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Christopher Wheeldon - An American in Paris - Paris & Broadway


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Thanks very much, Bruce, for continuing to keep all this on the radar. I particularly like the first video that you just posted because it focuses on the physical art of the production. When I saw AIP in Paris I felt that the finest artistic statement was the sets. I saw great potential in the choreography and the text, but the sets were already masterpieces. (And I have to add that I 'fell in love' with Leanne Cope. :) )

 

This brief video is the most complete discussion that I've seen. There are many interesting ideas and explanations. I recall from an interview that Christopher Wheeldon expressed how important the concept of art was to the essence of the production.

 

There's a lot that could be discussed here. I have a concept of dance as being one of the most exciting art forms because it's alive. It's human beings becoming living works of art. One of the highlights of AIP is that it's an integration of so many art forms into an overall flow that might be seen as an all encompassing dance.

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2014-2015 Theatre World Awards for An American in Paris

 

Robert Fairchild and Leanne Cope have both won awards for their roles in An American in Paris:

 

Robert Fairchild is named as a Theatre World Award Recipient. .

 

Leanne Cope is named as the 2015 recipient of the Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theatre.

 

http://www.theatreworldawards.org/current-recipients.html

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2014-2015 Theatre World Awards for An American in Paris

 

Robert Fairchild and Leanne Cope have both won awards for their roles in An American in Paris:

 

Robert Fairchild is named as a Theatre World Award Recipient. .

 

Leanne Cope is named as the 2015 recipient of the Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theatre.

 

http://www.theatreworldawards.org/current-recipients.html

 

Thanks for this, Bluebird.  This news had previously been reported in Item No. 116.  

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Thanks for this, Bluebird.  This news had previously been reported in Item No. 116.  

 

Thanks, Bruce.  I happened to notice that the awards were given yesterday and didn't know that the recipients had been announced in advance of the ceremony.

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Were the Astaire Awards winners announced in advance?  I just saw a tweet saying that An American in Paris had won several of them. I've had trouble finding details online but the following article contains the names of the winners of the awards, including Leanne Cope, Robert Fairchild and Christopher Wheeldon:

 

http://www.showbiz411.com/2015/06/02/harvey-weinstein-gets-the-astaire-award-we-need-new-voices-on-broadway-we-need-guys-like-me-on-broadway

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Thanks, Bluebird.  They were.

 

Lovely photograph of L. Cope (AiP/RB) and R. Fairchild (AiP/NYCB) at the Drama Desk Awards where the latter began by heartily praising Gene Kelley as providing his incentive 'to dance' in his acceptance speech for the 2015 Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Award.  In several key polls Fairchild is favoured for Sunday's Tony nod in the same category.  

 

http://communityvoices.post-gazette.com/arts-entertainment-living/onstage/item/39161-hamilton-curious-incident-win-big-at-drama-desk-awards-robert-fairchild-is-best-actor-for-american-in-paris

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Thanks, Bluebird.  They were.

 

 

 

That's interesting that the Astaire Awards were announced in advance.  When I posted earlier today I posted the only reference I could find.  There has, however, since been another:

 

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/181039/an-american-in-paris-on-the-town-share-2015-astaire-award-wins/

 

I note that Leanne Cope was the only winner of the Best Female Dancer award.  Chris Wheeldon shared his award for Best Choreographer with Joshua Bergasse (On The Town) and Robert Fairchild shared his award for Best Male Dancer with Tony Yazbeck (also On The Town)

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The CD for the Broadway production of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (with R. Fairchild-AiP/NYCB and L. Cope-AiP/RB both singing on the disc and the complete orchestration for the 14 minute AiP ballet) can be purchased in the UK for £11,99 via the UK owned Dress Circle outlet.  (The CD was released in the US only on 2nd June).  You can get 10% off simply by joining up to the Dress Circle's Newsletter and shipping is as little as £1,10.

