The Composition
Described by George Gershwin as an extended symphonic tone poem, the 1928 music composition, An American in Paris, was written by Gershwin on commission from the New York Philharmonic and soon became one of his most famous compositions. Inspired by his time spent in Paris during the 1920s, Gershwin noted, “My purpose here is to portray the impression of an American visitor in Paris as he strolls about the city and listens to various street noises and absorbs the French atmosphere.” At approximately 20 minutes in length, the composition premiered in 1928 at Carnegie Hall under the orchestration of Walter Damrosch.
The Motion Picture
The idea for An American in Paris came to producer Arthur Freed when he attended a concert of George Gershwin’s An American in Paris. Freed liked the title and from that he built a musical with Gershwin tunes after months of negotiations with Ira Gershwin and two different music publishers.
As further developed by the artistic triumvirate of choreographer and star Gene Kelly, director Vincente Minelli and screenwriter Alan J. Lerner, An American in Paris became one of the most famous film musicals in the history of Hollywood and went on to win six Academy Awards in 1951.
The magnificent legacy that originated with George Gershwin’s original composition in 1928 and continued with the breakthrough 1950 motion picture has inspired a generation of artists and audiences, and continues to inspire this further re-imagining today.
The Musical
"A dancer is a thing of beauty, and there is beaucoup beauty in director-choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s ravishing production of “An American in Paris,” smartly but not slavishly adapted by Craig Lucas from the 1951 MGM movie." - Marilyn Stasio, Variety
Arguably one of the most ballet-centric shows from Broadway, An American in Paris is a musical play inspired by the 1951 Academy Award winning film of the same name and adapted for the stage by 2015 Tony Award®-winner Christopher Wheeldon. It opened at the Palace Theatre on Broadway in April 2015 and took more Tony's than any other Broadway musical that year.
Now on it's North American national tour, An American in Paris triumphs from city to city. Dancing through the tale of an American soldier, a mysterious French girl and an indomitable European city, this musical is poised, elegant and technically flawless!
Acclaimed director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon brings the magic and romance of Paris into perfect harmony with unforgettable songs from George and Ira Gershwin in the show that taps into the "joie de vivre," joy of life!
An American in Paris
February 6-11, 2018
Eight shows!
Tuesday, February 6 at 7pm
Wednesday, February 7 at 7pm
Thursday, February 8 at 1:30pm
Thursday, February 8 at 7pm
Friday, February 9 at 8pm
Saturday, February 10 at 2pm
Saturday, February 10 at 8pm
Sunday, February 11 at 2pm