Stage Review - Anastasia (Tacoma Musical Playhouse)

Stage Review - Anastasia
Presented By: Tacoma Musical Playhouse - Tacoma, WA
Show Run: November 22 - December 15, 2024
Date Reviewed: Saturday, November 23, 2024 (Opening Weekend)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman

When one thinks of the princess genre, it’s obviously Disney that is top of mind for most of us. From Snow White to Frozen, and beyond, the Mouse House has a veritable monopoly on stories in which princesses, in some cases those who don’t realize that they are, in fact, the daughters of royalty, overcome a tragic childhood experience to find their happily ever after. But for those who are familiar with the legend of the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, who was overthrown violently in the Bolshevik revolution of 1918, or have had the opportunity to see the 1997 animated musical film from 20th Century Fox that tells a version of her story, or the Broadway musical based on the film, Anastasia, it just hits different, and it’s clear why. First off, it’s a human story, from a time in our history around events that are taught in history books, involving real people, we’re all well aware of the events that transpired in 1918 in Russia. Not only that, there’s a part of the Anastasia legend that resonates because many people believed it to be true, even as late as a few years ago, until DNA evidence proved otherwise. Secondly, there’s no pixie dust, fairy godmothers, or magic in Anastasia’s story, just a girl who is lost and seeking something she knows in her heart but not quite in her mind….yet. Of course, now Disney owns Fox, so the film is technically under their umbrella, but the musical, with a book by Terrence McNally, along with music and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, doesn’t, though it is based on the film. There are two local versions of Anastasia the Musical hitting stages around the Sound this holiday season, the first at Tacoma Musical Playhouse (TMP), in a production directed by Jon Douglas Rake and Lexi Barnett, which opened this past Friday and runs through December 15, and a second on Bainbridge Island from Bainbridge Performing Arts, opening in a few weeks. Anastasia is a family friendly story, perfect for the holiday season, that is about family, hope, transformation, and love. I have a feeling you may want to take in both versions of Anastasia if you have the ability, and though there is a lot of good theatre on stage this season, I can say with certainty that you’ll want to at least visit Tacoma for TMP’s production.

If you’re not familiar with the general story of Anastasia, you should at least be familiar with the overthrowing of Tsar Nicholas II and the Romanov family. As part of the revolution that led to Soviet rule in Russia in 1918, the Tsar and his family are killed en masse. Rumors abound that the Tsar’s youngest daughter, Anastasia survived the attack, and years later, the Tsar’s mother, who had left Russia for Paris before the attack, takes these rumors seriously and seeks out her granddaughter, entertaining prospects from around the world in hopes that a true successor to the Romanov legacy does exist. Meanwhile, in Russia, a pair of conmen, trying to escape the oppression of the new rule in Russia scheme to find an imposter they could put in front of the grandmother in Paris, at the very least to use the plot as a way to get out of Russia, and at best to earn the reward money being offered for the return of the Tsar’s daughter, when they come across Anya, a young woman with amnesia that strongly resembles the lost Anastasia. The three then work together to escape Russia and travel to Paris to meet with Anastasia’s grandmother and present Anya to her. The musical generally follows the plot of the film, though it replaces the magical villain from the movie with Gleb, a Russian soldier, who is both attracted to Anya while at the same time doing his duty, to keep her and her compatriots in Russia. The stage musical also adds about 15 or so new songs to the story, and with a pair as gifted as Ahrens and Flaherty, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Regarding the Tacoma Musical Playhouse production, if I’m being honest, I’ve been hot and cold on some of their productions of late, few have reached the extreme high level, where design, production, and performance excel, like The Music Man from last season, or Singin’ in the Rain from their previous campaign. Anastasia comes pretty close, and while it doesn’t reach that exceedingly high mark, it’s definitely on the very warm side of the scale. The production design, specifically Jon and Dennis Kurtz’s set, relies heavily on projections to provide setting and background as well as two large set pieces, one on each side of the stage. While these pieces are stationary, they do rotate individually to present alternative room decor or office furniture, depending on the location of a particular scene. There are also larger mobile pieces that move on and off stage from the wings, including French doors for palace scenes and a train car, which is very creatively used in the group’s escape from Russia. The rotating pieces provide quick set changes and allow the pace of the show to keep moving. Case in point in Act 2, after the group arrives in Paris and they all meet at a nightclub where Russian ex-pats frequent, the Neva Club, the change from the somber scene where the Dowager Empress (Anastasia’s grandmother) decides to give up hope in ever finding her, to the raucous scene at the club feels almost instantaneous. Well done from a design perspective, and well executed from the cast and crew. The pace also highlights the work of stage manager Angela K. Morgan. Stage Managers are there to make sure that every person is prepared and every prop is in place, but when a piece of the set rotates and actors rely on props being in position on a particular platform, it’s even more imperative that the stage manager be focused throughout the entire show, and it’s clear Angela is prepared and engaged.

