An American in Paris

An American in Paris
National Tour
Buell Theater
Denver, CO
March 8-19, 2017

To say the musical version of An American in Paris is based loosely on the Oscar winning film is putting it mildly.  In truth, the stage show has very little to do with the movie. The dancing is clearly inspired by Gene Kelly’s style.  But the storyline is very different from the original. Even the famed Gershwin songs performed are not the same.

A new element is the main characters coming together to create a new ballet. It centers around everyone’s fascination with the character of Lise. While she is attractive, she lacks the intrigue and charisma she needs to carry the show.

Much of the story is told through dance. Unfortunately, the storyline doesn’t come through in many of them. The opening sequence was supposed to show Jerry seeing Lise on the streets of Paris and his attempts to keep up with her. Instead we get a series of people dancing around with Jerry and Lise showing up from time to time. At one part a woman is dragged into a building screaming for no understandable reason.

The famous ballet at the end of the show was also a bit confusing. It shifted between Lise performing the new ballet and a sequence with Jerry. It’s unclear what the Jerry and Lise segment is. The fantasy of one or both of them? A sequence inside the ballet with a man who looks like Jerry? Not only does it make little sense, but it is much too long.

Despite the clear problems with the script, it is an enjoyable show. The performances were first rate, the dancing spectacular and the songs are classic. You would be hard pressed to find a more stunning performance that the song “Stairway to Paradise.”


An American in Paris is an entertaining show, but it is far from perfect. Fans of the film might be disappointed with the departure from the original and those who don’t enjoy dance may find much of it boring. But for most, they will enjoy their trip to Paris.