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Overview

Synopsis

An American in Paris is a story of finding love, happiness, and a new lease on life. The musical is set in the City of Lights, Paris, as it emerges from the shadows of World War II. As the weight of the Nazi Occupation begins to lift, the city’s inhabitants come alive and rediscover life’s grandest possibilities. An American veteran and aspiring painter, Jerry, is still reeling from the war when he discovers the girl of his dreams: Lise, a captivating young dancer at the ballet. Jerry falls in love with the mystery girl as soon as he spots her in a crowd on the street. By chance or fate, Jerry and Lise are brought together at a ballet rehearsal, where Jerry has come to visit his friend Adam, the company’s composer. While there, Jerry catches the eye of Milo, an American heiress and Adam’s patron. To add more confusion to this love triangle, Lise is already engaged to marry Henri, a rich young business man, who dreams of being a performer, himself. But does Lise truly love Henri? Or is Jerry, the American stranger, the man she is meant to love? And even if she loves Jerry, can Lise find a way to move on from the fact that Henri’s family saved her life during the war? Set to some of the George and Ira Gershwin’s most timeless music, An American in Paris brings both complexity and joy to the journey of Lise, Jerry, and their friends, as they fall in love, follow their dreams, and celebrate the most wonderful joys of being alive.

Note: this stage musical’s plot differs greatly from the 1951 film of the same name starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron.

Show Information

Lyrics
Ira Gershwin
Based on the Play/Book/Film
An American in Paris (1951 film)
Category
Musical
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
2014
Genres
Romance
Settings
Multiple Settings, Spectacle
Time & Place
paris france, 1945, the end of wwii
Cast Size
small
Orchestra Size
Large
Dancing
Heavy
Ideal For
College/University, Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, Large Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Female, Star Vehicle Male, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Child, Early Teen, Late Teen, Elderly Characters, Small Cast

Context


Plot


Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Jerry Mulligan

Lead

Male

Tenor

Henri Baurel

Lead

Male

Tenor

Lise Dassin

Lead

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano

Milo Davenport

Lead

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Adam Hochberg

Lead

Male

Tenor

Madame Baurel

Supporting

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Ensemble

Ensemble

Either Gender

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass

Songs

Act One

  • * “Concerto in F” — Orchestra, *Company
  • * “I Got Rhythm” — Henri, Adam, Jerry, Company
  • * “Second Prelude” — Orchestra, *Lise, *Female Ensemble
  • * “I’ve Got Beginner’s Luck” — Jerry
  • * “The Man I Love” — Lise
  • * “Liza” — Jerry
  • * “ ’S Wonderful” — Adam, Henri, Jerry, Company
  • * “Shall We Dance?” — Milo
  • * “Second Rhapsody/Cuban Overture” — Orchestra, *Company

Act Two

  • * “Fidgety Feet” — Jerry
  • * “Who Cares?” — Milo, Adam, Henri
  • * “For You, For Me, For Evermore” — Lise, Henri, Jerry, Milo
  • * “But Not For Me” — Adam, Milo
  • * “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise” — Henri, Adam, Company
  • * “An American in Paris” — Orchestra, *Company
  • * “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” — Adam, Jerry, Henri

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

    The sequence of steps and movements in dance, also the orchestrated and rehearsed movements for actors, based on the script.

    The systematic genocide of six-million Jewish people during World War II.

    A genre of music developed especially from ragtime and blues and characterized by syncopated rhythms, complex chords, elements of improvisation, and distortions of pitch and timbre.

    The war between the Axis and the Allies, beginning on September 1, 1939, with the German invasion of Poland and ending with the surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945, and of Japan on August 14, 1945.

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