MovieChat Forums > An American in Paris (1951) Discussion > Is there a stage musical of this movie?

Is there a stage musical of this movie?


Does anyone know if a stage musical was ever made/adapted of this movie?

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Interesting question, jymkata!I have never heard of one and I doubt it very much, for several reasons: Partly because these are Gershwin songs, some of which originate from other musicals (S'Wonderful was in Funny Face, for example), and songs are usually used onstage in the musicals they were written for. Sometimes it can be a matter of legal issues (although Singin in the Rain was produced for the stage intact with 20's songs). Also, there are no songs for females in the film and that would be odd on stage (it's even a bit odd in the film!). Finally, the film's reputation heavily rests upon the dance numbers, especially the elaborate ballet which would be difficult to do justice to on the stage. You can't hire that many dancers for a show that is in essence an intimate story with few performers which suddenly explodes into a giant ballet. If there is a big ensemble in a stage musical, the musical is constructed so that the group can be used evenly and efficiently thoughout the production. But when making a movie you can take turns being intimate and tossing in huge production numbers if you like. If this musical should be produced for the stage I believe it would have to be restructured; as the book is quite weak - sweet but limited - and very much set in it's time period it may not be an easy task. I hope no one tries to put it on the stage as the film is a definitive version in itself, with lots of qualities making up for the rather weak book. Singin in the Rain is definitive too, of course, but the book of that musical is so strong and entertaining it's no surprise stage adaptions have been made. Too good to leave alone :-)

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