This fall, we are celebrating 5 YEARS of bringing musical theatre performances, classes, rencontres, and community outreach here in Paris with AMT Live!
In this time, countless people have been involved with launching and helping the association to thrive over the years. I have so many words of gratitude to offer those who, near and far, have made the past five years possible. Thank you to our founding members and overseas supporters and to every performer who has shared their passion and talents with our dedicated audience. Merci to every director, teacher, musician, administrator, intern, journalist, restaurateur, composer, lyricist, choreographer, and lighting designer who has helped us shine, and that is only a start to the list.
I would also like to take a moment to offer sincere thanks on behalf of our membership to Andrea Offner, who has served as President of the board since 2014. This year, she hands off the Presidential torch, but will remain on our Board of Directors, and will continue to support the organization in a myriad of ways as an advisor and teaching artist. Her compassionate leadership over the past three years, as well as the ardent support of the Offner family, cannot be summed up in mere words. In short, thank you, merci, dankuwel, and danke.
We welcome founding member Darcy Smith as our new President of the Board of Directors, elected at our fall Assemblé Générale, held on October 15. Administrative Director of the association from 2012-2014, Darcy has been on our advisory board the past three years. Having collaborated in the creation of AMT Live, Darcy brings to the position her boundless energy and creative spirit, along with a comprehensive understanding of the structure of the organization. Welcome and thank you for serving, Darcy.
As we move forward this fall, our members will take a moment to reflect on the many projects and people who have been a part of this organization over the past five years. In that time, AMT Live has produced French premieres of the American musicals Edges, The Last Five Years, Songs For A New World, It’s Only Life (concert version), and Next Thing You Know, as well as the original bilingual musical Crossroads/La croisée des chemins. We’ve enjoyed collaborative partnerships with la Ville de Poissy and Théâtre Blanche de la Castille, le Conservatoire du 9ème Arrondissement Nadia et Lili Boulanger, le Conservatoire du 13ème Arrondissement Maurice Ravel, le Mairie de Paris and le Mairie du 13ème Arrondissement, to name a few.
Our shows and Broadway Chez Nous bilingual concert series have put onstage over 120 performers, and our studio has welcomed more than a dozen guest artists from Broadway, the West End, and beyond, including Tony Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, master teacher Andrew Byrne, composer/musical director Carmel Dean, composer/pianist John Bucchino and performers Adam Kantor, Adrianna Hicks, and Kristina Love.
Over 500 artists from more than a dozen countries have passed through our doors for training, and our local members have performed for and in support of numerous organizations including the Epicerie Américain de Paris, The March of Dimes, Action Froid, Rotary International, UNESCO, L’association des amis du manoir de Bonaventure, and the US Embassy in France.
None of this would have been possible without the many, many people who have contributed along the way. AMT has been built with countless volunteer hours, sincere generosity of spirit, and financial contributions from folks on both sides of the atlantic who want to encourage this ongoing exchange.
THANK YOU most sincerely to everyone who has been a part of this adventure over the years! Whether you have performed with us, attended an event, taken a class, written a review, engaged on social media from afar, or simply made it to the end of this note today, you are part of why AMT continues.
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With sincere gratitude,
Miranda Crispin
Artistic Director, AMT Live