I’m very pleased to be writing this follow up to my last post here…
I’m on vacation!!!
I cannot believe it, but I am actually on vacation for the forseeable future. The next time I have concrete work plans is in December. I’m sure other stuff will pop up before then, but I have never been more excited to not know what exactly is coming next and have no plans.
After a week in Paris full of errands and activities I didn’t have time to do while my show was running, I am currently on a train down to the south of France to spend some much needed time with my family in the sun. I’m contemplating a coffee, considering I got less than 5 hours of sleep last night (more on that later), but I’m unsure if I want to go all the way to the dining car to pay 2 euros too much for instant coffee…
Les Demoiselles de Rochefort closed a week ago on Sunday, June 14th.
It was a really bittersweet closing night. I was sad to close this chapter in my life, but at the same time it felt like the perfect timing. Any shorter, and I would have felt like I was missing out. Any longer, and I think I would have started to get a little tired of this thing I love. WHICH IS NORMAL, I might add!
I think it’s super important to take breaks from the things and people you love; it allows you miss them and come back to them loving them even more. Yes, this timing was perfect.
I can confidently say that I thoroughly enjoyed the entire run. I’m just so thrilled to be on vacation for the first time in 2 years. This type of rest is going to be so beneficial to me.
My joy for this vacation time will not be misconstrued as ingratitude, however. Both realities can coexist where I can be excited for a break while also being so grateful for the opportunity provided to me. This show was the type of job that I’ve dreamed about since I was little. So many of my dreams came true working on this contract. This wasn’t just another job for me; this altered my career in a major way.
I think I did around 232 shows, having 3 scheduled shows off and 3 where I called out due to losing my voice. That’s a 97% attendance rate (98% if you include the scheduled show off where I got to watch from the audience), which I think is a pretty good run!
If anyone here knows the deep lore, you’ll know I had a really long and frustrating recurring illness while on tour with Chicago. I had to call out sick from about 20 shows, which I really hated doing. I believe in showing up no matter what because I love this job so much. If I call out, it’s cause I’m really incapable of doing my job.
Update: I got the coffee
I was very happy to prove to myself in LDDR that I was able to take care of my body during a long run. I was also lucky that I had a princess track where most of it is pretty easy to sing, even while (as I was for opening night), and it didn’t really wreck my body. The role is a 55 year old man, after all…
I have said since the beginning of the run that I want my next show to be something that’s going to really push me physically. After all, I’m not going to be in my 20s forever! But, this show taught me so many things I had to learn that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. I’m going to be counting my blessings for a while…
I still feel like I need to catch you up more on what I’ve been up to these past few months. Let’s do a month by month recap, shall we? I’ll also share some of my favorite bites/music/sights at the end, as I’ve missed doing that!!
March
I had lots of family time this month! My mom came to visit from the states, and then my stepdad came the week after. I hadn’t seen either of them since July of 2025, so it was so good to show them around my new home and to share the show with them.
My mom and I went to see Laufey, which was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. She’s been my top artist the past few years, so it was incredible getting to see her rolodex of talents live. It was also really special seeing her with my mom, who is also a cellist.
I turned 26 this month! It was honestly one of the worst birthdays I’ve had in recent years, as I woke up to our electricity being cutoff and I had to be on the phone with the electric company for 2 hours before going to do a 2 show day at work. That was my saving grace, as otherwise I was in quite a grumpy mood.
I took my stepdad to a lot of my favorite restaurants in Paris. He loved how walkable the city was, which is so different from suburban America. I feel like I’m slowly convincing the people I love to want to move to Paris so they can be closer to me. I think my plan’s working…
The day after he left, I myself had to take a plane to attend an audition. It was a long day being in a new (undisclosed for now) city, dancing my ass off, and then traveling back that night so I could do my show the next day.
The audition went well, so I ended up rinsing and repeating 2 weeks later for the final callback. By doing this, I forfeited 2 of my 4 days off for this month. By the end, I was totally exhausted. On top of this, I was also starting to learn to speak a new language (which I’m about to hit a 100 day streak on Duolingo for!).
But I am very happy to say that all the travel and hard work paid off; I booked that project!
I can’t share what it is yet, but it is indeed going to be a test of my endurance (as I wished for earlier). This fall I’m going to have to start getting ready for it, so I will share my training plan for it as I prepare for the next adventure…
April
April was kind of a wash honestly. I’m looking back at pictures to try and see what happened, and I don’t really remember much of it. I think I was mostly grinding.
This was a hard month at work. We had a couple injuries in the cast and we were in cut shows1 for practically the entire month. Our dance captain Ciara did a fabulous job handling all of these changes, as I’m pretty sure we had a different version of the show every single day. Some people stepped in to learn roles they didn’t cover at all to save the show.
Needless to say, morale at work was pretty low this month. We were just trying to protect our bodies and safely get through.
I was however able to take a weekend workshop with the Verdon Fosse Legacy who was in Paris. It was so meaningful to me to continue my training and deepen my relationship with this institution. It was some more hard work, but I had such a blast. I was smiling the entire weekend because I was so thrilled to be dancing.
