PhotosSupporting Characters Meeting Commence! Spend a Two-Show Day at An American in Paris With Jill Paice and FriendsBeloved Broadway soprano Jill Paice is currently lending her skills to the role of Milo Davenport in Broadway's An American in Paris, the new stage incarnation of the classic Gershwin film. She shares some gorgeous photos from a particularly lively two-show day.
By
Matthew Blank
July 09, 2015
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Backstage Besties, Wardrobe Malfunctions and Theatre References Galore! A Day at An American in Paris With the Vibrant Jill Paice
Backstage Besties, Wardrobe Malfunctions and Theatre References Galore! A Day at An American in Paris With the Vibrant Jill Paice
Beloved Broadway soprano Jill Paice is currently lending her skills to the role of Milo Davenport in Broadway's An American in Paris, the new stage incarnation of the classic Gershwin film. She shares some gorgeous photos from a particularly lively two-show day.
72 PHOTOS
Let the two show day begin! But first, a walk with my two favorites. They are called Lolly and Michael. I am engaged to one of them. The other has four legs and is furry. All of us live in Montclair, New Jersey together.
Jill Paice
This is Lolly and Michael getting some exercise. Michael is training for the New York City Marathon in November and Lolly is being very helpful and also a little smudgey.
Jill Paice
Taking a breather.
Jill Paice
Keepaway.
Jill Paice
Lolly always insists on taking along a friend on our walks. This friend is embarrassingly dirty and I promise to be a better mother from now on.
I like my new shirt that Michael bought me and I felt the urge to strike the Matilda pose because it’s just so fun to put your hands on your hips and look upwards in a confident manner. Try it. It’s like the Peter Pan pose, but without the pointing. Weekend Warrior! This should be a new Yoga pose. Who do I tell?
Jill Paice
Commuting to work at Secaucus Junction.
Jill Paice
Attention New Jersey Transit customers. We are being held…single track in and out of New York…should be moving shortly… (NJ Transit likes to make commuters and their stage managers sweat.)
Jill Paice
So, this was June 27, 2015, one day after the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality and suddenly, the United States erupted in festivites and rainbows. This particular pic is from @montclairbread where we get the best doughnuts on earth.
Jill Paice
Exiting Penn Station. Walk towards the light Carol Anne!
Jill Paice
6th Avenue
Jill Paice
The Steinway Store. Having a Once moment.
Jill Paice
Street Fair
Jill Paice
Leave it… Jill, leave it!
Jill Paice
Stage door
Jill Paice
And we’re in! Claire Orr, Paula Schaffer and Ashley Leitzel-Reichenbach giving me some Charlie’s Angels with their Nerf guns. Fun fact! As soon as I finished shooting this pic, they fired on me and I was forced to no longer be friends with these people.
Jill Paice
Ashlee Dupre’s pretty feet
Jill Paice
Spencer Bell making it look like we are all a bunch of drunks in An American in Paris. Ooo! The olives! Those are Milo’s!
Jill Paice
Dave Campbell, looking unusually serious in this shot. Me thinks it’s because Baby #2 is due in about a week
Jill Paice
My station.
Jill Paice
No makeups.
Jill Paice
ALL the makeups.
Jill Paice
Betsy Waddell is subbing as Best Dresser for Midge Denton today who is on holiday in Canada.
Jill Paice
Mikey Cusumano warming up at the barre.
Jill Paice
Sara Esty giving me some love.
Jill Paice
Ashlee Dupre looking peasenty and dancey all at once.
Jill Paice
Heather Lang as her fierce self.
Jill Paice
Jennie Ford, first time on for Rebecca Eichenberger today and killing it!
Jill Paice
Places!
Jill Paice
Ashlee and Attila Joey Csiki after the opening ballet, but with two more hours of Show #1 still to go!
Jill Paice
Does anyone still wear a hat? Yes, yes they do.
Jill Paice
Supporting Characters Meeting commence! Max von Essen: Ulla! Jill Paice: Rose Stopnick Gellman! Brandon Uranowitz: Kate Monster!
Jill Paice
Setting up for our Saturday Intermission Pic!
Jill Paice
Finished product! “Ain’t it grand to know if we wanted to, we could?!!!!” Special thanks to Ashley Leitzel-Reichenbach for always enthusiastically supporting and inspiring our nuttiness!
Jill Paice
Oh boy! Dinner break! Spotted these two shows hanging out together. I like.
Jill Paice
Two of the best gals in showbiz. Mara Davi and Alexandra Socha. I’ve known these girls since we appeared in Death Takes a Holiday together. They are the rockstars in my life and I can’t believe how lucky I am that they are willing to meet me in midtown on a Saturday and share their grits and meatballs with me at Blue Dog Cafe. Love you ladies.
Jill Paice
Nuit nuit! Nap time!
Jill Paice
Well this is a first. I usually manage to sneak the M&Ms; while Max is at fight call, but today I let him catch me. Look how stylish his dressing room is. It looks nicer than my apartment.
Jill Paice
Leanne, Brandon, Garen Scribner, Max and me shooting a selfie. No selfie sticks allowed!
Jill Paice
Let’s do it again. Show #2.
Jill Paice
Adam Rogers stoppin’ by for little chats.
Jill Paice
Shannon Rugani stayin’ hydrated.
Jill Paice
Sam Rogers at the ready.
Jill Paice
Supporting Characters Meeting commence! Max Von Essen: Corny Collins! Jill Paice: Zazu! Brandon Uranowitz: Dr. Madden!
Jill Paice
Taeler Cyrus, post "Beginner’s Luck" and quite surprised to find a camera pointing at her.
