"An American in Paris" - Review

My trip to see the West end production of “An American in Paris” at the Dominon theatre in London on the 27th November was full of cheer and an absolute delight. The show was beautiful to watch and had a romantic charm throughout with a storyline I wasn’t expecting. The show is set in Paris in 1945, just at the end of World War Two and after France had been liberated from Nazi rule. The show follows the story of three men who are in love with the same girl, Lise Dassin, an exceptional Ballet dancer who successfully auditions for the Paris Ballet. One of the three men being her fiancé, the other being the pianist for her Ballet piece she is in, and the third being the man who steals her heart. The historical context of the show was translated well through the dialogue, movement, music, costume and set and had a real authenticity surrounding the era it was portraying. The show has highs, lows, and intricate moments highlighted beautifully through movement, set and lighting.

The set design was very complex and there were many scene changes throughout the show. I found that the Parisian settings with houses and buildings and streetlamps all had a soft, romantic hue about them and emphasized on the beauty and romantic feel that Paris has historically been known for. I felt it also tied in the idea of the love triangle occurring within the story which I thought was effective and atmospheric. I liked the use of projection onto pieces of set which made the set have a softer, blurred look which gave a nostalgic old romantic Metro Goldwyn Mayer film feel. The set was an integral part of the story throughout and was innovative with how it was communicated. The transitions between scenes became particularly beautiful moments for the set changes because the dancers used the set as part of their choreography while bringing it on to set a new scene, which was captivating to watch and made the set come alive and be an active participant in the musical.

The lighting was very reflective of the mood of every scene and carefully thought through to guide the audience through the highs and lows of the show. The Ballet studio scene had a very cool, pale hue, however it was soft and upstage and stage left and right were dimly lit, which gave a dream-state feel and a ghostly elegance which tied in beautifully with the stained gothic style mirrors they used for the set. This for me really highlighted the beauty of Lise’ dancing within this scene and portrayed how enamoured the spectators within the scene are about her dancing. In contrast to this, in the number “Stairway to Paradise,” the set changes to a wide open Broadway style stage with flashing lights and a brighter, sharper look, which highlights the clarity that Henri has the scene prior to this number about why Lise is betrothed to him.

Ashley Day, who played the Role of Jerry Mulligan, the man who eventually Lise chooses to be with, was exceptional. I was particularly impressed with the vocal control he had while singing “Liza” and the dancing he had to do was impeccable, not missing a single note or wavering in his vocal quality. I felt he had the perfect charm for the role and gave the character a quirky twist which made him easily lovable for the audience, making it fairly predictable that he would be the one which Lise would choose in the end, however as an audience member, this did not detract from my desire for them to eventually get together din the end. The chemistry between Ashley and his co-star, Leanne Cope, was perfectly in tune and this read perfectly from an audience perspective. Leanne’s performance as Lise was endearing and honest, her dancing was also faultless. I was mesmerised by how weightless she seemed, and how effortless she made such complex choreography come across. The only negative I would have to say was that I felt her singing voice wasn’t as strong as some of her other cast members, which didn’t take away from the performance however it was one thing that set her apart from other cast members who had far more difficult parts to sing than her.

The cast overall gave the show a busy, bustling city feel, and made the show come alive with how they changed the scenery, moved within the scenes and carried out the choreography. In the dance interludes between scenes there were beautiful moments which made the hairs on my arms raise. There was one part where the whole cast was on the stage, stood still and their upper body and arms impulsed and floated upwards, which reflected the romantic feel of the show and gave the show a pulse and a being, it made the show seem like it’s own living breathing thing.

Overall I loved this show, the music was familiar to me so I enjoyed the arrangement of the songs which I have performed before so I felt connected to the show through the score from the start. I felt that the ambiance of the set and the lighting took me right back to Paris in the 1940s but gave it a romantic and elegant feel juxtaposed to how it would have been under Nazi occupation, making it a lighthearted and delightful show to watch. The dancing made the show come alive and emphasized on the beauty of the set, the romance of the story and the passion between the characters who are stuck in the love triangle. The dancing was weightless and the technique that the dancers had was impeccable, I was captivated and inspired from start to finish. The story was charming and had great moments of comedy, balanced out with moments of sadness to create the perfect nostalgic love story, keeping the audience engaged throughout. If you are looking for a thoroughly enjoyable evening mixed with a cocktail of romance and elegance, I could not recommend this show enough. I give this show 5 stars.