Anastasia is a musical with music and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, and a book by Terrence McNally. Based on the 1997 film of the same name, the musical adapts the legend of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, who could have escaped the execution of her family. Years later, an amnesiac orphan named Anya hopes to find some trace of her family by siding with two con men who wish to take advantage of her likeness to the Grand Duchess.
The musical premiered on Broadway in April 2017. The musical was nominated for the Drama Desk award for Best Musical, among other award nominations.
Background[]
A reading was held in 2012, featuring Kelli Barret as Anya (Anastasia), Aaron Tveit as Dmitry, Patrick Page as Vladimir and Angela Lansbury as the Empress Maria. A workshop was held on June 12, 2015, in New York City workshop, and included Elena Shaddow as Anya, Ramin Karimloo as Gleb Vaganov, a new role, and Douglas Sills as Vlad.
The original stage production of Anastasia premiered at Hartford Stage in Hartford, Connecticut on May 13, 2016 (previews), with direction by Darko Tresnjak and choreography by Peggy Hickey, and starring Christy Altomare and Derek Klena as Anya and Dmitry, respectively.
Director Tresnjak explained: "We’ve kept, I think, six songs from the movie, but there are 16 new numbers. We’ve kept the best parts of the animated movie, but it really is a new musical." The musical also adds characters not in the film. Additionally, Act 1 is set in Russia and Act 2 in Paris, “which was everything modern Soviet Russia was not: free, expressive, creative, no barriers,” according to McNally.
Productions[]
Broadway[]
The musical opened on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre on March 23, 2017, in previews, officially on April 24, 2017, featuring most of the original Hartford principal cast.
The production was met with mixed reviews by critics, citing uneven subplots and an overly long running time as primary issues.
Madrid[]
The first European production will open on October 4, 2018 at the Coliseum Theatre in Madrid, Spain, starring Jana Gómez as Anya, Íñigo Etayo as Dmitry, Carlos Salgado as Gleb, Javier Navares as Vlad, Silvia Luchetti as Countess Lily, and Angels Jiménez as Dowager Empress.
US tour[]
A United States tour will begin on October 9, 2018 at the Proctor's Theatre in Schenectady, New York.
Stuttgart[]
A German production will open in fall 2018 at the Stage Palladium Theater in Stuttgart, Germany. The role of Anya will be played by Judith Caspari.
Synopsis[]
Prologue[]
In 1907 St. Petersburg, Russia, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna comforts her youngest granddaughter 6-year-old Princess Anastasia, who is saddened by the fact that her grandmother is moving to Paris, France. Before leaving, the Dowager Empress gives Anastasia a music box as a parting gift ("Prologue: Once Upon a December"). Ten years later in 1917, 17-year-old Anastasia is attending a ball with her family when the Bolsheviks invade the palace. As the Romanovs attempt to escape, Anastasia attempts to retrieve her music box only to be shot and presumed dead along with the rest of her family ("The Last Dance of the Romanovs").
Act I[]
Another ten years later in 1927, Gleb Vaganov, a general for the Bolsheviks who now controls Russia, announces to the gloomy Russians that the now-poor Saint Petersburg has been renamed Leningrad, and he promises a bright and peaceful future. The Russians protest this change but are uplifted by a rumor that Anastasia may have survived the Bolshevik attacks. Two wanted con men, the handsome young Dmitry and an ex-member of the Imperial Court named Vlad Popov, hear the rumors and brainstorm “the biggest con in history”: they will groom a naive girl to become Anastasia in order to extract money from the Dowager Empress (“A Rumor in St. Petersburg"). Behind Gleb’s back, Dmitry and Vlad hold unsuccessful auditions for the scheme at the theater in the abandoned Yusupov Palace. Just as they are about to give up hope of finding a suitable impostor, a street sweeper named Anya walks in to ask Dmitry about paperwork to get tickets for Paris. Vlad and Dmitry dismiss her, but Anya vaguely remembers that she was at the theater long ago and talks of a time when she saw a play there. Dmitry and Vlad become fascinated as Anya explains that she doesn’t remember who she is due to her amnesia and has very few memories of her past (“In My Dreams”). Amazed by her memory loss and resemblance to Anastasia, they select Anya as their impostor.