Jill Paice
Waiting for the audience to finish up in the toilets so we can get started on Act II. Come on, you guys! Let’s go!
Jill Paice
Now we enter the Blue Period. Sarrah Strimel and Jennie Ford.
Jill Paice
Will Burton
Jill Paice
Becky Riker
Jill Paice
Brandon and Dontee Kiehn, our resident director.
Jill Paice
Oh thank goodness we are out of the Blue Period. This is Nathan Madden and Dustin Layton. That funny look in their eyes is because "Fidgety Feet" is coming and "Fidgety Feet" is surprisingly hard and uptempo!
Jill Paice
Ken McGee and Rick Steiger, our ASM and our PSM, keeping it real and together.
Jill Paice
Zoolander-ing at the stage door with Rich Miranda at the stage door.
Jill Paice
You guys! Look who I found sneaking about the building! It’s our director Christopher Wheeldon!
Jill Paice
Charlie Sutton, don’t look surprised! I see you at this exact same spot everyday!
Jill Paice
Candy Olsen, dancing queen
Jill Paice
Well now this was an exciting second show! The zipper slid right off the top of my dress with such force that Kelly Saxon thinks she might have punched herself in the face! I did one scene with an unzipped dress (YOU try keeping yourself flat to the audience while exiting a scene!) and then Michael Sancineto sewed me in to the dress so I could finish the show. Crisis averted! Side note: we love when this stuff happens. What else would we laugh about if funny little weirdo things didn’t occasionally go wrong? As long as everyone is okay, we all enjoy a good laugh about these things.
Jill Paice
“I gotta go stand in a hole.” This is the hole!
Jill Paice
The Three Musketeers (Brandon, Max and Robbie Fairchild) riding the elevator with Jessica Vargas just before Robbie’s entrance in the final ballet.
Jill Paice
Veanne Cox and Scott Willis as Madame and Monsieur Baurel. Two peas in pod, these kids.
Jill Paice
Larry Kleinstein, awaiting the next big costume change!
Jill Paice
Ariel view of the ballet
Jill Paice
Eh, don’t touch that.
Jill Paice
Victor prepping for the final bit of show.
Jill Paice
Me and Rick Steiger, bringing it home!
Jill Paice
Yes! We made it to SNOB! Saturday Night on Broadway! Will, Attila, Scott, Dustin and Nathan toasting to a job well done!
Jill Paice
Adam and Mikey
Jill Paice
Okay, so this is the mushy part. First of all, thanks for sharing my day with me. If you actually made it through all 70 pictures, you win a special award in patience. Second, I love my job. No matter what show I’m on, I always meet the most wonderful people. It’s the only good part about jobs coming and going. I have always felt that the theater gathers up all the people who aren’t sure where they fit in and gives them a place to be weird and wonderful and uninhibited. We are one lucky group. Lastly, about the company of An American in Paris. These are some of the hardest working folks on Broadway. Many of them have never done eight shows a week, but despite the fatigue and the demanding schedule, they are always here. They always come to work. Sure, there is the occasional stomach flu or small injury that might keep someone away for a day or two, but the commitment to our show is fierce and we are a loyal tribe. We have incredible support from our backstage crew. They iron us, make us look pretty, dress us, and point us in the right direction while our crew keeps us safe and keeps us laughing. Thanks for joining all of us today. They told me to tell you they think you are beautiful.
Jill Paice
“Originality is trying to be like everyone else and failing.” Jean Cocteau
An American in Paris, according to press notes, "transforms the timeless story of love in a city rebuilding from the heartbreak of World War II - into a new Broadway musical of hope, redemption and romance."
The creative team also includes Tony Award winners Bob Crowley (sets and costumes), Natasha Katz (lighting), Jon Weston (sound), 59 Productions (projections) with the musical score adapted, arranged and supervised by Rob Fisher, orchestrations by Christopher Austin, dance arrangements by Sam Davis, musical supervision by Todd Ellison, additional orchestrations by Don Sebesky and Bill Elliott and musical direction by Brad Haak. The associate director is Jacquelin Barrett, and the associate choreographer is Dontee Kiehn. Casting is by Telsey + Company/Rachel Hoffman.
The score of An American in Paris includes the songs “I Got Rhythm,” “Liza,” “’S Wonderful,” “But Not For Me” and “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise,” as well as orchestral music including “Concerto in F,” “Second Prelude,” “Second Rhapsody/Cuban Overture” and “An American In Paris.”
The producers are Stuart Oken, Van Kaplan, Roy Furman, Stephanie McClelland, Darren Bagert, Carole L. Haber, James Nederlander, Five Cent Productions, Michael Leavitt, Apples and Oranges Studios/Dominion Pictures, Roger Berlind/Arch Road, Simone Genatt Haft/Marc Routh, Triptyk Studios/Spencer Ross, Ed Walson/Peter May, Adam Zotovich/Celia Atkin, Eugene Beard/Julie Boardman/Kallish-Weinstein, Stuart Ditsky/Jim Herbert/Sandy Robertson, Suzanne Friedman/Independent Presenters Network/Wonderful Productions, The Leonore S. Gershwin 1987 Trust/Jenkins-Taylor/Proctors, Harriet Newman Leve/Jane Dubin/Sarahbeth Grossman, Caiola Productions/Jennifer Isaacson/Raise the Curtain, by special arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical, Pittsburgh CLO and Théâtre du Châtelet.
A very limited amount of general rush tickets for performances on the same day are available for purchase at the box office. Rush tickets are $32 each, including a facility fee, and are limited to two per person.
