WHATCo announces cast for ‘The Great Gatsby – A Live Radio Play’

The West Hudson Arts & Theater Co (WHATCo) has announced the cast for “The Great Gatsby: A Live Radio Play,” adapted for the stage by Joe Landry from the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald featuring original music by Kevin Connors, with performances at WHATCo’s new venue at 15 Frank E. Rodgers Blvd. S., Harrison (the former Holy Cross School.)

Directed by Beatriz Esteban-Messina with musical direction by Scott Burzynski, the stage managers are Marisa Cicchino Friedman and Deborah Vartan. The cast includes Christopher Tully as Nick Carraway; Jason Simmons as Jay Gatsby (performing May 19-21); Byron Hagan as Jay Gatsby (performing May 26-27); Janna Epstein as Daisy Buchanan; Tara Spinelli as Jordan Baker; and Nelson DePasquale as Tom Buchanan. With Richard Dwyer as the Announcer and Owl Eyes; George Rex as Meyer Wolfsheim; Joseph Jones as George Wilson; Matt Masiello as Michaelis and Klipspringer; Carlos Caban DeJesus as Policeman, Gatsby’s butler, Train conductor; Jack Pignatello as Nick’s father, Partygoer 2, Henry C. Gatz; Miranda Madrazo as Lana Sherwood and Buchanan’s maid; Jessica Jones as Myrtle, Partygoer 1, well-dressed lady, Gatsby’s gardener; Cynthia Ross as Catherine and Sally Applewhite; and Roman Koster as the Foley artist.

In this adaptation of “The Great Gatsby,” the classic comes to life as a 1940s radio broadcast. The ensemble brings more than two dozen characters from the novel to the stage of the WHATCo radio station for a live broadcast, punctuated by 40s-era commercials.

Performances are May 19, 20, 26 and 27 at 7:30 p.m. and May 21 at 2 p.m.

Visit www.whatconj.org for additional information.

Learn more about the writer ...

Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, a place where he has served on and off since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on Facebook Live, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to West Hudson to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.