by: Brian Scott Lipton

 

Leanne

Leanne Cope

Robert Fairchild

Robert Fairchild

Ooh la la! The first-ever stage adaptation of the beloved MGM musical “An American in Paris” is getting ready to hit our shores (after a debut last year in Paris), with previews beginning at Broadway’s Palace Theatre on March 13 in advance of an April 12 opening.

 

 

 

Veanne Cox

Veanne Cox

Max von Essen

Max von Essen

Featuring direction and choreography by the brilliant Christopher Wheeldon, and a new book by award-winning playwright Craig Lucas, the show focuses on the romance between a young American soldier named Jerry Mulligan (played by New York City Ballet star Robert Fairchild) and young Parisian woman Lise Dassin (played by English ballerina Leanne Cope) shortly after the end of World War II.

Christopher Heeldon

Christopher Wheeldon

The musical’s score, overseen by Rob Fisher, will include many of George and Ira Gershwin’s iconic compositions, including “I Got Rhythm,” “Stairway to Paradise,” “The Man I Love,” “But Not For Me,” as well as the unforgettable dance music heard in the Oscar-winning movie.

At a recent press event at New 42nd Street studios, Theater Pizzazz talked to the show’s creators, producers, and principal cast, which also includes Veanne Cox, Jill Paice, Max von Essen, and Brandon Uranowitz. They all promised theatergoers a simply s’marvelous time!

Interviews: Brian Lipton

Video/Photos: Miriam Spritzer