An American in Paris – the film of the original London cast will be shown in 42 cinemas nationally and worldwide on 16 May 2018. Directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon.
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
For any lover of Gershwin and dance and classic musicals this broadcast is a must. On the huge stage of the Dominion it failed to make an impact on this audience member. Some of the acting seemed hammy, some underplayed, the attempts to update the book and give it a seriousness as befits the period in which it’s set a bit cliched, and the choreography relentlessly balletic. Despite the thrill of hearing that huge orchestra, it seemed a long evening.
On film the transformation is astonishing. The close-ups magnify the detail of the acting and the book. The zooming in and out gives us all the beauty of the sets, but they never submerge the performances.
Leanne Cope’s delicacy, sincerity and lyrical dancing are made for the cinema. Robert Fairchild, Haydn Oakley and David Seadon-Young bond movingly as the three amigos. They are all three perfect foils for each other.
Fairchild is a sensational dancer, though I wish he was a little less balletic when dancing outside the fantasy sequences. Zoe Rainey is funny and convincing in the difficult part of Milo Davenport, dilettante of the world. The chorus of dancers is a feast to watch, the whole show a treat.
And then there are those Gershwin songs and that orchestra. Everyone sings in the style of the period which is a bonus. They even include Gershwin’s ‘Cuban Overture’ to give it a latin flavour. It is very different to the Minnelli film, the choreography more balletic, less jazz and tap but holds its own. Just go and see for yourselves. You’re bound to come out humming and dancing as this reviewer did.
Leon Ferguson
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