Leanne Cope: Tony-nominated Royal Ballet dancer takes on Broadway

London star heads to Manhattan after landing role in An American In Paris
Broadway: Leanne Cope has a Tony in her sights (image: Jemal Countess/Getty)
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Tom Teodorczuk5 June 2015

A London dancer on leave from the Royal Ballet has taken Broadway by storm.

Leanne Cope went on sabbatical from the company — where she is a first artist — to star in the musical An American In Paris.

She is now up for a Tony Award — Broadway’s equivalent of the Oscars — on Sunday, having been nominated for best actress in a musical for her performance as French shop worker Lise Dassin.

Cope will contest the award against seasoned Broadway stars including Kristin Chenoweth, Kelli O’Hara and Chita Rivera.

The dancer, who lives in Richmond and is married to fellow Royal Ballet star Paul Kay, admitted she was astonished by the impact of her musical theatre debut. She told the Standard: “It’s a real privilege. I never imagined I’d be doing something like this. I’ve always loved musicals and I see a lot of shows in the West End but to be here on Broadway is very special.”

Hillary and Bill Clinton, Madonna, and Andrew Lloyd Webber are among those who have seen An American In Paris since it opened at the Palace Theatre in Times Square in April. After rave reviews, it is the most successful production of the Broadway season, taking in £900,000 a week.

Cope’s role in the show, which has a score by George Gershwin and is directed by English choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, artistic associate of the Royal Ballet, was played in the 1951 movie musical by Leslie Caron, who starred opposite Gene Kelly.

On Monday she won the Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence at the Theatre World Awards, the oldest award given for a debut performance on or off-Broadway.

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Critics have predicted the show, which also stars American dancer Robert Fairchild, will come to the West End. Cope said: “I have my fingers crossed. One day it would be lovely to bring this to London … I think this would do well because there’s such a great dance audience in London.”

Other British nominees at the Tony Awards, which take place in Manhattan, include Helen Mirren, Bill Nighy, Ruth Wilson, Carey Mulligan, Nathaniel Parker and Alex Sharp.

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