Type – Movie Musical, Adaptation, Mystical
If you liked – Little Women the Musical, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Anastasia: An indelible magical quality and superbly voiced cast eventually wins you over the gaps in this mystifying musical
Have you heard what they’re saying in St Petersburg – I mean Gadigal, Sydney? ANASTASIA the hit Broadway Musical has made its long-awaited premiere armed with an indelible charm and powerhouse vocals that eventually wins you over, despite its holes and indefinable messaging underneath the obvious – family, love and identity.
Before we begin to discuss the mysterious Anastasia, first a history lesson. Ruling for just over 300 years – starting with Ivan the Terrible named as such for reasons that should be obvious – the Tsars were the last empirical rulers of Russia before the Bolshevik Revolution, led by Vladimir Lenin. This was a revolution which usurped and ultimately eradicated the final of the Romanov dynasty. Led under the flag of Marxism, the Bolsheviks would install communism into Russia promising “peace, land, and bread” which would go on to form the USSR…and the plot of George Orwell’s Animal Farm – a classic must read if you haven’t.
What survived the Romanovs was the mysterious whisperings of one survivor, the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna. In reality, her rumoured survival was disproved when remains were found in a mass grave near Yekaterinburg which included those of her father, Czar Nicholas II, mother and sisters. But why stop the truth in getting the way of a good story? The Anastasia mystery would go on to inspire a 1956 film, followed by the 1997 animated musical, and then the Broadway musical in 2017.
So, now you’re up to speed it’s important you also know one more thing: The beloved ANASTASIA movie is not a Disney film! Don’t worry, I can understand why you would have thought it was. It has all the makings to be a Disney-led musical: a lost Princess, a blossoming romance, an epic journey, a rousing choral score by Stephen Flaherty, a villainous wizard hell bent on power (Rasputin, erased in place of a grounded aesthetic), and a comedic relief sidekick, Bartok – I miss my laconically vocalised Russian bat. Justice for Bartok!
Terrence McNally’s book follows this middle ground genre, sitting in the plain of existence between wanting to be a Disney-fied musical for younglings, but visceral enough for the adults. Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens capture the whimsy of the animated film many may have grown up on, cleverly keeping ear worms for enough nostalgia bait. The opening, ‘Have You Heard?’, sets up the plot of the rumours of the young Anastasia who survived the slaughtering of her family at the hands of the revolutionaries. A spine tingling orchestral ‘Once Upon a December’ mesmerises with Peggy Hickey’s royal ballroom choreography, and the power ballad ‘Journey to the Past’ evokes a roaring crowd as we head to intermission. It’d be remiss of me not to mention Sophia Bae‘s Swan Lake play-within-a-play centre stage moment (Chalamet eat your heart out) or Elliot Baker‘s earthshattering baritone among these highlights.
The journey into ANASTASIA itself is a bumpy one. It takes an adjustment to down the sugar-coated, obtusely vocalised dialogue in the opening before we settle into the world of the musical. The age of Anastasia when the revolution against her family occurred too is muddled, which affects the audience buy-in to the premise. Director Darko Tresnjak ensures that we persevere however, aided by Alexander Dodge’s scenic design which mostly consists of static flats and aided by screens to transport us from early Communist-Russia to the glowing streets of 1920’s Paris. Normally, I’m not a fan of just relying on screens to do the heavy lifting in lieu of a decorative set, but here, it works magic as Aaron Rhyne’s video design adds depth, height and clarity – adding a sense of magical realism to the storytelling.
Linda Cho’s costume design too adds to this overarching sense of wonder, from the richly detailed gowns of a Russian gala to the starkly contrasted monotone uniforms of the Bolsheviks, and the refined technicolour of Parisian fashion. Taking a stroll through the costume department of ANASTASIA would be a wonderous addition to our tickets just to see the intricacies in the stitching and patterns woven in here. The work is pure art.
On the streets of Leninburg – previously St Petersburg – Anya (Georgina Hopson, every bit a Princess we need) lives life as a street sweeper, affected with amnesia and unaware of her royal lineage. How she came to survive and how she came to have amnesia is never clear, you just have to go with it. Meanwhile, the charmingly handsome and scheming Dmitry (Robert Tripolino with the widest, most endearing smile on stage) along with the equally charming and equally scheming Vlad (Rodney Dobson), seek to present a fake Anastasia to the Dowager Empress (a sharp-tongued, loveable Nancye Hayes) in Paris for the reward of her safe return. Cue the training montages and cross-country journey.