At the capital, government workers sort through rumors and reports for any that require further action. Three bitter actresses report Anya, Dmitry, and Vlad's plot to Gleb, but he dismisses them and files a case for Anya (“The Rumors Never End”). Back at the palace, Vlad and Dmitry groom a feisty Anya to become Anastasia through history, dining, and dancing lessons. Months later, Anya is poised to meet the Dowager Empress (“Learn to Do It”) when she is arrested in the streets and turned over to Gleb. Gleb harbors feelings for her, and warns her about the consequences of pretending to be Anastasia. He tries to convince her that Anastasia is really dead. He reveals that his father was the one who shot the Romanovs -- as a boy, across the street in Ipatiev House, he heard the gunshots and their screams. However, Gleb notices that Anya has the "Romanov eyes" and realizes that Anya could be Anastasia. He lets her off with a warning ("The Neva Flows").
Anya reunites with Dmitry and they are teased and attacked by his old con partners, whom they must fight off (“The Neva Flows Reprise”). Dmitry is impressed by her fighting skills; when Anya notes that he has it much easier as a boy, Dmitry dismisses that claim. He explains that his father was a revolutionary against the Bolsheviks and was killed in one of their camps. With his mother dead as well, he had to take care of himself (“My Petersburg”). Dmitry begins to trust her enough to show her a music box that he’s failed to open, unaware it is the memento that was given to Anastasia by the Dowager Empress. Anya easily winds and opens the box and begins to vaguely remember her past, including an imperial ball many years earlier (“Once Upon a December”). In return, Anya gives Dmitry her most prized possession, a diamond that was found sewn to her dress when she was discovered as a girl (“A Secret She Kept”). They reunite with Vlad, and Anya gives them the diamond to obtain tickets to Paris.
At the train station, Count Ipolitov recognizes Anya as Anastasia and kisses her hand. As they board the train to Paris, Count Ipolitov leads everyone in a prayer of farewell to Russia (“Stay, I Pray You”). During the train ride, Anya, Dmitry, and Vlad reflect on what they hope to accomplish in Paris: Anya hoping to discover that she is actually Anastasia, Dmitry’s desire for the money, and Vlad hoping to win back Countess Lily Malevsky-Malevitch ("Sophie" in the 1997 animated film), the Dowager Empress’s lady-in-waiting with whom he had an affair (“We’ll Go From There”). Count Ipolitov is fatally shot by the police for illegally boarding the train. Triggered by the gunfire, Anya experiences an emotional breakdown and Dmitry comforts her. The police officers then go after them since they are wanted criminals in Russia. They all jump off the train, narrowly avoiding capture.
As they travel across Russia by foot, the head general of the Bolsheviks, Gorlinsky, orders Gleb to follow Anya and kill her (“Traveling Sequence”). Gleb agrees to the task, but he realizes that he is in love with Anya and questions his heart ("Still"). Anya, Vlad, and Dmitry finally arrive in France, and as they travel to Paris, Anya summons the courage to continue on with the hope that she will finally discover who she is (“Journey to the Past”).
Act II[]
Anya, Vlad, and Dmitry arrive in Paris and are swept up by the sights and sounds of the city (“Paris Holds the Key (to Your Heart)”). When Vlad and Dmitry go off on their own, Anya visits the Pont Alexandre III bridge, named after her own grandfather -- she feels a strong connection to it and starts to vaguely remember her grandmother's promise (“Crossing a Bridge”).
Now a bitter, elderly woman, the Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna reads the letters of various Anastasia impersonators and, heartbroken, gives up hope of finding Anastasia (“Close the Door”). As Gleb arrives in Paris, Lily parties at the Neva Club, where rich and noble Russians reminisce about the old Russia (“Land of Yesterday”). Lily is reunited with Vlad, with whom she is angry for stealing her jewelry when they were lovers. The two rekindle their scandalous romance and Vlad convinces her to let Anya meet the Dowager Empress at the ballet the next night (“The Countess and the Common Man”). However, Vlad accidentally drops the ballet tickets and Gleb, overhearing their plans, picks up their tickets (“Land of Yesterday” Reprise).
At the hotel, Anya has a nightmare about her family and the execution (“A Nightmare”). Dmitry comforts her and recounts a story of how he bowed to Anastasia at a parade as a young boy. Anya vividly remembers this, and the two realize that Anya is indeed the Grand Duchess Anastasia (“In a Crowd of Thousands”).
At the ballet, Vlad suspects that Anya and Dmitry are falling in love and is heartbroken that the two can never be together (“Meant to Be”). During the performance of “Swan Lake”, Anya sees the Dowager Empress and remembers her. The Dowager Empress also sees Anya and recognizes her, but clings to denial. Dmitry and Gleb (who is conflicted about whether or not to shoot Anya) reflect on their romantic feelings (“Quartet at the Ballet”).
