NEW YORK—This is the first Broadway outing for “An American in Paris,” based on the classic film directed by Vincent Minnelli and starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron. Adding to the significance of the work, the musical enjoyed a very successful out of town opening in Paris.
The story portrays the saga of an American soldier who stays in Paris after World War II to paint and finds the girl of his dreams. But she comes with her own complications.
She is Lise Dassin played by the lovely elfin dancer Leanne Cope, from the U.K.’s Royal Ballet. Lise, like Jerry Mulligan (played by Robert Fairchild from the NYC Ballet) is perfectly cast. Both leads are not only beautiful dancers but sing and act as well. The star-crossed, but oh-so-romantic lovers could be better enacted by these performers who hit homeruns.
