The Great Gatsby Party: Entertainment

The Cirque du Soleil style performers, Kilpsinger (the descendant of Beethoven) playing the giant piano, a full jazz band, dancers, the fire works, and a crazy mc. I don't know how you could have a more over-the-top cast of entertainers, but if your budget and venue will allow for it, by all means try. There are more reasonable means of entertainment for us peasants though.

"There was music from my neighbor’s house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars."

-The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

If you have the means to have a live band at your Great Gatsby party, make it happen. This will make your party as close to authentic as possible. It would be preferable to have a jazz band or at least a band that can play the music that you need for a Great Gatsby party. If a live band is not in the cards, create a playlist with the perfect music on it to have playing throughout the night.

Fedoras.com created this authentic playlist on Spotify of songs that could have actually been heard at a Jay Gatsby party. Play this playlist during earlier in the night and during dinner to set the mood and get people ready for dancing later.

The Great Gatsby Playlist

They also recommend using the Pandora stations Early Jazz Radio and Roaring '20's Radio.
Later on in the night (or whenever people feel like the dancing needs to start) put on the soundtrack from The Great Gatsby movie! It is the perfect blend of 20's jazz and current hip hop and alternative music; it is impossible not to dance to. This is a link to the playlist on Youtube, and some of the songs even have music videos that you could also be showing during the party.

The Great Gatsby Soundtrack Playlist

Gatsby generally included a fireworks show at this parties. If you can afford to have a fireworks show at yours, go for it! Not much will be able to top a real fireworks show. If the budget or venue does not allow for fireworks though, don't worry. There is a simple alternative. Give guests sparklers to light at the end of the night and create your own mini fireworks show!

If you want to have some games at your party, there are plenty of theme fitting options. If you have access to outdoors during the party, you could set up games like bocce ball, horse shoes, or croquet.

If your party is going to be taking place mainly indoors, you could play some games like charades or "Who am I?" during which you try to guess the name of the person who is written on the card on your forehead by asking other people questions. 

It would also be a good idea to have a photo area, since everyone will be dressed up and will want to remember the night. You could set up a camera at the station, or just have people take photos with their own camera or phone. But make sure that there is a back drop that fits the theme, such as these:

Krysti Kalkman created this mural backdrop inspired by "A Trip to the Moon" for her party.

You could also use the books cover art as inspirations for a mural.

Get inspired from this FOAM Magazine photo shoot, and hang a wall of tinsel as your back drop.

Here is another idea for a glittery backdrop, done by Princeton Club.

Or get creative with some balloons!