While some of you are mulling what country you might relocate to, how about an escapist trip to Europe, post-World War II, for “An American in Paris,” the new Tony Award-winning musical about an American soldier and a mysterious French girl searching for a new beginning?
Out actor Garen Scribner, a former soloist with the San Francisco Ballet, plays the lead role of Jerry Mulligan, a soldier-turned-artist.
“The show is about finding true love and following your heart,” he said about the production. “Everybody is looking for something to fulfill them, which is something that we’re all doing. Every single human being is looking for fulfillment and making sure they’re in the right time at the right place and they are surrounded by people that they love and respect. All of the characters in the show are finding that for themselves after this terrible time in human history.”
Scribner said he enjoys portraying Jerry because he can relate to the character’s struggle to find his place in the world and his voice as an artist.
“Jerry has committed his life to his art, something that I have done as well since I was 15 and moved away from home and went to boarding school to train and joining the San Francisco Ballet when I was 17,” he said. “I chose an alternative path because I believed in what I was doing so much and that’s what Jerry does. I really do believe that art has the power to change people’s lives.”
The musical is based on the 1951 Academy Award-winning film of the same name, but Scribner said the stage adaptation further fleshes out the story and the character.
“The show is loosely based on the film but it is a brand-new book,” he said. “It is taking the original storyline and deepening it with time and place and character development. The stakes are a lot higher in our version. The time period is right after the war has ended. So it’s much more raw and close to the period of the war itself. The film was made around 1951 and the time period in it was ambiguous. At the time, people weren’t interested in looking at what exactly happened and the horrific events that took place. The movie, while beautiful, is lighter fare. Our show really looks at the things people had to do to survive: fighting the resistance, harboring secrets and being very wary of their neighbors. I think we took a lot of the joie de vivre and spirit of the film and took it to a place where people can really dive in and be invested in the characters and be on the edge of their seats.”
Broadway Philadelphia presents “An American in Paris” Nov. 22-27 at the Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St. For more information or tickets, call 215-893-1999 or visit www.anamericaninparisbroadway.com.