Romance on the stage
Relive the famous musical An American in Paris when the national Broadway tour lands at the VPAC Jan. 22
Beaver Creek, Colo. — The power of love is on full display in An American in Paris: A New Musical, a romantic tale of a young American soldier, a captivating French girl and a European city recovering after the war. The Tony Award-winning musical lands at the Vilar Performing Arts Center on Jan. 22.
An American in Paris takes the stage at the Vilar Performing Arts Center (VPAC) on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $88. Tickets are available now at the VPAC box office (970-845-8497; www.vilarpac.org). The VPAC is located under the ice rink in Beaver Creek Village (68 Avondale Lane, Beaver Creek, Colorado).
Inspired by the Academy Award-winning film, An American in Paris stops in Beaver Creek this month as part of its national Broadway tour. Written in 1928, the music soon became one of George Gershwin’s most famous compositions. And the 1951 film starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron garnered six Academy Awards and became one of the most famous movie musicals of all time.
To refresh your memory — or in case you’ve never seen the film — the story is set in post-war Paris where romance is in the air and youthful optimism permeates. Hoping to start a new life, World War II veteran Jerry Mulligan chooses newly-liberated Paris as the place to make a name for himself as a painter. But Jerry’s life becomes complicated when he meets Lise, a young Parisian shop girl with her own secret – and realizes he is not her only suitor.
The production features many favorite Gershwin songs, including “I Got Rhythm,” “Liza,” “’S Wonderful,” “But Not for Me,” and “Stairway to Paradise.” The soaring melodies of these recognizable songs are matched only by the impressive dance scenes in what the New York Times calls “Pure joy … An American in Paris is a TRIUMPH.”
The show’s award-winning director, Jeffrey B. Moss, has staged over 35 national and international tours, and often directs newly imagined productions of classic musicals. He also directed the critically acclaimed recent Off-Broadway and London productions of Bock and Harnick’s new musical play, Rothschild & Sons, along with a slew of others.
For an evening filled with romance, adventure and plenty of Gershwin, be sure to nab tickets for An American in Paris, at the Vilar Performing Arts Center on Jan. 22.