One of the most beloved MGM movie musicals from the Arthur Freed stable gets new life on the Broadway stage

Some Broadway seasons can slip by leaving the sad impression that the expressive power of dance in the musical-theater lexicon has been forgotten. But this one has already yielded the joyous resurrection of Jerome Robbins’ buoyant moves in “On the Town.” Now comes ballet luminary Christopher Wheeldon, taking an exhilarating leap as director-choreographer with “An American in Paris,” another show indelibly associated with a classic MGM movie musical. Not only is Wheeldon’s nuanced command of storytelling through dance front and center, the production also foregrounds a triple-threat revelation in NYC Ballet principal Robert Fairchild, who proves himself more than capable of following in the suave footsteps of Gene Kelly. If playwright Craig Lucas’ book scenes at times seem over-complicated, and some of the songs feel shoehorned in rather than integral to the plot, that’s a small price to pay. When the music is this glorious, who’s complaining? And perhaps it’s inevitable that when the many and varied dance interludes convey such soaring romance with such grown-up sophistication — not to mention settings so evocative you can practically smell the fresh-baked baguettes — dialogue scenes can sometimes seem an impediment. But an awkward transition or two can’t diminish the pleasures of a show that’s one long sustained swoon. And given that “An American in Paris” began as a jazz- and classical-influenced 1928 symphonic suite by George Gershwin (the popular songs, written with his lyricist brother Ira, were added for the movie), story was never going to be its strongest suit.