Baby Name Trend Starter: The name Amélie skyrocketed in popularity following the film's international release.
Disabled Character, Disabled Actor: Lucien has one arm. Jamel Debbouze, who plays him, has a withered right arm (the result of being struck by a train in 1990), he consistently keeps his right hand hidden in his pocket both in Real Life and in all of his roles. It's conceivable that, while the character of Lucien being "slow" was always the main excuse given by the grocer for being such a giant Jerkass to him, the missing arm was more of a way to explain Jamel's recognizable posture in-universe that they decided to throw in.
Dyeing for Your Art: Audrey Tautou had long hair when she was cast - and had it cut into Amelie's distinctive bob.
From Entertainment to Education: The film is widely used in French classes to help learn the language as well as provide some entertainment.
Money, Dear Boy: Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet distances himself from the musical and only sold the rights to raise money for the children's charity, Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque.
Unbuilt Casting Type: Although Audrey Tautou plays a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, she is the protagonist. Her quirks are shown to stem from traumas in her childhood. And although she fixes other people's lives, she is too afraid to fix her own. She and her love interest don't even share the screen until their Last Minute Hook Up.
What Could Have Been: Amélie was originally intended to be played by Emily Watson, but because Emily had trouble speaking French and did not want to be away from home, the role went to Audrey Tautou. The character of Amelie, is, however, named after her.
Why Fandom Can't Have Nice Things: The garden gnome was given to the Café Des Deux Moulins as a gift after the film wrapped. But when it was stolen, the café's staff changed the chairs inside to avoid them being stolen too.
The Musical
Acting for Two: Several roles are double cast: Amandine/Philomene, Raphael/Bretodeau, Dufayel/Collignon, Hipolito/Elton John, Joseph/Fluffy. Other characters play minor roles for no more than one scene, such as Georgette and Gina.
Actor-Inspired Element: The West End production features a flying lamp that hoists Amélie aloft to take her to her flat on a second level of the set. This was implemented due to the development team taking advantage of Audrey Brisson's extensive background in Cirque du Soleil, having performed with them from a young age.
The production also features a line from Collignon making fun of Amélie's height, due to Brisson standing at a tiny but mighty 4'10".
Cast the Expert: The West End production is notably an actor-musician show, where the cast also doubles as the orchestra. Everyone plays at least one instrument, with several playing more. Special mentions to Samuel Morgan Grahame (Joseph/Fluffy) who played guitar, trombone, and percussion and Chris Jared (Nino) who played guitar, bass, percussion, and piano.
Cut Song: Prior to Broadway, "Everyone's Connected" was the show's opening number that introduced all of the characters while establishing the theme that everyone is connected in ways they might not know or understand. The final production cuts this in favor of "Times Are Hard For Dreamers: Prologue", which simply establishes young Amélie's active imagination. The song was later reinstated for the 2019 UK production and renamed to "The Flight of the Blue Fly".
"The Sound of Going Round in Circles" depicted the monotonous lives of the cafe denizens and displayed Amélie's proclivity for observation but was cut before the transfer to Broadway. The song was later reinstated for the UK production.
Daniel Messé had already written "Half Asleep" years before the musical adaptation even existed, imagining Amélie and Nino singing it through opposite sides of her apartment door. For unknown reasons, the Broadway production chose not to use it, but the song is implemented in the UK production and others going onward. It is now used as the Act II opener, where the two declare their love for one another while on a train, not realizing the other is just feet away.
Dawson Casting: Amélie is supposed to be 22 during the events of most of the play. When she played the role on Broadway, Phillipa Soo was in her late 20s. Nino is more of a Vague Age, but it's reasonable to assume he's around the same age as Amélie; Adam Chanler-Berat was in his late 20s/early 30s when he played the role on Broadway.
The same occurred for the West End production, with Audrey Brisson and Chris Jared in their mid-late 30s.
Dyeing for Your Art: Like her film counterpart, Audrey Brisson had long hair prior to the role and had it cut to Amélie's distinctive bob for the UK production. Averted with the Broadway production, wherein Phillipa Soo opted for a wig instead.
Demoted to Extra: A real-life example. Chris Jared originated the role of Nino in the UK at the Watermill Theater, but when the show embarked on its tour, Danny Mac replaced him, with Jared becoming an understudy and ensemble member. He would later return to the role after Mac's departure to star in the stage adaptation of Pretty Woman and would play Nino for the off-West End and West End productions.
Fake Nationality: A given, since as of 2022 there have been no major productions in France; the show takes place in Paris but has seen American, English, Welsh, Irish, and Scottish actors playing the characters. Somewhat averted with the French-Canadian Audrey Brisson, who played Amélie in the West End.
The Other Marty: Danny Mac briefly played Nino for most of the UK tour. When its London transfer to The Other Palace was announced, the tour trailer featuring Mac was used despite the fact that Chris Jared (see Demoted to Extra) was set to return to the role.
The same trailer was used for the 2021 West End transfer as well, but all portions that contained Mac's face and voice were removed. However, there are still a few shots where he can be seen, including one where Jared appears in the background as an ensemble member.
Troubled Production: The Broadway production received mixed reviews once the show landed in New York; they often praised Phillipa Soo, the cast, and the design elements, but were critical of the score. Reviewers were also quick to note that the adaptation of an iconic French movie seemed completely devoid of "French-ness" and overall found it pleasant, but unmemorable. Due to a highly competitive Tony's season (competing with shows such as Dear Evan Hansen, Come from Away, and Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812) and a lack of nominations, the show closed just after 2 and a half months.
Viral Marketing: To promote the show's Broadway run, cast members took to the streets of New York City, handing out flowers to passersby to emulate Amélie's random acts of kindness.
