Former Joffrey dancers make move to musicals with 'American in Paris' tour
Longtime Joffrey Ballet fans might spot some familiar faces among the cast of “An American in Paris,” in its Chicago debut at the Oriental Theatre. That's because two of the show's ensemble members, Caitlin Meighan and Lucas Segovia, made the leap from the city's pre-eminent ballet company to join the national tour of the four-time Tony Award-winning Broadway musical.
“I had such a lovely career at the Joffrey and I felt very fulfilled,” said Meighan, whose decadelong Joffrey career started in 2006. “I felt OK to step away and do something else.”
A native of Weston, Connecticut, Meighan was tempted to leave the Joffrey after seeing a dancer friend, Allison Walsh, perform in “An American in Paris” on Broadway in 2015. This screen-to-stage adaptation of the 1951 Oscar-winning film originated in 2014 in Paris with a new, more-serious script by playwright Craig Lucas.
“(Walsh) was amazing, and the show was so beautiful,” said Meighan, highlighting the assembled score of beloved Gershwin song standards and orchestral pieces. “That's what I want to do and I felt it was time to explore that.”
Lucas Segovia's interest in doing more musicals was sparked by Drury Lane Theatre's 2015 production of “West Side Story” in Oakbrook Terrace. The Buenos Aires native, a Joffrey dancer from 2010 to 2016, starred as Bernardo.
“Musical theater was something that I was very interested in because it's such a completely different world from the strict ballet world,” Segovia said. “I was ready to explore other aspects of my artistic self and start realizing what it would be to dance and sing and act at the same time.”
Not that Segovia and Meighan have completely turned their backs on ballet. While tap and modern dance numbers are part of “An American in Paris,” ballet is at the core of the post-World War II love story of American G.I. Jerry Mulligan (McGee Maddox) and aspiring French dancer Lise Dassin (Sara Esty). In fact, one of the world's most acclaimed modern ballet choreographers, Christopher Wheeldon, created the musical's Tony Award-winning dances.
Meighan and Segovia had both danced in Wheeldon pieces for the Joffrey. Segovia also danced with Wheeldon's short-lived ballet company Morphoses. Yet there were many changes involved in performing in musicals - right down to the basics of breathing.
“I have always sung from my chest, but most singers sing from the stomach,” Meighan said. “In ballet, it's taboo to let your stomach hang out because you always have to keep a tight core. So to train myself into using my stomach muscles was a very different sensation.”
Both Meighan and Segovia have toured before with ballet companies, but the musical's busy cross-country schedule of performing the same show eight times a week has taken a lot of adjustment. So has the task of keeping physically fit.
“It's a test of both stamina and strength,” Segovia said. “We have a physical therapist who travels with us the entire time and they're always looking for ballet studios city to city for us to take classes.”
Both Segovia and Meighan are excited to reunite with their Chicago dance friends and family, as are other understudies in the show with Windy City connections such as Sayiga Eugene Peabody, formerly of Giordano Dance Chicago, and Tom Mattingly of Visceral Dance Chicago.
Meighan is encouraging people she knows to see the matinee performance on Saturday, Aug. 5. Rather than playing her normal ensemble role of a returning soldier's wife, Meighan, as an understudy, is likely to be in the leading lady role of Lise.
“There may or may not be a few of my friends and family coming to that show,” laughed Meighan. “More may be.”
“An American in Paris”
Location: Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago, (800) 775-2000 or
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday (also July 30), 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday (also Wednesday, Aug. 2 and 9); from July 25 through Aug. 13
Tickets: $24-$87; $127 premium seating