The Australian Ballet and GWB Entertainment have announced that the new version of the musical An American in Paris will have its keenly-awaited Australian premiere in 2022.
Hailed as a tour de force for its inventive choreography, the four-time Tony Award-winning Broadway musical tells the entrancing story of a young American soldier and a beautiful French girl, set against the iconic backdrop of romantic Paris.
Inspired by the Academy Award-winning MGM film, acclaimed director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon brings the enchantment and magic of Paris alive on stage with popular songs by George and Ira Gershwin, including I Got Rhythm, S Wonderful, But Not For Me, I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise and They Can’t Take That Away From Me.
The 1951 film starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron took its inspiration from George Gerwin’s 1928 orchestral composition An American in Paris. The film has been proclaimed one of the greatest movie musicals of all time and been included in the US Library of Congress National Film Registry.
In 2014 the work was adapted for the stage, it was the second version of the musical to be put forward to audiences.
An American in Paris will premiere in Brisbane in January 2022 before seasons in Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.
The Australian Ballet’s Artistic Director David Hallberg said it was an exciting prospect for the company’s dancers to be exploring new territory.
“An American in Paris has been adapted for the stage by one of the world’s most in-demand choreographers and we have a great and long-standing relationship with Christopher. It’s exciting to be collaborating with him again but this time on a musical, and we welcome the opportunity for a number of our dancers to perform in this incredible production and broaden their skills as artists.”
The show will be at the Crown Theatre in February 2022.
OIP Staff
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