An American in Paris opened to a full house in Brisbane last week, after a short postponement due to Covid 19.
This production of the Gershwin musical was first staged in 2014 and is choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, best known for his classical ballet creations. Unusually, it stars two ballet dancers rather than music theatre performers in the leading roles: Robert Fairchild (from the New York City Ballet) as Jerry and Leanne Cope (from London’s Royal Ballet) as Lise. They will be starring in the Australian tour, alternating with two Australian Ballet principal dancers, Cameron Holmes and Dimity Azoury.
Staging the choreography for the tour is Sean Kelly, a former dancer with the Houston Ballet who has a stellar career in both ballet and musical theatre.
The musical is due to run Melbourne from March 18 to April 24 and Sydney from April 29 to June 5. The Perth and Adelaide seasons have been postponed, with new dates to be announced.
The photos above show the opening night cast as well as Azoury and Holmes in their debuts in the roles.
All photos are by Darren Thomas.
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