 

http://www.dresscircle.com/cd/10614-an-american-in-paris-original-broadway-cast-cd-888750911421.html

 

 

Track Listing

 

1. Concerto in F 2. I Got Rhythm 3. Second Prelude 4. I've Got Beginner's Luck 5. The Man I Love 6. Liza 7. 'S Wonderful 8. Shall We Dance? 9. Second Rhapsody / Cuban Overture 10. Entr'acte 11. Fidgety Feet 12. Who Cares? / For You, For Me, For Evermore 13. But Not for Me 14. I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise 15. An American in Paris 16. They Can't Take That Away from Me 17. Epilogue

 

A review of the CD:  http://www.thepublicreviews.com/cd-review-an-american-in-paris-original-broadway-cast-recording/

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An interview with L. Cope (AiP/RB) and R. Fairchild (AiP/NYCB) about surviving Broadway's awards season and other matters:

 

http://www.theatermania.com/broadway/news/robert-fairchild-leanne-cope-interview-american-in-paris_73128.html

 

"Leanne: I think it's very important for all dancers to take acting lessons, actually. The miming can just look like steps. Unless it comes from a real place of understanding what you're trying to say, and it's not just "put your arm out here," it's saying something. I think it would help all dancers."

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AiP to go to China by 2018 with a planned tour of Asia given the Chinese investors in the production.  

 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-investors-star-on-broadway-1433435555

 

“My instinct says that this is an interesting show with good market potential,” Mr. Zhang said."

 

Trade rag, Variety, predicts that AiP will win the 'money prize' - i.e., Best Musical and that Wheeldon will win for choreography at Sunday's Tony Awards:

 

http://variety.com/2015/legit/news/tony-predictions-who-will-win-sunday-night-1201512727/

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A refreshingly direct interview (both written and in video) in the LA Times with RB Associate C. Wheeldon (AiP director/choregorapher) and R. Fairchild (AiP leading performer/NYCB principal).  Blessedly Fairchild confirms his return to NYCB 'when my leave is up'.  That is GREAT NEWS for the world of dance.  This young man has so much more ballet history in him to write.  Wheeldon happily reports that he means in the future to cross regularly between ballet to Broadway much as his prime mentor, Jerome Robbins, did and, of course, NYCB's co-founder, George Balanchine.   One also remembers that the Carousel dream sequence was the last balletic work that Sir Kenneth MacMillan - who means so much to Briton Wheeldon - ever composed - and knowing that particular dance sequence in the musical's original production was etched by Agnes de Mille who always so fondly remembered her own work at Sadler's Wells.  .

 

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/tonys/la-ca-cm-tonys-wheeldon-fairchild-american-in-paris-20150607-story.html#page=1

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Fun Home won for Best Musical award as well as for best leading performance by an actor, best book and best score as well as for best direction; all in the 2015 Tony Awards.  I'm sure this will guarantee a London production for this wholly original work.   

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Janet, thanks so much for the Tony performance included in your first source. I think that this can't help but promote the musical and a further interest in ballet because of its wide audience exposure. (7 million Tony Awards viewers last year). This may be a better access to the video.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqbwpUlDOvE

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An amusing interview with L. Cope (AiP/RB)

 

 

Some red carpet moments with Tony Award winning Christopher Wheeldon (AiP/RB)

 

 

A couple of points:

 

I was very touched that Mr. Wheeldon and the AiP producers chose to arrange/concoct a special segment in/around AN AMERICAN IN PARIS as an effective commercial for a national USA TV audience (rather than just taking a set piece from the show) that would - in some way shape or form - feature EVERY member of the cast.  Thus you had the covers for Jerry and Lise (Sarah Esty, a former soloist with MCB) as the opening body doubles at the top of the Tony arranged section prior to the modified flag fly past.  Lovely too that the Tony Award audience spontaneously gave entrance applause to both R. Fairchild and L. Cope on their reveal.  (That did not happen with some other principals in their Broadway show segments, with that for 82 year old Chita Rivera being a notable - and wholly understandable - exception.)  In the final singing of 'S'wonderful' in this AiP/Tony Award segment you find the characters of Milo, Lise's war time guardians and even the chap who plays the director of ballet company all chipping in - much as they don't do in the actual Paris/Broadway stage production.  That was oh, so generous.  

 

Now that Mr. Fairchild has confirmed his return to NYCB following his agreed stint in AiP (thank heavens) I am feeling very much more confident that L. Cope will return to the RB fold.  I cannot conceive that the London AiP London production (and I can't now believe that there won't be one following its on-going commercial and critical success) will feature anyone outside of L. Cope in the role she originated in the stage production, Lise.  

