Before our daughter Margot was born on New Year’s Day, we snuck in one last movie at the theater: “La La Land.” So it seems only fitting that the first Broadway Series show at the Wharton Center I have had the opportunity to see this year was “An American in Paris,” which opened Tuesday evening and continues through Sunday, November 19.
The Tony Award-winning musical is based on the 1951 film starring Gene Kelly, which served as one of the many old-Hollywood inspirations for “La La Land.” The story of “An American in Paris” is reimagined for the stage, with the book by Craig Lucas, while retaining its stunning visuals, roaring Gershwin score, and celebration of the art of movement.
There’s no question why the Broadway production won Tonys for Best Choreography and Best Scenic Design of a Musical, among others. Much like the prologue in “West Side Story,” we are introduced to the world of “An American in Paris” through a beautifully choreographed sequence of fluid foot traffic in the aftermath of World War II. A row of Nazi flags is taken down and replaced by the Tricolore, a triumphant moment marred by the struggle of Parisian citizens waiting in lines for food, while soldiers look to catch a train home.
We meet Jerry Mulligan, a U.S. Army Lieutenant looking to return home when he is struck by the sight of a young woman named Lise, who literally stands out in a crowd of gray. Lise’s pastel trench coat is a bright light in a city dimmed by war, longing to rebuild. Jerry decides to stay in Paris to pursue his love of art and the mysterious Lise.
McGee Maddox and Allison Walsh, starring as Jerry and Lise, are classically trained ballet dancers whose talents are used to their full potential in this production. Even without dialogue, both their passion and their pain is spoken in dance sequences throughout the production. Maddox and Walsh are stunning dancers while also acting and singing; talk about your triple threats.
Jerry becomes friends with Adam Hochberg, a fellow vet and pianist who also serves as a narrator for the show. Played by Matthew Scott, Adam is the straight-shooting and darkly funny friend that serves as a great foil to pie in the sky Jerry. Adam also secretly longs for Lise, piling on to his tortured artist persona.
To add another side to this Lise love square, Henri Baurel, a son from a wealthy family, hopes to become engaged to her. With a secret dream to be a star on the stage, Ben Michael’s Henri is a lovable delight. Many of the laughs in the show come from his endearing mistakes with the English language. “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise,” a fantasy sequence that places Henri on a New York stage with feathered dancers and tuxedo tails, is a showstopper.
The production’s Tony Award-winning scenic design serves as a modern juxtaposition to its classic choreography and songs. With the use of screen projections and multifunctional set pieces, we are able to imagine everything from boats floating on the Seine to a mirrored ballet studio to the crowded streets of Paris. The hand-drawn illustrations, a nod to Jerry’s artistic prowess, add an element of fantasy.
The hand-drawn effect is especially beautiful and effective during “‘S Wonderful,” as the three men in Lise’s life sing dreamily about her while visions of her as an illustrated ballerina dance behind them.
I can’t fail to mention Kirsten Scott as philanthropist Milo Davenport, another American in Paris who sees artistic talent and potential for romance in Jerry. Scott’s Milo is boisterous and bright, looking to shake up the conventions of ballet and art with the help of Jerry and Adam. She feels like a classic star of the screen with just the right amount of sass.
The company of “An American in Paris” also shines, particularly in the show’s penultimate sequence of the same name that lasts nearly 15 minutes. To those unfamiliar with the film’s famous ballet scene, it might seem unusual to have a drawn-out sequence like this near the end. Yet the ballet within the show acts as a nod to the original film and a culmination of the work and emotion of the characters. It plays with fantasy and reality, telling a story without words.
“An American in Paris” is at once a throwback and extremely current; in that way, it is timeless. As our narrator Adam realizes in the show, art doesn’t have to be dark and dreary, even if that is a reflection of the current world climate. Art instead can be the light and the joy that sprinkles out of the darkness, shining and inspiring like the stars against a black sky.
“An American in Paris” is appealing to any generation, from those who will hum along to “I’ve Got Rhythm” to those who loved “La La Land” and will enjoy spotting those influences along the way.
From its Gershwin score to its gorgeous dance sequences, who could ask for anything more than a trip to Paris, right in East Lansing?
Check out “An American in Paris” at the Wharton Center this week. For show details and tickets, visit whartoncenter.com.
Great review! I can’t wait to see the show again.