And speaking of prepared, I think it’s about time I talk about the cast of this show. Everything about this group and their presentation is spectacular, from their execution of Lexi and Jon’s individual and ensemble choreography to their vocals, from the opening duet “Once Upon a December” all the way through to the Finale. The show runs the gamut emotionally, it’s hopeful, it’s melancholy, it’s heartbreaking, it’s suspenseful, and it’s joyous, and the each of these is constructed and presented wonderfully. The technical pieces of the design contribute to some to this as well, and Kevin Nash’s lighting knows when to be be subtle in more intimate, focused, or tender scenes and when to be bright for more openly happy moments, and Amy Silveria’s sound design is solid as usual in TMP productions. In addition to the Neva Club scene, a culmination of all of these design elements can be found near the beginning of the program when the Romanovs are overthrown. It’s quite a tragic and suspenseful scene and very creatively presented.

There is a lot of movement in the show, the ensemble numbers are fluid and smooth and the duets are intimate, and the individual blocking utilizes all of the stage nicely. Vocally, I think I’m most impressed with the way in which the background volume, despite the size of the cast, is low enough to allow the leads to be featured and heard above them. Music director Leishcen Moore has done a nice job balancing the vocals and harmonies across the group, and the quality of performances from top to bottom show the immense talent here along with Leischen’s masterful direction. The only downside, and in Anastasia it’s not necessarily a huge one, with the music is with the use of prerecorded music rather than a live orchestra. The TMP space is sometimes prohibitive to have a live orchestra, especially when there are complex orchestrations as there are in this show, but what it does provide is the ability for the musicians to work with the actors and develop a performance partnership. There were only a few times, but it was evident on Sunday when the prerecorded music went a bit longer than the actors were able to sustain their notes at the end of a particular song, which is a shame because vocally, each of the leads are quite good and this belies their talent. Beyond the choreography and music direction, the work that costume designer Julles M has done to contribute to the design narration of Anastasia is also sublime. Julles’ costumes in Act 1 speak to the post-revolution atmosphere in Russia, with bland colors and designs that are much less than spectacular, that is, after the initial palace scenes in which Tsar Nicholas and the family Romanov are clad in a wardrobe befitting their position in the Russian court. When Act 2 begins, and the setting moves from Russia to mid-1920s Paris, Julles’ wardrobe moves along with it, to period specific clothing, bedazzled with plenty of sparkle harkening back to the flapper era in which that part of the musical takes place. In fact, watching it all come together, costuming, choreography, set design and changes, ensemble and individual vocals, it’s all there in the “Land of Yesterday” number at the Neva Club in Act 2, the scene that is the energetic high point of the show.

