‘American in Paris’ artistry makes for stunning debut
“An American in Paris,” the show that earned four Tony Awards and 12 nominations in 2015, has brought the City of Light to the City of Champions
Now at the Benedum Center, the marriage of movement, design and music conjures the romance and artistry of the 1951 film while creating something new and beautiful to behold — and it all began here.
The Oscar-winning movie that gave us Pittsburgh native Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron as starcrossed lovers in postwar Paris had never been translated to the stage before Van Kaplan, Pittsburgh CLO’s executive producer, and his co-producers took it on. They brought together the awardwinning team of director-choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and designer Bob Crowley and a trio of orchestrators who repurposed Georgeand Ira Gershwin’s music.
The visually stunning concept includes set pieces that are danced into place and then off stage with a precise fluidity that elevates the workof the ensemble.
Add a new script by Craig Lucas, and voila — now it was time to find dancers who could handle Mr. Wheeldon’s vision, and sing and act.
For the touring company, South Carolinian McGee Maddox of the National Ballet of Canada brings a different kind of physicality to Jerry Mulligan than Tony nominee Robert Fairchild exuded on Broadway.
Mr. Maddox seemingly towers over the rest of the cast and easily could suit up to portray a football player — until he bounds lightly on table tops and floats above the stage in a barrel turn.
He must seem a tower of strength to the petite Sara Esty as ballerina Lise, a role she understudied on Broadway and masters here.
In the stage version of “An American in Paris,” Lise is the object of affection for three men who have beenscarred by the war.
Jerry spots her on the streets of Paris after he has torn up his ticket home and decided to pursue his artwork in the City of Light. Adam Hochberg (Etai Benson), as a composer who has decided his limp won’t go over so well at home, befriends Jerry and falls for Lise while writing music for her. He also is the show’s narrator and sometimes comic relief — he even makes a crack about Oscar Levant, the Pittsburgh piano player who was Gene Kelly’s buddy in the film.
Henri Baurel, whom we meet fixing to propose to Lise, is played by Nick Spangler for you “Amazing Race” fans. Henri is the son of wealthy textile merchants who have harbored Lise during the war. He yearns to be a song-anddance man, and Mr. Spangler provides the big voice on “I’ve Got Rhythm” and the splashy dream sequence to “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise.”
Jerry, Adam and Henri, each scarred by the war in different ways, meet cute — in a dive bar that appreciates artists — and declare themselves the Three Musketeers.
Unbeknownst to each, they are about to fall for the same woman, and therein lies the tale of passion and sacrifice written for the screen by Alan Jay Lerner.
Jerry finds a patroness and would-be love interest in Milo Davenport (Emily Ferranti), a wealthy American who commissions a ballet for Lise with music by Adam and a design by Jerry — bringing about a collision course of emotional upheaval.
Jerry and Lise meet in secret, unable to deny their attraction, although she will say only that she has obligations elsewhere. Their meetings take place by the Seine in scenes made luminous with lighting designed by Natasha Katz and projectionsby 59 Productions.
If you are comparing the film and the musical, the role of Henri has been beefed up here, and he’s the show’s main vocalist and is more age-appropriate for Lise. He also has parents here, including the delightfully droll Gayton Scott as hismother.
Henri and his parents are all about keeping up appearances, but they are obviously hiding something at a time when secrets kept during the war aren’t easily revealed. Sacrifices have been madeand will continue to be made long after the Allies havedeclared victory.
The new book of “AAIP” does not shy from the harsh conditions that existed in France after its liberation from the Nazis. The show begins with a dark, foreboding palette before bursting into the color and pageantry we associate with not only Paris but also with one of Hollywood’s most beloved dance sequences ever — the 17-minute ballet choreographed and performed by Pittsburgh’s own Gene Kelly.
Mr. Wheeldon here takes elements of that sequence — particularly the angular, Cubist-inspired movements — so that it is familiar without being a carbon copy. The dance is performed as if within a modern painting of bold shapes, with the ensemble in Mondrian-esque color-blocked costumes.
The sequence speaks to Adam’s philosophizing about love without art or art without love — Lise can’t imagine being without Jerry, so she imagines dancing with him to be at her best. Their love story blooms amid Parisian iconography, subtle animations and glorious colors, and s’wonderful to hear some of those Gershwin tunesanew.
In these days of violence and uncertainty here and abroad, “An American in Paris” brings to vibrant life our notions of Paris as a city of rebirth, romance and culture. Isn’t that a beautiful way to spend a night at the theater?
Sharon Eberson: seberson@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1960. Twitter; @SEberson_pg.