After a rainy cold winter, we can slowly feel the season blossoming into Spring. There is a little more light to enjoy in the evening, but the nights are still very cold. We start to see some flowers bloom but are careful to avoid the ice on the sidewalks that may slip us up. What does this have to do with Woodland Opera House’s show An American in Paris? Surprisingly, quite a lot.

The show takes place in Paris, France, right after World War 2. Everybody was affected and traumatized by the bitterness of war. People were all trying to figure out their lives after the many tragedies and hardships that they faced. Folks were keeping secrets and treading carefully while they waited to see what would come in the next season. The young were hopeful for a new season of love and ambition.

The show follows three friends Jerry (Marcus Granlund), a musician and composer, Adam (Alexander Quiñonez), an American soldier and aspiring painter, and Henri (Eric Catalan), a rich son of a prominent French family who wishes to be a song and dance man in America. They all fall in love with the beautiful and shy French ballerina Lise (Bryn Skaff), reminiscent of of the movie “Something about Mary.” Audiences will love the famous songs by George and Ira Gershwin like “I Got Rhythm,” “‘S Wonderful,” “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” and “Rhapsody Ballet.”

Ballet and a little jazz dancing is truly the reason you should see this show. The dancing rarely stops and they even use dance to remove the props and set pieces. The whole show flowed with beauty and wonder. I could hardly believe this was a community theatre production as the dances were so incredible and filled with energy! The challenging lifts really showed off the many talented actors and dancers of Yolo county. Choreographer Jacob Gutiérrez-Montoya who also led in Newsies and In the Heights, showed us he can stage any style of dance beautifully. I have never seen such precision in a ballet show before.

The sets were very simple, leaving room for the stage to showcase the dances. There were projection backdrops with exciting special effects that were delightful and whimsical. Lela Rosendale (ensemble) also did a fantastic job with the wigs. They were each so unique and appropriate for the time period that it made it easier to follow the actor’s identities.

The best singer was Kay Hight (Milo), who played a benefactor and was caught up in the tangled love story herself. The very captivating Quiñonez carried the narrative of the show and held our attention easily. This is the third show I have seen him in, and each time he gets more interesting to watch. Catalan, usually the star dancer in many past productions, not only sang and danced well but also had to make his character do it badly and in a comedic style. Granlund, who was following Gene Kelly’s signature style from the 1951 movie, also showed a lot of charisma on stage. And that man can dance!

My favorite non-ballet number was jazz ensemble number “Fidgety Feet.” Granlund effortlessly partnered with Skaff in the ballet scenes to create graceful silhouettes and made it look easy. These were Skaff and Granlund’s first leading roles after years of dance study. At times, Skaff seemed to be hiding behind her long bangs to avoid the spotlight, which just emphasized her character as the shy hidden young girl.

The whole cast did an amazing job with Director Angela Baltezore at the helm and Dean Mora as Music Director. Unfortunately, the orchestra has not returned yet to the opera house, but don’t let that stop you from seeing this amazing show! Tickets are available Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. at WoodlandOperaHouse.org now thru March 5.