The dazzlingly romantic musical An American in Paris is finally making its way to Australian audiences. The Australian Ballet, alongside GWB Entertainment, is bringing the Tony Award-winning musical comedy to Australia in 2022, with seasons locked in most major Australian cities.
An American in Paris is based off the Gene Kelly-starring 1951 MGM film of the same name, in which a young American World War II vet falls in love with a French woman in (you guessed it) Paris. The enthusiastic dance numbers are backed by a score composed by George and Ira Gershwin, and include songs like 'I Got Rhythm' and 'Love is Here to Stay'. It's a lively, lavish and delightfully romantic production that premiered on Broadway in 2015 (the Time Out New York team even got to peek behind the scenes) before going on to play on the West End, Tokyo and Beijing – winning four Tony Awards along the way.
Expect a mix of ballet and Broadway, with director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon bringing An American in Paris to life. David Hallberg, artistic director of the Australian Ballet, said: "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.”
An American in Paris will debut to Australian audiences at Brisbane's QPAC Lyric Theatre from January 8 to 30, 2022. It will then go on to play in Adelaide and Perth before arriving at Arts Centre Melbourne's State Theatre in March, and at Theatre Royal Sydney in April. Tickets for the Brisbane season are available October 20 – for all other seasons, head to the website to sign up for the waitlist.