Jamie Muscato and Frances Mayli McCann in The Great Gatsby [Johan Persson]

FRESH from its success on Broadway, this new musical adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 classic is certainly spectacular, but sacrifices depth for dazzle.

The enigmatic, self-made millionaire Jay Gatsby (Jamie Muscato) holds lavish parties at his Long Island mansion, and yet rarely appears. The gatherings are a means for him to impress and hopefully win back his old flame Daisy (Frances Mayli McCann). But Daisy is now married to the powerful and wealthy Tom Buchanan (Jon Robyns).

The story is narrated by Nick Carraway (Corbin Bleu), Daisy’s cousin. He facilitates Gatsby’s reunion with his beloved and enjoys a dalliance with Daisy’s friend Jordan (Amber Davies).

You can’t fault the top-notch acting and vocals, a talented ensemble, and Dominique Kelley’s vibrant choreography which includes a virtuoso tapdancing sequence in the second half.

Marc Bruni’s slick staging is technically brilliant. Paul Tate dePoo III’s bold set incorporates a swimming pool, cars, champagne fountains, flowers galore, a double bed and tall glass cabinet full of Gatsby’s tailored shirts. Linda Cho’s costumes are a joy.

So what lets down this sumptuous production?

Inevitably, a musical will lose the novel’s nuanced prose, mute its sadness. But by focusing on Gatsby’s gilded world, Kait Kerrigan’s book downplays Fitzgerald’s critique of the age – the moral decay and corruption of the wealthy, the “careless people” at the story’s heart.

Although Jason Howland’s music, faultlessly performed by the orchestra, and Nathan Tysen’s lyrics have a buoyant energy, there are few truly memorable numbers. The truth about Gatsby’s ill-gotten gains is reduced to a rather simplistic song, Shady, albeit delivered with panache by John Owen-Jones.

Still, the musical will inevitably win fans. It carries a broad appeal and the first-rate performances and glorious staging amply compensate for any flaws.

Until September 7
londoncoliseum.org/