 

That said I suspect that Mr. Fairchild may well not - as might be expected - take more time out from this NYCB contractual obligations having already premiered the production in Europe/Paris as well as on Broadway.  If the rumour mill is correct both Robert Fairchild and his wife, NYCB principal Tiler Peck will be guesting with POB in the coming season in advance of the NYCB Chatalet season in June/July '16.  There can be no question but that he is a commercial entity there - not only because of AiP but because of NYCB's enhanced exposure in the City of Light, itself the major European capital for international ballet.  That recognition would not of course be true in London given a lack of exposure.  Had he WON the 2015 Tony for Outstanding Leading Performer in a Musical I would suspect the pressure would have been on Mr. Fairchild to lead a London production.  Now, with several other awards and a key Tony nomination under his belt he will be free to go on and create major new works with NYCB in that same time period.  There will be plenty of time for him to return to Broadway - which I'm sure he will do.  He already was - as it happens - talking about other people doing the role in that WSJ video interview current but a few days back.  

 

But who - were the above to prove true - would play the role of Jerry in London?  It would have to be someone who was certainly something of a triple threat; could be believably American (as the majority of other characters are French in origin); someone who radiates clean spun sex appeal/presence and could certainly handle the very difficult - and sometimes punishing - partnering demands in three extended ballet segments eight times a week - not forgetting the ornamental solos.  

 

I would love to suggest Andrew Veyette (who just happens to be R. Fairchild's brother in law).  Anyone who has seen Mr. Veyette (another principal in NYCB) in Theme and Variations will know that he is a hugely strong and precisely exciting dancer.  You may remember that he was featured in the London premiere of Robbin's West Side Story Suite at the Coliseum (NYCB, 2008) in the role of Riff (originated by N. Hubbe).  From that London will know that he is not afraid of singing (as all principal characters in that ballet are forced to do).  Here you can see him in one of the many educational video's from NYCB.  This one attempts to define a pas de deux from a dancer's perspective.  They are rehearsing the Wedding PDD from Sleeping Beauty: 

 

(In the previous clip Mr. Veyette was dancing with his wife, NYCB principal, Megan Fairchild, Robert Fairchild's older sister).  Mr. Veyette also recently danced James in NYCB's new production of La Sylphide for which he received glowing notices.  He also has a wonderfully dry sense of humour and can be charming.  Here is AOL screen test where I think it is evident that he would be believable for London audiences as a WWII GI with an artistic bent:  

 

and here you see him talking about dancing Balanchine's glorious Allegro Brilliante 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0xBZEbN2IY

 

I wonder who other BcoF readers thought might be good in this role in London's West End?  

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An apt summing up of the 2015 Tonys.  

 

http://www.theatermania.com/broadway/news/fun-home-upsets-an-american-in-paris-for-best-musi_73162.html

 

Briton Wheeldon's home town newspaper offers a touching note of support:

 

http://www.westerngazette.co.uk/Yeovil-dancer-nod-tonight-s-glitzy-Tony-Awards/story-26652273-detail/story.html

 

They surely must be delighted he won one of these cherished Awards.  

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I was very touched that Mr. Wheeldon and the AiP producers chose to arrange/concoct a special segment in/around AN AMERICAN IN PARIS as an effective commercial for a national USA TV audience (rather than just taking a set piece from the show) that would - in some way shape or form - feature EVERY member of the cast. Thus you had the covers for Jerry and Lise (Sarah Esty, a former soloist with MCB) as the opening body doubles at the top of the Tony arranged section prior to the modified flag fly past.  Lovely too that the Tony Award audience spontaneously gave entrance applause to both R. Fairchild and L. Cope on their reveal.  (That did not happen with some other principals in their Broadway show segments, with that for 82 year old Chita Rivera being a notable - and wholly understandable - exception.)  In the final singing of 'S'wonderful' in this AiP/Tony Award segment you find the characters of Milo, Lise's war time guardians and even the chap who plays the director of ballet company all chipping in - much as they don't do in the actual Paris/Broadway stage production.  That was oh, so generous.   

 

 

Good eye, Bruce. I do agree that it's a nice gesture and a very successful one.

 

And from the Leanne Cope clip (prior to the awards?), 

 

"I'm really not competitive.... but I'm probably a very good loser, which is probably a good thing."

 

My response: An award is just an award. What you are and what you do is the main thing.

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