Stage Version of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS to Premiere in Paris in 2014; Broadway Transfer Planned for 2015

The new musical, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, has targeted Broadway for the spring of 2015 following its world premiere in December, 2014 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. It will be directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, making his Broadway directing debut. Featuring music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and a book by Tony and Pulitzer Prize nominee Craig Lucas, the creative team also includes Tony Award winners Bob Crowley (sets and costumes), Natasha Katz (lighting) and Scott Lehrer (sound) with a musical score adapted and supervised by Rob Fisher. Bartlett Sher is creative consultant. Based on the Academy Award winning film inspired by the 1928 orchestral composition by George Gershwin, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS brings this classic tale to Broadway for the first time.

Eager to begin his life anew after the brutality of combat, World War II Army veteran Jerry Mulligan chooses newly-liberated Paris as the place to make a name for himself as a painter. With the assistance of fellow ex-pat Milo Davenport, a wealthy American with a past she wishes to forget, Jerry's life becomes complicated when he meets Lise, a young Parisian shop girl with her own secret. Soon it becomes clear that Jerry's friends-Adam, a Jewish American composer, and Henri, a Parisian aristocrat-also vie for Lise's love. This romantic tangle can only be untied through the miracle of dance set to some of the greatest music and lyrics ever written. A classic American film about young souls in Paris has been reimagined for the Broadway stage of the 21st century.

The producers are The Pittsburgh CLO (Van Kaplan) and Théâtre du Châtelet (Jean-Luc Choplin) by special arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical(Stuart Oken, Michael Leavitt and Five Cent Productions).

"We're incredibly fortunate to present a new adaptation of one of the most iconic movie musicals of all time," said producers Van Kaplan, Jean-Luc Choplin and Stuart Oken. "Our creative team, led by Christopher Wheeldon, has taken a fresh approach to a story audiences have enjoyed for generations about life in post-war Paris and come up with something we believe will have surprising depth and resonance," they add. "This material also provides an ideal opportunity for US and Paris based producers to share development and production of a show with a unique history and meaning to both countries."

"I am thrilled to have been trusted with the great Gershwin property that is An American In Paris," said Christopher Wheeldon. "We are all looking forward to building on its storied history and bringing a fresh perspective for today's audiences. Who could wish for a more glorious first Broadway show to direct, and for a more exciting first opening than in Paris."

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS will be presented at Théâtre du Châtelet in English featuring the 26-member Broadway cast with a score including the songs "I Got Rhythm," "S'Wonderful," "But Not For Me," "Stairway to Paradise," "Our Love Is Here To Stay", "They Can't Take That Away" and orchestral music including "Concerto in F," "2nd Prelude," "2nd Rhapsody" and "An American In Paris."

Photo Credit: Richard Termine