arts&life
theater
A new production of An American in Paris embraces its Jewish wartime
backstory — as well as its part-time lead, David Prottas.
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
PHOTO BY ROMINA HERRERA MALATESTA
D
’S Wonderful
avid Prottas feels immersed in the stage version of An
American in Paris in a way that’s unlike any other per-
formance experience he has had.
Professionally, he brings dancing, acting and singing talents
to twice-weekly appearances as the lead character, Jerry, and
devotes the rest of the week to joining with the ensemble.
Personally, he relates to the Jewish elements that make this
production different from the acclaimed 1950s movie filled with
George and Ira Gershwin songs.
“The structure and tone of this show are different from the movie,”
says Prottas, 30, who can be seen Nov. 28-Dec. 10 at the Detroit Opera
House. “The play brings a little more backstory that the movie didn’t
touch. There’s also more weight to every character.”
As the storyline is enhanced by songs such as “’S Wonderful,” “Our Love
Is Here to Stay” and “But Not for Me,” the audience follows the romance of
Lise, a French Holocaust survivor, and Jerry, an aspiring American art-
ist moving on from military service tensions of World War II.
The show, which won four Tony Awards as it ran on Broadway,
has been discussed by Jewish producer Stuart Oken, who told the
London Jewish Chronicle about the reasons for the storyline change
from film to stage:
“When I sat down to watch [the movie], I thought it’s … about
a soldier who had been in the war, but there was nothing about
the war in the movie. We had to find a different approach. The
people had to look like they had just gone through the war,
which meant making them much younger and, in the case of
Lise, we decided that she had been in hiding.”
Taking on the lead role requires considerable onstage
time and so the need for rotating actors.
“I’m the Jerry alternate so neither one of us has to do the
David Prottas
48
November 23 • 2017
jn
show twice in one day,” Prottas explains. “We have two shows
on Saturday and two shows on Sunday. I perform in the
ensemble four nights a week, Tuesday-Friday. In addition,
I cover another principal role, the composer, [also a Jewish
character].
“I was with the New York City Ballet for 10 years so to be able
to have such a meaty role that requires so much of myself as a
dancer, actor and singer has been the challenge of my career.”
In his first tour with a Broadway show, Prottas builds on
a lifetime of interest in dance. Growing up in Boston, he was
homeschooled for regular studies and took dancing classes.
“I started dancing classes when I was 7 after dancing around the
house before then,” recalls Prottas, winner of the Jerome Robbins
Scholarship and the Christopher Ondaatje Ballet Prize. “I studied
briefly at the Walnut Hill School for the Arts, where I was a day
student at this private boarding high school.
“I moved away from home at 14 and spent
three years at Canada’s National Ballet
School in Toronto. When I decided to
move away from home, I knew that
I was taking this seriously
and pursuing it beyond
a recreational activity.”
After finishing the
Canadian program,
Prottas went on to the
School of American Ballet,
which is associated with the
New York City Ballet. The
following year, he was asked