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Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Heart-Stopping Production Numbers Make Up For A Thin Plot In 'An American In Paris'
NPR: The new Broadway musical was inspired by the hit 1951 Hollywood musical starring Gene Kelly, with music by George Gershwin. Critic Lloyd Schwartz explains why he hopes a lot of people see the show.
1 comment:
Jamie Phanekham
said...
I'd love to see the tour of this. I know that some of my friends went and said it was boring, and probably some audiences agree. An American in Paris is sort of a musical for a different time. The movie is beautiful in a dreamy way. There's not really a plot. It's just about being beautiful and admiring the incredible music and the talented dancers. Which, in a world where Broadway is now about headier pieces, and more dense plots, may not be enough, especially for younger audiences. And that's understandable. It's not the smartest plot and it doesn't have new, rocking songs. But it has beauty and if it's anything like the movie, it has a stylized romance. It's not a show that necesarily needs to be thought very hard over, but merely admired. And that's okay, sometimes. Sometimes we can just take a piece of theater or art for what it is. Such as, in 2015, Stephen Sondheim's favorite musical was Honeymoon in Vegas. Was that a smart show? Not really. Did it delve into any deep issues? Not exactly. But, he said it reminded him of why he fell in love with musicals. It could take you away from your life into one of romance and fun. Sometimes we need fun, in a dismal world.
1 comment:
I'd love to see the tour of this. I know that some of my friends went and said it was boring, and probably some audiences agree. An American in Paris is sort of a musical for a different time. The movie is beautiful in a dreamy way. There's not really a plot. It's just about being beautiful and admiring the incredible music and the talented dancers. Which, in a world where Broadway is now about headier pieces, and more dense plots, may not be enough, especially for younger audiences. And that's understandable. It's not the smartest plot and it doesn't have new, rocking songs. But it has beauty and if it's anything like the movie, it has a stylized romance. It's not a show that necesarily needs to be thought very hard over, but merely admired. And that's okay, sometimes. Sometimes we can just take a piece of theater or art for what it is. Such as, in 2015, Stephen Sondheim's favorite musical was Honeymoon in Vegas. Was that a smart show? Not really. Did it delve into any deep issues? Not exactly. But, he said it reminded him of why he fell in love with musicals. It could take you away from your life into one of romance and fun. Sometimes we need fun, in a dismal world.
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