AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (The Shows Must Go On)*****

By Louise

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkYg80kjIAI

Available until: It says it’s available for 48 hours so that’s probably until 7pm on Sunday 29^th November.

An American in Paris is a really beautiful musical. There are lots of stories about several men falling in love with the same girl and all thinking she will marry him, but these srories are usually either a farce (which means it’s a lot of fun, but maybe not very romantic) or the lady behaves in a very unfair and not very ladylike way and it’s really sad and it’s hard to feel happy for the successful man because you can’t help wondering how long he’ll be successful for.

An American in Paris is different. Lise (pronounced leez, like my name without the ‘oo’) does have three men who are in love with her and she does think about marrying them, but she treats them all as well as she possibly can. She is very modest and quite shy and she wants to do the right thing and not make anyone sad. This is obviously very difficult to do, but she always tries her best. I think Craig Lucas has written the book really well. It’s romantic, there is a bit of humour and although there is a lot going on, it isn’t confusing.

The production is directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon. The production is very fast-moving, but it’s not too fast. The speed is exciting but not confusing or frustrating. I really love the choreography too. It is more like ballet choreography than typical musical theatre choreography, but that is exactly right for the music and the story. Bob Crowley’s set design is absolutely beautiful. Every scene he created looks so lovely, though we don’t get to see it for very long before the action moves on to the next scene. The set always moves really quickly and smoothly.

The music is really beautiful. It’s by George Gershwin and I knew a lot of the songs already. The musical was inspired by the film An American in Paris, which was inspired by an orchestral piece by Gershwin called An American in Paris. The film was also a musical, but it didn’t have as many songs in and some of the songs in the musical are used in a different place. But I think it must have taken a lot of inspiration from the film because it’s hard to believe the musical is only six years old. It is like a musical from a much earlier time, like maybe the 1940s or 50s. It is set just after the end of World War II.

Leanne Cope who plays Lise used to dance with the Royal Ballet. She never got to play any of the big leading roles but she played important roles like Clara in The Nutcracker and Princess Louise in Mayerling. But she is a wonderful leading lady in An American in Paris. Lise is a really a lovely character. She is very sweet, but she can take care of herself, like when Jerry tries to kiss her. Her dancing is sublime.

The three men in her life are painter Jerry (Robert Fairchild), composer Adam (David Seadon-Young) and Henri Baurel (who has a few different jobs and a few secrets too). I think they are all really lovely and I loved the friendship between them. Jerry is really confident and charming, Adam is less confident and a bit of a dreamer and Henri feels a strong sense of responsibility and has certain beliefs which not everyone agrees with, but I agree with them.

Zoë Rainey is really powerful and a bit scary as Milo Davenport, but I mean that in a good way. Jane Asher is also formidable as Mme Baurel. My granny has been in a tent with Jane Asher. She has met lots of famous people.

This is a really lovely musical and it is a shame it is only available for forty-eight hours. I don’t think it’s available on Amazon either.