May
At the beginning of the month, my good judy Chris came to visit from NYC. We walked all over and explored the city, and also had some really fun outings! We went to the Parc Asterix, which I would compare the rides to Six Flags, but with Disneyland-level theming/branding. It was SO much fun, even though I definitely threw up after one of the coasters… It’s also so French!
That same day, we went to the Crazy Horse. This was now my second time going, and I have to say it was even better than the first viewing. The dancers are so beautiful. It is so sensual and feminine without being vulgar or male gaze-y. I cannot wait to go back. They also have a reduced artist rate that you can contact them to obtain (with proof of artist status).
At the end of the month, we learned that our weekend of shows would be canceled due to unsafe conditions on the Champs Elysées due to a French soccer game (classic). So what did I do, you may ask? Well, I immediately started planning a weekend getaway, of course! I ended up driving with some friends to Normandie and Bretagne, two beautiful regions in the north of France.
First, we stopped at the Mont Saint Michel on the way. This was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. It’s somehow even more impressive than any of the pictures and videos I’ve seen online. I was awestruck the entire time.
Then we made our way to Saint Malo for 2 days. I kid you not, you step into the streets and it smells like butter. We ate so many crêpes, went to the beach, ate Kouign Amanns2, and took in slow pace of the medieval city. It was incredible to be on a mini vacation with friends and get to know them even better outside of work.
And, I can now say I drove in France! It honestly was not bad at all. I luckily didn’t have to parallel park at all though, which is my personal nightmare situation.
June
If I thought May had gone by quickly, the last 2 weeks of shows at the Lido hurtled by at a breakneck pace3. I didn’t feel nearly as present as I wish I could have been, especially for our closing show. There was so much I felt I had to do that I hadn’t yet accomplished during the run. I feel like it’s a pretty normal sensation, however.
I will say I had so much fun during the last show. It was by no means perfect, but the audience was on fire and I will carry the feeling of ecstasy I experienced on that stage for the rest of my life.
Post closing, I finally have my evenings free to go consume other productions! I went to the Palais Garnier to see l’Opera de Paris perform La Cenerentola (Cinderella). The space is just so ridiculously gorgeous. We were in the “cheap seats” all the way up in the back, but honestly the acoustics and view were fantastic.
Last night, my boyfriend performed a sold out show at the Bal Blomet jazz club in Paris, singing the songs of Michel Legrand. I’m really so proud of him. I’ve watched him meticulously and thoughtfully prepare this program over the past few months. He is so ridiculously talented and I love watching him shine.
I was out late last night celebrating him after the show, but had to wake up so early to make this train. It was so worth it, though, and I’d do it all over again.
Friends in New York: He’s doing the same show at Birdland on August 10, and you do NOT want to miss it. Here is the ticket info!
If you can’t make it, check out his website to catch him in a city near you. He’ll be on a US tour next year. I seriously think he is the real deal and I will never stop singing his praises. Also follow him on instagram @davidmarinomusic.
Yeah, I think I’m ready for a little break from doing and consuming… I've almost arrived in the South, and I’m excited to leave my phone at home, read some books, cook, maybe create some art, and most importantly: go to the beach. I’ll probably update at some point soon. Maybe I’ll do another Q&A next month to answer some of your questions about the past few months!
Music I’ve been listening to:
THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE. (RAYE)
“Madwoman” (Laufey)
“Les Cornichons” (Nino Ferrer)
Runaway Horses (Belinda Carlisle)
Food highlights:
Colette (Incredible restaurant near Saint Malo with breathtaking views)
Étsi (Greek eatery in my neighborhood)
Kouign Amann
Sight recs:
Crazy Horse
Parc Asterix
Mont Saint Michel
For those of you who are new here, hi! I’m Paul Amrani, and last fall I moved to Paris to star as Andy Miller in the Lido Theatre’s production of Les Demoiselles de Rochefort. I was born in France and moved to the US when I was 2 and a half, but it’s always been a dream of mine to come back and live here.
I post diary style (or however I feel that given day) entries detailing my life in the city of light. Subscribe to Paul in Paris to follow along on my journey!
A cut show is when there are not enough cast members to fill all of the onstage tracks or roles. This means one person is filling in for 2 (or sometimes more) people, taking on the most important parts of each track to make sure the show can safely be performed.
Kouign Amann is a traditional Breton pastry, made with butter, caramelised sugar, and layers of flaky pastry. I think it’s the best thing ever created by mankind.
I’ve been rewatching Schitt’s Creek with my boyfriend, so I like to imagine this sentence in Moira Rose’s voice.
Thanks for your update! So happy for you and all your traveling experiences! Enjoy your vacation time with family and we’re waiting to hear more about your next booking!❤️
So happy for you!! It has been a treat to hear about your adventures following your dreams, and I hope you have an amazing, relaxing vacation. I'm excited to hear about what you booked next! Are you learning German? 🤔