Review: AN AMERICAN IN PARIS at the Majestic

Many people may have heard of the famous movie, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, from 1951. It starred Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron. The music was written by the famous brothers, George and Ira Gershwin. Fast forward to 2014 when it was reimagined (book by Craig Lucas), including additional songs and removal of other songs, and opened in Paris. In 2015, it opened on Broadway. As it saw great success in both Paris and Broadway, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS took to the road and is currently touring around North America with its most recent stop in San Antonio, Texas. Seeing the show was both captivating and entrancing as the cast pulled off a flawless performance from start to finish.

As AN AMERICAN IN PARIS began at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, the audience was noticeably intrigued with the sets, the costumes, the music and the performers. It was already evident that this was going to be an evening of pure entertainment. You dare not miss one second of this fantastic show for fear of missing the best parts. The way the scenery was shifted and choreographed with the performers on the stage, kept the audience on the edge of their seats.

Focusing on the performers themselves, it was plain to see that many of them were the perfect examples of the famous triple threat performers possessing musical talent, acting talent, and dancing talent. Take for instance the gentleman who played the part of Jerry Mulligan, McGee Maddox. It was clear that Maddox was classically trained in dancing and unmistakably owning the dance numbers. His acting shone through as he played a love struck Jerry Mulligan. His singing chops were equally amazing as he belted out such musical numbers as "I've Got Beginner's Luck," "Liza," and "Fidgety Feet." It was truly impressive. Allison Walsh played the part of Lise Dassin and she was amazing in her impeccable dance solos as well as her acting abilities and beautiful voice. Walsh sang flawlessly "Second Prelude" and "The Man I Love."

The choreography was reminiscent of the likes of Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire. It gave the audience a sense of the traditional dance numbers of days gone by especially in such numbers as "S Wonderful," "Fidgety Feet," and "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise." (It should be noted that those three particular dance numbers were arranged by Sam Davis.)

The part of Adam Hochberg was played by the multi-talented Matthew Scott. He was a real stand-out in the show but managed to stand back and let the others shine. His role is huge and Scott was able to prove his own Triple Threat when he acted as the narrator throughout the show, danced during "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise," and sang "But Not for Me" with Kirsten Scott who played Milo. It's also interesting to note that Matthew Scott and Kirsten Scott are indeed a married couple out on the road together performing night after night, side by side.

Don't miss your chance to see this fabulous production at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio. Tickets are available at the Majestic Theatre box office or by going to their website. Show runs from June 12-17. Check out tickets here: majesticempire.com

Photo by Matthew Murphy

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