What feels as though it’s taken from ANASTASIA’s artistry is a sense of stakes. We have no doubt that Anya will reconnect with her Nanna, the Dowager Empress, and so we’re merely just here for the ride which never quite feels as thrilling as it aims to be. The danger presented by Joshua Robson’s Officer Gleb is very much in the background, never quite pervading its sense of urgency as he’s tasked with hunting down Anya and finishing the job of the Bolsheviks. Despite this, Robson’s performance itself is thrilling. His much-applauded version of the Phantom bubbles beneath the surface of Gleb, using his belting vocals as a weapon. The finale’s climax between Anya and Gleb is The Phantom of the Opera on the Harbour reunion I didn’t know I needed.
Elsewhere, the very much in demand Rhonda Burchmore is delightful as always as the Countess Lily. All it takes is the dry one liner and a wry smile before she has the audience where she wants them. Although Lily becomes a bit too caricature towards the end compared to her more refined, yet wildly loose Countess when we first meet her, Burchmore holds her own against the high-flying choreography surrounding her. It must be in Burchmore’s contract that she be raised in a horizontal lift every performance she’s in.
As for Hopson’s Anya/Anastasia, well, what more can be said that others haven’t already? She’s every bit worthy of the Princess title that Anastasia wears. Her vocals are effortless and her survivor battle-weary armour worn on her earnest expressions. Though perhaps Anastasia as a character leans towards being a naive young adult, Hopson imbues hope and perseverance into the very core of her Anya.
Is ANASTASIA Worth Seeing in Sydney?
ANASTASIA doesn’t quite know what to say about the deeper elements at its core. It offers conversations on communist rule, yet demonises them with a bloody coat, meanwhile seeming to glorify empirical rule. Whilst it shows gleaming moments of a deeper subtext, it rests on ensuring family, hope and the enduring power of love are the heart. Mystical orchestral pull you into the magic of the historical fiction of Anastasia, and with such a superbly sung score by its cast, its charm is undeniable.
Tickets and Practical Info for ANASTASIA in Australia 🎟️
Sydney Lyric Theatre
Until July 18th
Tickets: https://anastasiathemusical.com.au/tickets/sydney/
Adelaide Festival Theatre
August 2nd – 23rd
Tickets: https://anastasiathemusical.com.au/tickets/adelaide/
Brisbane Lyric Theatre, QPAC
September 16th – October 4th
Tickets: https://anastasiathemusical.com.au/tickets/brisbane/
CREATIVES
Book Terrence McNally
Music Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics Lynn Ahrens
Director Darko Tresnjak
Choreographer Peggy Hickey
Original Musical Supervisor Tom Murray
Scenic Designer Alexander Dodge
Costume DesignerLinda Cho
Video Designer Aaron Rhyne
Lighting Designer Donald Holder
Sound Designer Peter Hylenski
Wigs and Hair Designer Charles G. LaPointe
Orchestrations Doug Besterman
Vocal Arrangements Stephen Flaherty
Dance Arrangements David Chase
CAST
Georgina Hopson – Anya
Robert Tripolino – Dmitry
Joshua Robson – Gleb
Rodney Dobson – Vlad
Rhonda Burchmore – Countess Lily
Nancye Hayes – Dowager Empress
Sophia Bae – Ensemble | Odette
Elliot Baker – Ensemble | Count Ipolitov | Tsar Nicholas II
Nicholas Cunningham – Ensemble
Davis Giotopoulos Moore – Ensemble | Siegfried
Todd Goddard – Count Leopold | Gorlinsky
Manon Gunderson-Briggs – Swing
Stephanie Kurlow – Ensemble | Dunya
Iosefa Laga’aia – Swing
Keian Langdon – Ensemble | Rothbart
Bella Minniti – Ensemble | Marfa
Nathan Pinnell – Swing | Resident Choreographer
Emma Russell – Swing | Dance Captain
Nathan Stafford – Ensemble
Alexis van Maanen – Ensemble | Tsarina
Patrick Volpe – Ensemble
Annie Wilson – Ensemble
Deone Zanotto – Ensemble | Countess Gregory
Andrea Zappacosta – Ensemble | Paulina | Young Anastasia
Sydney LITTLE ANASTASIAS
Arianna Lorusso
Maya Porragas
Willa Valaris
Willow Wilson
