The numbers that seem to be playing that role — “I Got Rhythm,” “Fidgety Feet” and especially “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise” — only gesture toward real excitement.

Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon was first invited to choreograph the musical version of the film An American in Paris, though the project was abandoned.

“New York City Ballet” and the block letter logo are registered trademarks of New York City Ballet, Inc. New Choreography Festival Celebration and Preview, Movement Workshops for Children with Autism, Movement Workshops for Children with Physical Disabilities, Movement Workshops for Teens and Adults with Physical Disabilities, Administrative Manager, The George Balanchine Trusts. Christopher Wheeldon presents his own take of the romantic encounter between a brash American painter and a lovely young Parisienne in this ballet.

What Mr. Lucas tells us — that love can bloom in the ashes of war — Mr. Wheeldon lets us see. To improve your experience on our site and ensure your security, please upgrade to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge. Christopher Wheeldon presents his own take of the romantic encounter between a brash American painter and a lovely young Parisienne in this ballet. "[5] Wheeldon later claimed he "never felt entirely happy" with the ballet. More fundamentally, though, there’s just something missing: an overflow of invention, a rhythmic irresistibility. But that doesn’t mean they’re the same. They did well on both counts. It’s all fine craftsmanship but insufficiently inspired. George Gershwin wrote his jazz-influenced orchestral piece "An American in Paris" while visiting the latter city in the 1920s during the raucous period known as the Jazz Age. Where Mr. Wheeldon’s choreography falls short is in the traditional function of the Broadway showstopper. This “American in Paris” is a dance show because the boy can win the girl only through dance. Part of the trouble is Mr. Wheeldon’s desire to maintain flow and finesse transitions: he doesn’t want the show to stop, even for ecstatic applause. Christopher Wheeldon’s ‘An American in Paris’ Brings Ballet Values to Broadway. Mr. Wheeldon, working in the director-choreographer tradition of one of his early mentors, Jerome Robbins, makes the whole show dance. Wheeldon, who said George Gershwin's orchestral piece of the same name was "a great piece of classical music" in addition to being a film score, decided to make a ballet version instead.

The greatness of the Gershwin music can be assumed, but the abundance of high-quality dance, which has been mostly absent on Broadway in recent years, is worth celebrating. Akropolis Reed Quintet 5,123 views Set designer Adrienne Lobel created backdrops inspired by Picasso and Braque that provide a skewed Cubist perspective of a "postcard" City of Lights, including stone bridges and picturesque streets, the banks of the Seine and the Eiffel Tower. And as the show continues, Mr. Wheeldon adroitly keeps it flowing, with the ensemble dancers moving set pieces in crossfades and montages that impressionistically blur the boundaries between scenes and numbers. Here, Ms. Cope’s character, fantasizing that she is dancing with Mr. Fairchild’s, repeats steps from an earlier number, when he was fantasizing about her, and completes a lift she couldn’t manage before.

Ms. This “American in Paris” is a dance show because the boy can win the girl only through dance. Christopher Wheeldon. Ms. It stars Robert Fairchild, a star at New York City Ballet with no experience appearing in musicals, and Leanne Cope, a Royal Ballet dancer also new to this form. [3], Wheeldon later went on to direct and choreograph musical adaptation of the An American in Paris film, which was Wheeldon's directorial debut. The time and place (Paris after World War II), the introduction of the American leading man (Mr. Fairchild) and the Frenchwoman he falls for (Ms. [9], Last edited on 26 September 2020, at 19:30, "Hey, Gene Kelly, You've Got Competition", "An Elegant Audience, Certainly, and Five Premieres", "Christopher Wheeldon Directs 'An American in Paris' on Broadway", "A Celebration of Romantic and Comedic Joy", "The French Go Crazy For 'An American In Paris, "Christopher Wheeldon's 'An American in Paris' Brings Ballet Values to Broadway", "An American in Paris five-star review – Minnelli musical becomes theatrical gold", "Christopher Wheeldon's leap from ballet to Broadway", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=An_American_in_Paris_(ballet)&oldid=980481241, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 26 September 2020, at 19:30. This “American in Paris” is a dance show because you learn that Mr. Fairchild and Ms. [3] The musical opened at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris in 2014,[6] Palace Theatre, Broadway in 2015,[7] and Dominion Theatre, West End in 2017. Cope), their first meeting: all of this is conveyed through dance.

(Less than convincing when delivering brash American dialogue, Mr. Fairchild is fully persuasive and charming when in motion, the control of his off-balance phrase endings communicating the carefree confidence that his line readings don’t.). An American in Paris is a one-act ballet choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, to the eponymous music by George Gershwin, costumes designed by Holly Hynes, sets designed by Adrianne Lobel and lighting designed by Natasha Katz. In art, as in love, it’s tempting to accept the very good as the just right. Gershwin stated in interviews that the piece was intended to embody the hedonism and gaiety of the 1920s era which the French called "les Années folles" ("the crazy years"). “An American in Paris” stars the dancers Leanne Cope and Robert Fairchild. Directed by Vincente Minnelli. The reviews have largely been raves, and most negative criticism has focused on heavy-handedness in the book, by Craig Lucas.

Explore their biographies and performance photos; learn more about their repertoire with ABT, career milestones and quotes. Cope and Mr. Fairchild in “An American in Paris” at the Palace Theater. [1] The set, designed by Adrianne Lobel,[2] was inspired by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. "[2] Another New York Times reviewer wrote that the scenes were unmemorable but "well crafted that the overall result is amiable entertainment. That opening sequence, with the man searching for the One in a crowd, is straight out of Romantic ballet.

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Wheeldon later directed and choreographed the musical adaptation of the An American in Paris film. Boulder Ballet performing "An American in Paris" in 2007.

Cope, like a Ginger Rogers character, resists Mr. Fairchild’s words and gives in to his moves. [4], An American in Paris premiered on May 4, 2005 at the New York State Theater, the three lead roles were originated by Carla Körbes, Jenifer Ringer and Damian Woetzel, and Andrea Quinn conducted the orchestra. He said he considered to have one of the dancers be off pointe, but went against it as it is a ballet. May 4, 2005, New York City Ballet, New York State Theater, Carla Körbes, Jenifer Ringer, Damian Woetzel.

[5] A New York Times reviewer wrote that Wheeldon was "clever in capturing idealized Paris street life" though "the dance never quite coheres.

Or so it seems to someone accustomed to reading the language of ballet, which is the language Mr. Wheeldon speaks.

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Cope, like a Ginger Rogers character, resists Mr. Fairchild’s words and gives in to his moves. Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust. United States. promo code applied. How would they do, and would they succeed in bringing ballet values to Broadway? The conversion of famous movies into stage musicals is business as usual on Broadway these days. Wheeldon was awarded the Tony Award for Best Choreography. I wonder if this anxiety about art is expressed so baldly by the characters because the show’s creators are anxious about how much meaning they are conveying through motion rather than words. 20 Lincoln Center Plaza That first meeting of Mr. Fairchild and Ms. After a short, spoken introduction by the narrator (Brandon Uranowitz), there comes a long sequence of wordless storytelling.