If some of you were kids during the '90s then there is a good chance you were watching and falling in love with the animated motion picture "Anastasia." For a refresher on the throwback film, it was an adventure that mixed a little history and magic and a woman's journey to discover her past.
The Romanov's was once the royal family in Russia before a revolution that resulted in the assassination of the entire family. The movie uses on of the oldest myths, that the daughter Anastasia, somehow survived the slaughter. An injury from that fateful night resulted in a loss of memory. As an adult all she goes by is "Anya" and the only thing she knows is that she once made a promise to meet someone in Paris. Two scammers use this information to try and convince the Dowager Empress that Anya is the lost Anastasia.
A fun movie with some of the most memorable music, it is no wonder that Anastasia was made into a musical that will debut on Broadway for the 2016-2017 season. Like most of these shows, there is usually a tour for refining the writing and presentation. I was fortunate enough to get to see one of these performances of the production at Hartford Stage in Hartford, Connecticut before it will hit the Broadway stage. So readers and theater fanatics, you now have a chance to check out what is good and bad about "Anastasia."
When it comes to the set of "Anastasia," there is a constant change that is almost magical. One of the biggest limitations when it comes to theater is an inability to make the characters have a variety of locations without causing too much stain on the quality of realistically of the design. This set covers many of the locations needed in Russia, a train car, and locations in Paris which includes a Ballet with the appearance of box seating for actors. The set was added to with the use of media projection onto the walls and window screens of the set. The biggest complaint in this department would only be that it would look better with a slightly larger stage for spacing. This can easily be fixable and probably will so when transferring to Broadway.
Music and choreography will not disappoint, whether you were a fan of the movie it was based on or new to the whole experience. Pieces from the film like "Once Upon a December," "A Rumor in St. Petersburg," and "Journey to the Past" are a few songs that have been reworked into the musical from the movie. As a child these songs were wonderful in the film that as an adult I worried they would not transfer well in this new medium. I thought my worries were confirmed when the opening number was "Once Upon a December" between the Dowager Empress and a very young Anastasia, not being well performed as I hoped. However when it came to the adult lead performance of the piece by Christy Altomare, it was everything my childhood was and more. The piece musically alone was beautiful, than there was something special that comes with a live performance that made the vocals absolutely moving. Each piece that was brought into the musical was fun and beautifully put together that leaves the childhood fans with a pleasant nostalgia. New pieces, when they progressed the story, were well coordinated and very involved with their ensembles. However, there were some pieces that seemed to have no purpose, or rather, that one song should of replaced the other.
When it comes to the actual performers, it is sad to say that allot of it was lacking. Dialogue seemed awkward for some individuals and the interactions seemed forced at times. An example of this was when major government figure in Russia named Gleb, performed by Manoel Felciano, was addressing rumors around Anya impersonating Anastasia. When he went to flirtatiously look into her eyes and realized they were the "Romanov eyes" the shock was overdone and I almost believed it to be comedic. Felciano redeems himself in the second act with an intense performance in "A Simple Thing (Reprise)". Two performers that did outshine beyond these issues were John Bolton and Caroline O'Connor. Bolton was already becoming my favorite character in act one as Vlad Popov, his performance only improved once O'Connor's Countess Lily joined in act two. There was an immediate comedic chemistry between them, besides the humorously romantic one they shared on stage. Their number "The Countess and the Common Man" is my favorite new piece from this show because of them. Most of the acting issues were minor at best and will be solved with the casting for the Broadway show performance. There is no confirmation who in this show is staying or going, but if everyone is fortunate this pair will continue with the show.
When it comes down to whether the show is a must see or not, may come down to who they decide to cast for the Broadway performance. Overall, the show had both fun and moving musical pieces and though I think the first act needed some fine tuning for pace, the second act makes you feel in a way that makes you glad you came for the show.
