AN AMERICAN IN PARIS Will Grace Starlight Stage This July

An American in Paris, the most-awarded new musical of 2015 and winner of four Tony Awards, will make its Kansas City debut at Starlight Theatre on July 11-16. The national touring production is the fourth show of Starlight's 67th Broadway season and one of three brand-new musicals taking the Starlight stage this summer.

Inspired by the Academy-Award winning film, An American in Paris is the romantic story of an American soldier, a mysterious French girl and an indomitable European city, each yearning for a new beginning in the aftermath of war. Directed and choreographed by 2015 Tony Award winner Christopher Wheeldon, the musical features the music and lyrics of brothers George and Ira Gershwin and a book by Craig Lucas.

In a post-World War II Paris, American soldier Jerry Mulligan is awestruck by the beautiful ballerina Lise, triggering his decision to stay in the city and explore his passion for painting. From that magical moment, Jerry becomes engulfed in a whirlwind of new experiences, friendships and romances.

"Between the old-fashioned Parisian charm and the modern reimagining of a classic film onstage, An American in Paris provides audiences with the best of both worlds," said Rich Baker, Starlight President and CEO. "Young or old, musical buff or not, everyone will find something to love in this show."

The lead roles of Jerry Mulligan and Lise Dassin are played by McGee Maddox (National Ballet of Canada) and Sara Esty (Miami City Ballet). Joining them in the principal cast are Etai Benson (Wicked) as Adam Hochberg, Emily Ferranti (Wicked, Dreamgirls) as Milo Davenport, Gayton Scott (Gypsy, The Women) as Madame Baurel, and Nick Spangler (The Book of Mormon, Rogers + Hammerstein's Cinderella) as Henri Baurel.

The score of An American in Paris features many beloved songs, including "I Got Rhythm," "Liza," "'S Wonderful," "But Not for Me," "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise," and orchestral music including "Concerto in F," "Second Prelude," "Second Rhapsody/Cuban Overture" and "An American in Paris."

An American in Paris opened to widespread critical acclaim at the Palace Theatre on Broadway in April 2015 after its world premiere at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The New York production closed in October 2016 after playing more than 600 performances. A West End production of An American in Paris opened in March 2017 at the Dominion Theatre.

An American in Paris won four 2015 Tony Awards, four Drama Desk Awards, four Outer Critics Circle Awards, the Drama League Award for Best Musical, three Fred and Adele Astaire Awards, and two Theatre World Awards. The musical was included on the Year's Best lists of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, The New Yorker, the Associated Press, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Masterworks Broadway Original Broadway Cast recording of An American in Paris was nominated for the Best Musical Theater Album Grammy Award.

Tickets for An American in Paris at Starlight Theatre are on sale now for $14 to $142. Tickets are available online at www.kcstarlight.com, by calling 816.363.STAR (7827) or at the Starlight box office at 4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, MO 64132. All performances begin at 8 p.m.

Discount prices for groups of 10 or more are available. For information about group pricing, contact group sales coordinator Camille Sumrall at 816.997.1137 or groups@kcstarlight.com.

For more information about the show, visit www.AnAmericanInParisBroadway.com.

Starlight Theatre, a recent winner of the Venue Excellence Award from the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), is the largest and oldest performing arts organization in Kansas City and the second-largest outdoor producing theatre in the country. Opened as a theater in 1950 and as a not-for-profit organization in 1951, Starlight presents and produces Broadway musicals and concerts. It also offers extensive community outreach and educational programming, including classes, scholarships and Starlight's Blue Star Awards, one of the largest high school musical theatre award programs in the nation. Located on 16 acres in Swope Park, Starlight's venue includes rehearsal halls, gift store, club area for dining, concessions, gardens, fountains and a 10-story, climate-controlled stage. For more information, visit www.kcstarlight.com.

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