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¶ … lightness delivers no depth in terms of political or social commentary, an American in Paris accomplishes what many Broadway musicals set out to do: provide a fantastic array of song and dance numbers sure to impress. As an adaptation of the original film from the 1950s, An American in Paris offers a modern rendition, albeit in period costume and set design. The music is nostalgic, and so are the dance styles. Viewers unfamiliar with the original film will understand how the producers seek to capture the spirited optimism and idealism that characterized both American and French society in the aftermath of World War II. The romantic tropes will likewise be familiar and require no prior knowledge of the plot or tone of the movie. Altogether, the happy ending and unabashed romanticism provide a welcome respite from the often cynical nature of postmodern theater and cinema.
The Gershwin songs that punctuated the film are present again on stage, with an orchestra rendering them with great accuracy. Likewise, the choreography remains faithful but does include more athletic and acrobatic elements as in the "Liza" number. Some of the more down-tempo moments in the play have counterpoint in lively...
Many of her dance pieces and several of the duets include traditional ballet elements as well as some more modern dances such as those she performs with her beau. Both the lead male and female exude the joie du vivre that encapsulates the theme and tone of An American in Paris. Robert Fairchild, who plays the American GI on stage in this Broadway edition of An American in Paris, is also a principle dancer in the New York City Ballet.
Set design is one of the strong points of the play, with great attention to detail. Key elements that signal authenticity include the Chanel signs, tribute to the Parisian design house that flowered during the 1950s. The street fashions are tasteful and subdued, not at all outlandish or exaggerated, and at times downright simple with their rather dull colors and fabrics. Other period-specific elements that allow the audience to immediately recognize that the story is indeed An American in Paris include the reference to the De Stijl movement, frequent references to the war and…
Works Cited
Wheeldon, Christopher. An American in Paris. [Broadway Production], 2016.
Gershwin was influenced by French composers of the early twentieth century. The orchestrations in Gershwin's symphonic works frequently seem comparable to those of Ravel; similarly, Ravel's two piano concertos demonstrate an influence of Gershwin. Gershwin asked to learn with Ravel. Gershwin's own Concerto in F. was condemned for being connected to the work of Claude Debussy, more so than to the probable jazz style. The association did not discourage
This was the beginning of America's Golden Age of Musicals and thus it is important to understand what actually went into making a great musical. This was also a time when the Broadway show was assuming a standard format, one in which we still see to this day: two acts and several scenes. The first act being the key. The major songs are performed in the first act and
For instance, renowned designer Barbara Matera explained that when Glenn Close first tried on the Norma Desmond costume described above, she "winced under its weight" (New York's Top Costume Shop Reveals Its Secrets 1996:3). The costume's designer, Anthony Powell, instructed Close to turn around and face the mirror, and "upon seeing the stunning result her whole attitude changed" (4). Other anecdotal accounts on the design process from Matera included:
Well, I kind of introduced that into Lindy Hopping. And we call it an air step because that's the way that we envisioned it -- as a step. We said, This has to be done in time with the music. it's not a lift -- it's a step -- so you gotta do it as a step (Editors). Many people would add innovations and other moves to the basic Lindy,
piano, including the history and use of the instrument. The piano is one of the most popular musical instruments in the world, and pianos have been in use in orchestras and in homes for hundreds of years. The first piano was created from another similar instrument, the harpsichord, and it was invented in Italy. The editors at Wikipedia note, "The invention of the modern piano is credited to Bartolomeo
(269) It would seem that the artists and the press of the era both recognized a hot commodity when they saw one, and in this pre-Internet/Cable/Hustler era, beautiful women portrayed in a lascivious fashion would naturally appeal to the prurient interests of the men of the day who might well have been personally fed up with the Victorian morals that controlled and dominated their lives otherwise. In this regard, Pyne