Stage Review - Anastasia (Bainbridge Performing Arts)

Stage Review - Anastasia
Presented By: Bainbridge Performing Arts - Bainbridge Island, WA
Show Run: December 06 - December 22, 2024
Date Reviewed: Thursday, December 05, 2024 (Preview)
Run Time: 2 Hours, 20 Minutes (including a 15-minute intermission)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman

A few weeks ago, I posted the review for Anastasia, the Musical, currently on stage at Tacoma Musical Playhouse in Tacoma. In the review, I provided a bit of the background on the story, the musical and the film from which it was adapted, how (contrary to popular belief) it’s not actually a Disney property, though the film was part of the Disney/Fox acquisition, and my theory around why this story resonates in a different way with movie and theatre goers than many of the other more classically known stories in the “Princess Genre”. I also noted that, besides the version reviewed in that piece that folks are likely going to want to consider also attending the version which opened this past Friday on Bainbridge Island, and presented by Bainbridge Performing Arts (BPA). I’ll spare you the details about the background of the show, and the reasons for its popularity here, but I think it’s clear from ticket sales at both venues that Anastasia is a story that people want to see, and see again. In fact, at Thursday’s preview night alone, I heard a number of individuals mention an interest in the musical as a result of their love of the animated film. That’s a synergy that any film studio would be proud of. The BPA production, directed by Troy Wageman, runs on stage through December 22 in the theatre’s Buxton Center for the Performing Arts, and captures the magic and heart of the Anastasia story, though it falls a bit short of being the theatre’s best work.

Before I explain myself, let me set the context of that last statement. The general production of the show is good, and the cast is very good, with some extremely talented actors with memorable performances. But what this is missing is that something extra that I’m used to seeing out of BPA shows, that extra bit of magic that sets this group apart from their counterparts on the peninsula. The best example of this is in the scenic design. Anastasia, to be frank, doesn’t give scenic designers a lot to work with. The Broadway show leans heavily on projections, and the design for regional theaters is prescriptive in this sense. In fact, there’s an industry dedicated to designing projections for Anastasia productions. Given the swift visual location changes that are required in some of the musical numbers, like “My Petersburg” or “Paris Holds the Key”, or the way the visuals are needed for the “Traveling Sequence” number near the end of Act 1, in which a train car is rotated in coordination with the projections to reflect a change in perspective, it makes sense. The latter, when well done, as it was during Thursday’s performance, is a fun scene to watch. But what this reliance in projections does, is it leaves a lot of empty space on the stage. Set pieces are moved on and off for each scene, a desk here, a podium there, but otherwise the vast amount of dead space makes the stage feel a bit unstructured, as if the show is being presented in a black box. This is where I would have expected BPA to put its mark on this set, rather than just by going with the projections and those pieces for each scene, and a few pillars for the palace scenes, there’s an opportunity to provide more depth to the set, an opportunity that I feel is missed here. There are aspects of the design that are well done, of course. Rob Falk’s lighting is excellent, he focuses on the scenes with Russian officer Gleb in red hues, while accentuating other scenes through his design as well, and I like the way he designed the palace attack scene, along with Matt Hadlock’s sound design. Those sorts of scenes, of war, or revolution, need to have both sound and light working in concert and this pair most certainly are. Additionally, during Anya’s dream sequence in Act 2, the echoing of the voices in her head is a nice touch from Matt. But I can only imagine how much bigger this production could be had they provided some depth and layering to Eric Furuheim’s set.

On the other hand, one thing I do appreciate about what BPA does generally, and has done here, is continued its dedication to using live music with its shows. I’ve said for a long time how much I prefer the use of live music where possible to pre-recorded tracks for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the live aspect of it, making the overall production feel more real. There’s also the partnership that a live orchestra enters into with the cast, they work together to build out the musical numbers, rather than a show being little more than, for lack of a better phrase, glorified karaoke. And in Anastasia, music director Aimee Hong has fostered this partnership very well, the timing between the orchestra and the individual and ensemble performers on point throughout.

Historical dramas rely on costuming to be period accurate, as well as reflective of the personalities and social classes of the characters in the story. Anastasia is no exception, though this show might be even more challenging for a costume designer. Consider that the show takes place in Tsarist Russia, Post-Revolution Russia, and 1920s Paris, three locations with three different economic classes and as a result three different wardrobe themes. Justine Pogue is the designer here and her work in Anastasia is impeccable. Her palace wardrobe is big, bold, and well adorned, with flowing and shiny dresses for the women and appointed uniforms for the men. Following the revolution, the color palette and the wardrobe style changes. Colors are drab, brown, olive, and beige are the order of the day, with clothes that aren’t so well fitting and speak to the economics of the times. Finally, in Paris, her wardrobe changes again to match the flapper style of the 1920s, highlighted in “Land of Yesterday” at The Neva Club, though the difference is noticeable right away from the end of Act 1 to the start of Act 2. Finally, her costumes for the Swan Lake ballet scene, “Quartet at the Ballet” are exquisite.

