Eager to begin his life anew after the brutality of combat, World War II Army veteran Jerry Mulligan chooses newly-liberated Paris as the place to make a name for himself as a painter.
With the assistance of fellow ex-pat Milo Davenport, a wealthy American with a past she wishes to forget, Jerry's life becomes complicated when he meets Lise, a young Parisian shop girl with her own secret. Soon it becomes clear that Jerry's friends- Adam, a Jewish American composer, and Henri, a Parisian aristocrat- also vie for Lise's love. This romantic tangle can only be untied through the miracle of dance set to some of the greatest music and lyrics ever written. A classic American film about young souls in Paris has been reimagined for the Broadway stage of the 21st century.
The new musical, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, has moved to Broadway following its world premiere in December, 2014 at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris. It is directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, making his Broadway directing debut. Featuring music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and a book by Tony and Pulitzer Prize nominee Craig Lucas, the creative team also includes Tony Award winners Bob Crowley (sets and costumes), Natasha Katz (lighting) and Jon Weston (sound) with a musical score adapted and supervised by Rob Fisher. Bartlett Sher is creative consultant. Based on the Academy Award winning film inspired by the 1928 orchestral composition by George Gershwin, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS brings this classic tale to Broadway for the first time.
Now comes ballet luminary Christopher Wheeldon, taking an exhilarating leap as director-choreographer with An American in Paris, another show indelibly associated with a classic MGM movie musical. Not only is Wheeldon's nuanced command of storytelling through dance front and center, the production also foregrounds a triple-threat revelation in NYC Ballet principal Robert Fairchild, who proves himself more than capable of following in the suave footsteps of Gene Kelly.
From the first moments of "An American Paris," two things are clear about this new Gershwin musical. First, it is far more than just another Broadway remake of a Hollywood movie. And the ballet world's choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, in his theater-directing debut, has made something special. Just how extraordinary is unspooled all evening with exuberant, sweeping innovation, dark historical understanding and a big, smart heart. This is the most thrilling dance-driven musical since Twyla Tharp's wordless "Movin' Out" in 2002. But "American in Paris," loosely inspired by the beloved 1951 movie, is also a genuine book musical starring ballet dancers -- Robert Fairchild from New York City Ballet and Leanne Cope from The Royal Ballet -- who can also act and sing.
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