On & Off Broadway

‘Gigi’ and ‘An American in Paris’

Reviewed by Elyse Trevers

Posted

Visit Paris this season without getting on a plane. Two classic movie musicals have been transformed into Broadway shows. Gigi, taken from a novella by French author Colette, was released as a film in 1958 and is now at the Neil Simon Theatre.

The 1951 movie, An American in Paris, written specifically to showcase the dancing talents of Gene Kelly and the marvelous music of George Gershwin, is playing at The Palace Theatre.

Both Broadway musicals include the original music; however, in Gigi, different characters sing some of the famous songs whereas An American in Paris includes additional music by George and Ira Gershwin.

Gigi stars High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens as the irrepressible young girl being raised by her grandmother and aunt to become a courtesan. Her Aunt Alicia (wonderful Dee Hoty) instructs her that love is fleeting but jewelry isn’t. Talented Victoria Clark plays Mamita, Gigi’s grandmother. Clark, wisely, gets to sing two songs that weren’t sung by the grandmother in the movie, and is worth the price of a ticket. Her version of “Say A Prayer” is poignant and she and Hoty bring new meaning to “Thank Heaven For Little Girls.” Charming Howard McGillin plays Honore, a former lover of Mamita, and performs the duet, “I Remember It Well” with Clark.

Hudgens may attract ticket buyers but she is miscast. Her singing is fine and her dancing passable, but she over-enunciates every word, so listening to her speak is sometimes painful. Newsies star Corey Cott plays Gaston, the bored wealthy young man who falls in love with Gigi. He’s got a good voice but doesn’t possess a leading man stature.

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