That scene, in which Anya, the would be Grand Duchess Anastasia, and her conmen turned friends Vlad and Dmitry, finally come face to face with the Dowager Empress, Anastasia’s grandmother who was in Paris at the time of the revolt, and her lady in waiting Lily, represents a coming together of the primary characters in the story, but it also represents some of the best choreography from Christina Naficy. The ballet, featuring Josh and Natalie Wingerter, along with Ila Sarah Dreessen, Kristin Sorensen, and Anna Vizzare, and a special feature from Sriram Kanduri, is performed while the others sing “Quartet at the Ballet” with Gleb the Russian soldier, who has been pursuing Anya. The number is beautifully designed and performed with precision. It’s one example of Christina’s wonderful choreography, which includes spectacular ballroom scenes and intimate pairings. The ensemble numbers are big and challenging, but I wonder if they might be too much, at least for the cast as a whole. The actors in the group range from the majority who are confident to the few who are hesitant, inclined to look at their neighbor to check on their steps. I’d rather they be confident and get the steps wrong than check to make sure that they’re doing it right. Granted, I attended the preview performance, so this is something that could surely improve with time, and while it doesn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of the dance numbers, it is noticeable.

From the ensemble to the individual, the cast does have a good number of talented actors and singers, and it starts with Anya, played here by Jessica Ziegelbauer. The first thing that jumps out about Jessica’s performance is her voice. It’s powerful, it’s full, and she doesn’t miss a note. It’s a pleasure to hear Jessica’s voice fill the auditorium, and the emotion she puts into her reprise of “Once Upon a December” and “Journey to the Past” is without a doubt top notch. That can be said for each of the leads, though. This group is filled with extremely talented vocalists, and to watch them sing is to watch them pour their hearts into their performances. Adam Somers as Vlad and Leif Layman as Dmitry are both excellent as well, Leif’s “My Petersburg” is very well sung, as is the duet “In a Crowd of Thousands” with Jessica’s Anya while Adam’s highlight is the overdramatized “The Countess and the Common Man” with his Vlad duetting with Olivia Lee’s Countess Lily. Rounding out the leads is Oliver Callahan as Russian officer Gleb Callahan, and boy, can Oliver sing. His versions of “The Neva Flows” and “Still” are worthy of bringing down any house, and the stage presence he brings in these numbers are second to none. I would have liked to have seen as much emotion out of his character when he wasn’t singing as he put into his vocals, but regardless, his is a top notch performance.. And speaking of top notch, and someone who puts as much emotion into her character whether she’s singing or not, Olivia Lee’s Lily, the Dowager Empress’ Lady in Waiting, is above all the funniest and most extravagant character in the entire production. What Olivia does with this character is exactly what I mean by taking something and putting that extra bit into it and making it their own, her’s is just a phenomenal combination of singing, dancing, comedy, and character management, so well done. Also impressive, though with a little less stage time is Diane Hoeft as the Dowager Empress. She’s the first voice the audience hears in the prologue version of “Once Upon a December”, just a beautiful song, but her highlight is in Act 2, when Diane’s Dowager decides to give up on trying to find her granddaughter, in “Close the Door”. The sadness she exudes in this song is palpable, it’s such an emotive performance, and she knows how to draw the audience in to her plight. And there are others in the group who have the opportunity to shine as well, such as Kyle Laird toward the end of Act 1 with his Count Ipolitov in “Stay, I Pray You”. What a fantastic voice Kyle has and he leads the group into a wonderfully heartfelt ensemble number before the journey to Paris.

As we enter the heart of the holiday season, we look for stories of magic to bring us closer to each other and to the hopes we have for the world around us. But sometimes, it’s a story with real people, where hope, love, and forgiveness are front and center that we look to in order to make our own magic. Anastasia is such a story and while the musical version on stage at Bainbridge Performing Arts may not be precisely up to the exacting standards we’ve come to expect from a BPA production, overall, it is a well produced and performed piece and it most definitely captures the heart of the story and provides the kind of magic we can all use this holiday season.

Anastasia, the Musical runs on stage at Bainbridge Performing Arts through December 22. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org/.

Photo credit: Adam Othman