Individually, it feels like ever lead performance is a standout, and it begins with Anya herself, the one who can’t remember who she is, but knows she needs to get to Paris to meet up with someone important. Elise Campello is Anya and what a strong performance this is. She brings many wonderful qualities to this portrayal, especially her command of the character, from her humble beginnings as a comrade street cleaner who has no recollection of her past, to her position as a princess in training under the tutelage of Vlad and Dmitry, and this includes all aspects of the characterization, including diction, mannerisms, and posture. In the song “In My Dreams” and the reprise of “Once Upon a December”, not only does Elise maintain her character, she executes these numbers extremely well vocally. I’m most impressed with her use of the stage and the space, how she not only engages with the other actors on stage, but also with the audience, drawing each person into the story, every aspect making this a complete performance. Alongside Anya for much of this are Vlad and Dmitry, the two conmen, taking advantage of the Dowager Empress’ search for the lost Anastasia to find a ticket out of Russia. Played by Stan Morrow and Carlos Barajas, these two actors are as different as their characters are, and while their goals are the same out the outset of the story, by the end, it seems as though they are each seeking their own happiness. The two work extremely well together, and in “Learn to Do It”, with Elise’s Anya, the three come together and become a team quite nicely. Dmitry is a bit more enthusiastic than Vlad, likely because of Vlad’s former place in the court of the Tsar. And while as a duet they are very good, each has a chance to feature individually as well, Stan as Vlad in humorous and over-dramatized “The Countess and the Common Man” with Dana Johnson Robbins’ Lily (lady in waiting to the Dowager Empress), and Carlos in “My Petersburg” and “In a Crowd of Thousands” with Elise. Carlos especially shows some star power in his performance, he’s got quite a bit of stage presence and really does excel in this role, he’s got the kind of energy and acting chops you’d expect to see on some of the larger Seattle stages. And part of what makes “Land of Yesterday” work so well, aside from the design elements mentioned above is Dana’s performance as Lily in that number. She leads a top notch ensemble number that hits all the marks, and as the key to Dmitry and Vlad getting an audience with the Dowager Empress, Lily plays a key role in the events of Act 2. Carrie Sleeper Bowers as Anastasia’s grandmother is also very good. Carrie’s character is originally hopeful that Anastasia has survived the attack, but in “Close the Door”, she turns resolute, losing all hope after so many years. It’s a portrayal is hopeful, but sad, and Carrie plays her very well, with sweet, quality vocals.

If there is an antagonist in Anastasia, it has to be Gleb, the Russian officer who takes it upon himself to keep Anastasia, and her compatriots in Russia. Christian Bolduc plays Gleb in a mesmerizing performance that shows the inner conflict that his character feels. On one hand, Gleb feels an attraction to Anastasia, and a fondness for her, but on the other hand, he has a duty to perform, to follow in his father’s footsteps, his father who was instrumental in the revolutionary corps. I like how Christian captures this conflict, but what I love about his performance is his vocal delivery, which is introspective, strong, and full. He shows quite a bit of range, as in “The Neva Flows” with Elise’s Anya. Christian truly stands out in this role, it’s strong from top to bottom and it’s just one more of the many excellent performances from this group of lead actors. On the supporting side, Jesse Geray is establishing himself as a nice character actor, here as Count Leopold, Aleks Merilo and Audrey Rose are good as the Tsar and Tsarina Nicholas and Alexandria, Jim Mendoza is Count Ipolitov and Callen Gudger is Alexei. Rounding out the Romonov family are Mallory Whalin and Annika Peterson as Anastasia’s sisters, and Zoe Ossenkop-Reynolds and Marilyn Jean Ross as young Anastasia and Suza Haskins as middle Anastasia, the latter three the audience gets to see in nice transformational scene at the beginning of the show.

Anastasia is a princess story rooted in a little bit of reality and a little bit of folklore, and because of that it resonates with those who are familiar with it in ways that few others do. And while there’s no magic in this story of transformation, hope, and love, there is plenty of magic in the Tacoma Musical Theatre production of Anastasia the Musical. Under the direction of Lexi Barnett and Jon Douglas Rake, this production is chock full of superb individual performances and spectacular ensemble numbers. It’s a show with a story that is enjoyable for the whole family, and it’s a production that is one of the best from this theatre over the past two seasons.

Anastasia runs on stage at Tacoma Musical Playhouse through December 15. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://www.tmp.org/.

Photo Credit: Shanna Paxton Photography