Review: Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston's AN AMERICAN IN PARIS is Gold-Medal-Worthy

For the final production of its 54th season, Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston (RMT) is presenting a gold-medal-worthy production of “An American in Paris” – well timed in this Olympics summer – now through August 18 at the Robinson Theatre in Waltham.

Composer George Gershwin’s 1928 jazz-influenced tone poem “An American in Paris” inspired

the 1951 MGM Technicolor motion picture of the same name, which won that year’s Academy Award for Best Picture. Written by Alan Jay Lerner and directed by Vincente Minnelli, with dance numbers choreographed by Gene Kelly, the movie – which now ranks at number nine on the American Film Institute’s list of Greatest Movie Musicals – starred Kelly and, in her film debut, Leslie Caron.  

Ten years ago, contemporary ballet choreographer Christopher Wheedon adapted the film – about an American soldier who’s hoping to start a new life in post-World War II Paris – into a stage production, with book by Craig Lucas (“Prelude to a Kiss,” “Days of Wine and Roses”) and unforgettable lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and set to George Gershwin’s magnificent music. The musical premiered in Paris before transferring to Broadway’s Palace Theatre, where it had a two-year run. Following Broadway, its national tour launched at Boston’s Wang Theatre in October 2016.

In Waltham, RMT artistic director Rachel Bertone has directed and exquisitely choreographed a production that is nearly as entrancing as the City of Lights itself. The large and very talented cast of actors and ballet-trained dancers bring to life the romantic story of American soldier Jerry Mulligan, who decides to make his home in the newly liberated French capital, where he hopes to find success as a painter. When he falls in love with Lise, a young Parisian shop girl and ballerina, his life becomes complicated because he is not the only man pursuing her. Heir and aspiring nightclub headliner Henri Baurel also has eyes for her, and Jerry’s new friend, songwriter Adam Hochberg, soon falls for her, too.

With Samantha Barnes as pixie-esque Lise, it is easy to understand the character’s appeal as a love interest for all three men. Whether dancing or not, Barnes moves with balletic grace and is wonderful on the act-one ballad “The Man I Love,” a Great American Songbook standard from the 1924 Gershwin musical “Lady, Be Good.”

Mullen imbues Jerry with puppy-dog pluck, never more evident than in his act-one solos, “I’ve Got Beginner’s Luck” and “Liza,” a song famously performed by Judy Garland on a 1963 television program as an ode to Liza Minnelli, her daughter with second husband Vincente Minnelli. As Henri, Christopher Lewis gives an emotionally layered performance, making full use of his fine singing voice and smooth movement.

Jared Troilo, a song-and-dance stalwart on the Boston theater scene, plays good-humored Adam, a composer in search of his own sound who also serves as an informal narrator for the show. While Troilo brings his strong voice to the proceedings, he’s mostly had to leave his dance shoes at home for this one, as the war has left Adam with a bum leg.

Also doing strong supporting work are the well matched Carolyn Saxon and Jean-Alfred Chavier as Madame and Monsieur Baurel, and the beautiful-voiced Rebekah Rae Robles as socialite and arts patron Milo Davenport. Robles is nothing less than splendid on act one’s “Shall We Dance,” a number originally performed by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the 1937 movie musical of the same name.

The gifted ensemble of Olivia Aniceto, Eliza Barmakian, Sarah Cammarata, Aimée Coleman, Audrey Curdo, Nina-Simone Diaz, Shae Forest, Madison Flynn, Sarah Gruber, Miki Grubic, Sam Guida, Tori Heinlein, Sean Keim, Jaden Tai Martinez, Willy Rory Nelson, Jessica Nichter, Dom Pappagallo, Melissa Paz, Shae Reynolds, Brooke Sessler, Eli Schulman, Nate Walsh, and Alexa Powell Wang are uniformly excellent on Bertone’s first-rate choreography for ballet and jazz-infused production numbers including “’S Wonderful,” “(I’ll Build a) Stairway to Paradise),” and the show’s title song.

Music director Dan Rodriguez and his crackerjack band never miss a beat, providing energetic and lush accompaniment throughout. Johnny Cagno and Brian Simmons of Emerald City’s Theatrical Costumes have designed a vast array of period-appropriate attire that even include plumed Folies Bergère-ready finery. They’re shown off on Cameron McEachern’s spare but evocative set, and well lighted by Franklin Meissner, Jr.

Photo caption: Members of the company of the Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston production of “An American in Paris.” Photo by Robert Pascucci.

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