From South Side High School to 'An American in Paris'

Max von Essen's climb to Broadway

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In Broadway’s Tony-winning “An American in Paris,” the high energy dance numbers are as poetic and uplifting as they are perfectly magical. Amidst a Gershwin score and brilliant new ballet routines lies Paris’ biggest heart: Rockville Centre’s Max von Essen steals the show as he leads the second act’s thrillingly optimistic tap number, “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise.”
No number is more fitting for the actor, as he has been building his own stairway from South Side Middle School productions of “Bye, Bye Birdie” and “Cabaret” to six Broadway shows, including “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Evita.” Paris he recently told the Herald, “is definitely his own ‘paradise.’”
As Paris’s Henri, von Essen is unique in that he is not in the epic ballet numbers, nor does he play an American. Henri is a Parisian heir and a closeted cabaret singer whose aristocratic parents expect him to marry Lise (Leanne Cope). Von Essen speaks of the road to the role, for which he received Tony and Drama Desk nominations, as one that greatly mirrors his own road to acceptance, both on and off the stage. After singing privately and playing piano for South Side Middle School productions of “Once Upon a Mattress” and “Anything Goes,” he got the bug to give live performance his all.
“You really can’t sing without acting,” von Essen says, remembering his transition to being on stage. “The shows we did in high school were very advanced for us, but we were supported in such a beautiful way. I remember them bringing in a set designer and choreographer from New York. My drama teacher, Larry Waxman, was an actor living in the city, and he was ahead of everyone’s time for that community.”
Von Essen didn’t realize until later how fortunate he was to get such training. “Most people had to look for opportunities outside of the public school system. I was getting some amazing opportunities early on and it made a big difference for me.”

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