After the ballet, Lily also recognizes Anya as Anastasia and immediately takes her to the Dowager Empress. Dmitry is anxious about the meeting and realizes that he is in love with Anya, but knows he must let her go to her family (“Everything to Win”). Anya leaves the meeting enraged, having learned from the Dowager Empress that Vlad and Dmitry intended to use her in their scheme for money. As she storms off, Dmitry waits for the Dowager Empress. Marie coldly dismisses him, but Dmitry disrespectfully stops her. He begs her to see Anya and when she refuses again, he damns her and Russia. Impressed by Dmitry’s courage to stand up to her, she agrees to see Anya.
At their hotel, Anya stops her packing to speak with Marie. She is shocked by the Dowager Empress’s cruelty, asserting that she isn’t the nana that Anya remembered. The Dowager Empress angrily questions Anya about her past and the Romanov family, but Anya compels her to reflect on the person she has become over last two decades. Anya suddenly remembers the night that the Dowager Empress left her for Paris. When Anya produces the music box and sings the lullaby, the Dowager Empress finally realizes that Anya really is Anastasia and the two embrace, now reunited after twenty years (“Once Upon a December Reprise”).
A press conference is held the next morning, where Vlad and Lily try to fend off the hungry reporters (“The Press Conference”). Before appearing in public, Anya expresses misgivings about her future life as a princess. The Dowager Empress notices her anxiety and insists that no matter what she chooses, they’ll always be together. Anya runs off to think; she realizes that she is in love with Dmitry, and decides that she must go after him (“Everything to Win Reprise”). As she turns to leave, Anya sees that Gleb has slipped in and locked them in the room. She realizes why he is there and Gleb says that he must kill her to complete his father’s mission. Anya now clearly remembers the day her family was killed and, without fear, taunts him to kill her so that she can be with her family. Overcome with emotion and not willing to bear the shame of his father, Gleb is unable to kill Anya (“Still/The Neva Flows Reprise”). Anya comforts Gleb and they call a truce.
Vlad, Lily, and the palace staff search for Anya and the Dowager Empress is joyful, knowing that Anya is now where she belongs. She and Gleb announce to their people that the rumors of Anastasia will now cease; the reward for finding her will be donated to charity. Anya discovers Dmitry at Pont Alexandre III, where they embrace. The couple leaves Paris as the spirits of the Romanovs celebrate the life that Anya and Dmitry will have together (“Finale”).
Musical numbers[]
Titles of songs which appeared in the original 1997 animated film are in bold.
Renamed from the Hartford production (#)
Not featured in the cast recording (+)
Saint Petersburg, 1907, 1917, and 1927
|
Paris, 1927
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Characters and casts[]
| Character | Reading (2012) | Workshop (2015) | Hartford Stage (2016) | Original Broadway Cast (2017) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anya / Princess Anastasia | Kelli Barrett | Elena Shaddow | Christy Altomare | |
| Dmitry | Aaron Tveit | Mark Evans | Derek Klena | |
| Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna | Angela Lansbury | Mary Beth Peil | ||
| Gleb Vaganov | Aaron Lazar | Ramin Karimloo | Manoel Felciano | Ramin Karimloo |
| Vlad Popov | Patrick Page | Douglas Sills | John Bolton | |
| Countess Lily Malevsky-Malevitch | Julie Halston | Joanna Glushak | Caroline O’Connor | |
| Princess Anastasia, age 6 / Prince Alexei Romanov | Jenna Stulsos | Mackenzie Follister | Nicole Scimeca | |
| Tsarina Alexandra | N/A | Lauren Blackman | ||
| Tsar Nicholas II / Count Ipolitov | N/A | Benjamin Eakeley | Constantine Germanacos | |
| Princess Olga Romanov | N/A | N/A | Samantha Sturm | Allison Walsh |
| Princess Tatiana Romanov / Dunya | N/A | N/A | Shina Ann Morris | |
| Princess Maria Romanov / Marfa | N/A | N/A | Alida Michal | Sissy Bell |
| Princess Anastasia, age 16 / Paulina | N/A | N/A | Molly Rushing | |
| Gorlinsky | N/A | N/A | Ken Krugman | |
| Count Leopold | N/A | N/A | Kevin Ligon | Ken Krugman |
| Odette in Swan Lake | N/A | N/A | Alida Michal | Allison Walsh |
| Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake | N/A | N/A | Max Clayton | Kyle Brown |
| Von Rothbart in Swan Lake | N/A | N/A | Johnny Stellard | James A. Pierce III |
| Russian Doorman | N/A | N/A | Kevin Munhall | Wes Hart |
| Hotel Manager | N/A | N/A | James Brown III | N/A |
| Josephine Baker | N/A | N/A | Shina Ann Morris | N/A |
| Ernest Hemingway | N/A | N/A | Kevin Ligon | N/A |
| Django Reinhardt | N/A | N/A | Johnny Stellard | N/A |
| Pablo Picasso | N/A | N/A | Ken Krugman | N/A |
| Isadora Duncan | N/A | N/A | Lauren Blackman | N/A |
| Gertrude Stein | N/A | N/A | Rayanne Gonzales | N/A |
| Coco Chanel | N/A | N/A | Janet Dickinson | N/A |
Notable Broadway cast replacements[]
- Max von Essen replaced Ramin Karimloo as "Gleb" on December 5, 2017
- Vicki Lewis replaced Caroline O'Connor as "Countess Lily Malevsky-Malevitch" on March 27, 2018
- Zach Adkins replaced Derek Klena as "Dmitry" on March 27, 2018.
