sophomore Mattea Petri.
The play did a good job at giving minor characters more screen time. Characters in the book that don’t appear for very long get more of an emphasis, such as the bootlegger Meyer Wolfsheen and social climbing mistress Myrtle Willson. Both were given their own songs and it felt like they had more of an impact compared to their storylines in the book.
“I liked how in the play, they changed the storyline up so it was a different experience from the book,” said sophomore Jackson Gray. “Wolfshiem was different because in the book, he is a much less important character to Gatsby in the story, but in the play he is the reason for Gatsby’s wealth, so he was more important than he was in the book.”
The infamous fictitious bootlegger, Meyer Wolfshiem, stole the show with a high-energy song that glorified his shady dealings.
“My favorite number was “Shady” and that surprised me because I’ve listened to the album a lot, but seeing it live made me appreciate the song even more,” said Petri.
For some students attending the trip, it marked their first time seeing a Broadway production, which made the show even more special.
“I thought it was fun going into the city with everyone and it was my first time on Broadway, so it was cool seeing the production and how they portrayed the scenes and added more artistic elements so you could visualize it,” said sophomore Daniel Seminara.
While the play was indeed gorgeous with detailed set and costume design that transported audiences back to the 1920s, the play is not without its criticisms as Variety argues that “The creatives have committed wholeheartedly to the spectacle of the story but forgot the substance… they’ve made a devilish bargain trading the novel’s soul for flashy visuals.”
In spite of some of the play’s inaccuracies for fans of the original novel, it was still an incredibly enjoyable trip for all who went to see it.
“I liked the McDonald’s cookies and getting to walk around the city,” said Gray.
When Mrs. Fucili knew that she was going to be scheduling another Broadway trip, she was determined to make it the best possible experience for the students.
“This was planned more in advance than last time as some students had a hard time seeing the play last year due to sports commitments, and I wanted to make it so more students could see the play,” said Mrs. Fucilli. “I checked the school calendar to make sure there would be no interference when we went.”
Because of the timing of the trip in March, nearly all 44 students in the English 2 Honors classes were able to attend along with several theater students and LRHS theater teacher Ms. Melissa Gentile who helped chaperone the play. Mrs. Fucilli was also able to get the tickets at a cheaper discount rate than last year which helped save the students some money.
“I found a Broadway representative last year, and with her help, I was able to get enough tickets for the students to see the play. The Broadway community was very willing to guide me through the process and get us this opportunity.”
Mrs. Fucilli concluded that “the energy from the classes made the entire experience so much more special. It was an experience that we will never forget.”
