(Tuesday, February 2, 1926, 8:30 p.m. EST) — The Great Gatsby, a stage adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s widely read novel, premiered tonight on Broadway at the Ambassador Theatre (219 West 49th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan), bringing the author’s Jazz Age tale of wealth and longing to the New York stage.

The production, mounted by veteran producer William A. Brady, is based on a script by Owen Davis and is directed by George Cukor. James Rennie stars in the title role of Jay Gatsby, with Florence Eldridge portraying Daisy Buchanan.

Fitzgerald’s novel, published last year, has drawn attention for its portrait of postwar American society and the excesses of the wealthy. The stage version follows the story of Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire whose lavish lifestyle masks an unfulfilled romantic obsession.