Critical response[]
The Broadway production was met with mixed to positive reviews. The Hollywood Reporter reviewer, David Rooney, wrote "The seamlessness and storytelling economy of that opening sequence is quite impressive, deftly handling the ambiguity surrounding Anastasia's fate, while her family is murdered by revolutionaries. But the long first act gets bogged down, and while Ahrens and Flaherty certainly know how to craft a narrative-driven song, the music is more often serviceable than inspired. McNally's book dutifully follows the Disney-princess model...The second act picks up considerably with the 1927 move to Paris..."
Ben Brantley, reviewing for The New York Times, wrote: "The show in which she [Christy Altomare] appears trembles nonstop with internal conflicts during its drawn-out two-and-a-half hours. Part of the source of its malaise may be detected in a conspicuous credit below the title in the program that reads, “Inspired by the 20th Century Fox motion pictures"....'Anastasia' may well tap into the dewy-eyed demographic that made 'Wicked' such an indestructible favorite of female adolescents. Those without such nostalgic insulation are likely to find this 'Anastasia' a chore...bloody periods of history, like the Russian Revolution, do not naturally lend themselves to perky song and dance."
Awards and honors[]
2016 Hartford Stage production[]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Connecticut Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Production of a Musical | Won | |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical | Christy Altomare | Won | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | John Bolton | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Caroline O'Connor | Nominated | ||
| Mary Beth Peil | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Director of a Musical | Darko Tresnjak | Won | ||
| Outstanding Choreography | Peggy Hickey | Won | ||
| Outstanding Scenic Design | Alexander Dodge | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Costume Design | Linda Cho | Won | ||
| Outstanding Lighting Design | Donald Holder | Won | ||
| Outstanding Sound Design | Brian Ronan | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Projection Design | Aaron Rhyne | Won | ||
2017 Broadway production[]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Mary Beth Peil | Nominated |
| Best Costume Design in a Musical | Linda Cho | Nominated | ||
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Musical | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Christy Altomare | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Mary Beth Peil | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Book of a Musical | Terrence McNally | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Music | Stephen Flaherty | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical | Linda Cho | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Orchestrations | Doug Besterman | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Projection Design | Aaron Rhyne | Won | ||
| Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Peter Hylenski | Nominated | ||
| Drama League Award | Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical | Nominated | ||
| Distinguished Performance Award | Caroline O'Connor | Nominated | ||
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding New Broadway Musical | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Christy Altomare | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | John Bolton | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Caroline O'Connor | Nominated | ||
| Mary Beth Peil | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Book of a Musical | Terrence McNally | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding New Score | Stephen Flaherty & Lynn Ahrens | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Director of a Musical | Darko Tresnjak | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Set Design | Alexander Dodge | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Costume Design | Linda Cho | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Lighting Design | Donald Holder | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Projection Design | Aaron Rhyne | Won | ||
| Outstanding Orchestrations | Doug Besterman | Nominated | ||
| Theatre World Award | Outstanding Broadway Debut Performance | Christy Altomare | Honoree | |
| Chita Rivera Awards for Dance and Choreography | Outstanding Male Dancer in a Broadway Show | John Bolton | Nominated | |