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| Ryan Steele |
by Jennifer Haaland
His superpowers are ballet and stamina. Ryan Steele, who alternates between leading man and ensemble, will leap ASU Gammage in a single bound when the national Broadway tour of An American in Paris arrives next week.
His superpowers are ballet and stamina. Ryan Steele, who alternates between leading man and ensemble, will leap ASU Gammage in a single bound when the national Broadway tour of An American in Paris arrives next week.
"Jerry
is an American G.I. who decides to stay in Paris after World War II. He
embraces the passion he feels for art in a country forced to fight for
opportunities to restart," Steele says about the main character he plays in
the famous George & Ira Gershwin musical that nabbed twelve Tony
nominations in 2015.
America knows and loves the
show's music because of the 1951 Gene Kelley blockbuster movie. It includes songs like "I Got
Rhythm" and "S'Wonderful."
"The sadness and
weariness is a storytelling tool for us. The movie came out just after the war
and couldn't/didn't address it. Our production doesn't shy away from the
darkness that was present during the rebirth of Paris," says Steele about
the different lens through which this production is viewed. "During the
prologue, the audience sees people still struggling to be themselves again, to
get past the fear."
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| An American in Paris Touring Company Photo by Matthew Murphy |
Steele was a literal 'shoe
in,' so to speak, for the cast of highly accomplished dancers on account of his
super-powered feet. His strong ballet foundation helped establish his Broadway
career that includes Newsies (Astaire Award nomination), Matilda, West
Side Story and Billy Elliot.
"This is brilliant
modern-day ballet choreography," Steele says, whose perspective includes
dancing both his principal role and his ensemble role.
"Casting required a
strong dance foundation. More than that, we needed a storyteller's ability. The
dance sequences get told in a different language," explains Steele.
"It's ...more human, more relatable movement that has a greater
relationship to the depth of the words and their meaning."
As Jerry, he says, " My biggest challenge is the stamina thing. The role is a beast. Jerry needs to carry scenes as an actor, sing full songs," of course while dancing in his Steele toed shoes.
As Jerry, he says, " My biggest challenge is the stamina thing. The role is a beast. Jerry needs to carry scenes as an actor, sing full songs," of course while dancing in his Steele toed shoes.
It's a beautiful story with show-stopping
numbers. The show's heart, which is close to Steele's own, lies in the big
dance sequence at the end. He says it's a culmination of love and of art and of
passion -- all three roads come together.
Look! It will wing its
way to the heart of ASU Gammage. It's a
bird. It's a World War II fighter plane. It's super American in Paris.
An American in Paris runs at ASU Gammage from April 18th to April 23rd. asugammage.com
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