An American in Paris: The Musical

An American in Paris is the brainchild of Christopher Wheeldon, world-acclaimed choreographer of contemporary ballet. This production beautifully marries ballet and musical, featuring the signature tunes of George Gershwin, and scenic design of award-winning Bob Crowley, who gorgeously turns back the clock to Paris of 1945. The show is a creative staged adaptation of its Academy Award-winning film of the same name. Ever since its debut in Paris, 2014, it swiftly swept across Broadway and West End. As the show embarked on its first overseas tour, the Daily Express remarked, “It has a visual splendor that few musicals can match.” A modern classic is born.

An American in Paris was brought to the Broadway stage in 2015, and instantly achieved great success, as evidenced by 11 Tony Award nominations and eventually winning Best Choreography, Best Orchestrations, Best Lighting Design of a Musical, and Best Scenic Design of a Musical. In 2018, the show was nominated 3 Laurence Olivier Awards and granted Best Set Design in the U.K. As of today, the musical has been nominated or won for nearly 50 awards in total, and was 5-star rated by 28 prestigious British presses. This Broadway splendor is going to mesmerize NTT audience this August!



3 young men, dreaming of being an artist, fall in love with the same girl, a captivating ballet dancer. A painter, a composer, an entertainer, and a ballet dancer. The four meet each other on their journey to dreams. As they rise and shine, romance also blossoms…

Jerry is an ex-GI who stays on in Paris after the second World War. Jerry is determined to pursue an art career in Paris as a painter. Soon he becomes close friends with Adam and Henri. The former strives to become a composer while the latter is the son of wealthy family dreaming of being an entertainer. One day, Adam brings Jerry to a ballet studio, where they spot Lise, a young talented dancer. Both get captivated right away. However, what they don’t know is Henri is also going to propose to Lise as he has long been taking care of her during the wartime. Among the three men, friends or lover, how would Lise choose?



An American in Paris is adapted from the 1951 Academy Award-winning film of the same name starring Gene Kelly. The production is directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, an internationally acclaimed choreographer previously dancing with the Royal Ballet of the U.K. The crew was joined by Bob Crowley, a Broadway veteran and multiple-time Tony and Olivier Award winner for set and costume design, and the visual design team for the London Olympics opening. Featuring the classic tones of George Gershwin, the show gracefully tells a love story set 50 years ago in the glorious City of Lights and the breath-taking night view of the Seine.

★★★★★  Sheer musical theater magic. - The Stage

★★★★★ A ravishing version of the Hollywood musical. - The Guardian

★★★★★ Beg, borrow or steal to see it! - The Financial Times

This rhapsodic production is a triumph that pays loving tribute to the marriage of music and movement. - The New York Times

Ravishing sets, sparkling costumes and a captivation, dancing cast: who could ask for anything more? - Critic’s Choice, Mail on Sunday

Sumptuously beautiful and heartfelt, it has a romantic pizzazz all of its own. -  Whatsonstage

Christopher Wheeldon

Christopher Wheeldon is a former principal dancer of the Royal Ballet, U.K. He has choreographed for numerous top-tier dance companies all over the world, including the New York City Ballet (former dancer and choreographer in residence), Moscow Bolshoi Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet. Mr. Wheeldon is praised as one of the greatest choreographers of his time.

An American in Paris is Mr. Wheeldon’s first attempt on directing a musical theater. Thriving on his solid expertise in dancing and stage setting, this musical is one-of-a-kind and mind-blowing. His work, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, commissioned by the Royal Ballet in 2011, was 4-star rated by The Times and Financial Times. He choreographed for the closing ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012, and in the same year, joined as Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Artistic Associate of The Royal Ballet. In 2018, his ballet production, Corybantic Games, was nominated Best Choreography of the National Dance Awards, U.K.  




George Gershwin
Had it not been Gershwin, American music would have stalled for dozens of years. Shooting to fame with Rhapsody in Blue in 1924, Gershwin fascinated even Ravel by incorporating jazz and blues elements into a classical idiom, sophisticatedly arranged for an orchestra.        

In the 1920s, Gershwin headed to Paris to study with Ravel, Stravinsky, Nadia Boulanger, and other big-name contemporary composers. Ravel wrote in his rejection letter, "Why be a second-rate Ravel, when you are a first-rate Gershwin!?" With such a positive remark, Gershwin wrote the jazz-rich An American in Paris after returning to the U.S. as a token of that fruitful period.    

Romanticism in Europe hit a dead end in the late 19th century. Many composers had tried to find a way out. Gershwin was one of them who drew from the changing European music and created something new with the melting pot of American cultures. His works span a variety of genres such as symphonies, piano pieces, songs, operas, musicals, and even movie soundtracks. He was also nominated/awarded an Academy Award and a Pulitzer Prize. Gershwin’s legacy is long-lasting as he has inspired subsequent American composers including Bernstein and many more to come.   



 

Director and Choreographer / Christopher Wheeldon

Music / George Gershwin

Lyrics / Ira Gershwin

Writer / Craig Lucas

Musical Supervision / Rob Fisher

Scenic and Costume Design / Bob Crowley

Lighting / Natasha Katz

Sound / Scott Lehrer

Creative Consultant / Bartlett Sher

Actor / Ryan Steele(8/20-23. 8/24-25 Matinee), Leanne Cope(8/20-23. 8/24-25 Matinee), Julia Nagle, Scott Willis, Zachary Prince, Emily Ferranti, Nathan Madden(8/24-25 Evening), Kristen McGarrity(8/24-25 Evening)

Production / Broadway Asia Group