Review by Suzanne Tate
Anastasia sweeps the audience up in what the author Terrence McNally describes as the ‘fairytale’ of a possible life of the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov, the youngest daughter of the last Czar of Russia, played by Georgina Hopson. While we now know that Anastasia perished with her family during the Russian Revolution in 1918, Anastasia tells the magical tale of her mysterious survival, subsequent amnesia, struggle to ‘relearn’ her past, dramatic journey to escape Russia for the freedom of Paris and eventual reunion with her grandmother, the Dowager Empress, portrayed by Nancye Hayes. Along the way, she faces hardship, moral dilemma, romance and risk, all the ingredients for an entertaining tale.
Despite being a contemporary musical, first staged in 2017, Anastasia has all the hallmarks of a classic piece of musical theatre in the style of Rodgers & Hammerstein or Lerner & Loewe. From the ingénue‑heroine arc, the textbook ‘I want’ songs in Act 1, both ‘In my Dreams’ and ‘Journey to the Past’, both performed admirably by Hopson, the classic reluctant romantic male lead, Dmitry, played ably by Robert Tripolino, the comedic secondary couple; Vlad Popov (played by Rodney Dobson) and Countess Lily (Rhonda Burchmore), the lush orchestration, and the use of the ensemble choreography to deliver ‘charm songs’, and express the emotional state of the scene all combine to present a nostalgic, familiar theatre experience, even though in my case I was unfamiliar with the score or the story, beyond the historical basics.
While the structure of the show was familiar, it raised the bar through consistently excellent performance from the entire cast, stunning costumes and notably, through its unique hyper-realistic use of projection in lieu of scenery and sets. While we have all seen the rise of projection as a core component of lighting and set effects in recent years, Anastasia uses realistic, photographic images to transport the audience to various times, places and seasons across Europe from Russia in winter in 1901 through to Paris in Spring in 1927, relying on minimal constructed sets. A series of arched windows and walls were variously transformed from Tzar’s palace, to an abandoned Russian theatre, to the Neva club and the Paris Ballet, among other locations, through the addition of sophisticated projected backdrops. At times, it was hard to tell what was set and what was projected imagery – a masterful illusion. The only area in which I felt this usage fell was the transition from the ongoing, realistic use of projection to create accurate internal and external locations, to an ‘artistic’, but distracting, application of multiple scenes of Paris throughout ‘Paris Holds the Key (To Your Heart)’ in Act 2. However, this scene redeemed itself with a very clever transition showing the rise in the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Another noteworthy use of the projection technology was the ghostly dancers from Anya’s memories.
As mentioned, the entire cast was of a very high standard. Anya/Anastasia was warm and believable as played by Hopson and her vocals were stunning. Tripolino demonstrated Dmitry’s transition from opportunist to deserving romantic lead, and Joshua Robson presented Gleb as a stoic, loyal soldier who maintained his heart (and sense of humour) throughout his pursuit of Anya, both presenting strong vocals. Dobson and Burchmore had the opportunity to vary their portrayal of Vlad and Lily, with the seriousness broken unreservedly in the light-hearted, comedic rendition of ‘The Countess and the Common Man’, which contained significant physical comedy, as well as lyrical.
The ensemble was strong, often portraying multiple individual characters throughout the show and setting the mood through ensemble song and dance numbers at various intervals, such as ‘A Rumour in St Petersburg’ and ‘Paris Holds the Key’. The costumes added depth and authenticity to these scenes, and to the entire show, with dramatically different dress codes beautifully fulfilled in each scene, from the opulence of the Romanov ball to the dark, cold streets of the new Leningrad and the fashions of Paris in the 1920s.
Another welcome, familiar ‘old-school’ musical approach was the orchestra visible in the orchestra pit under the stage. The sound was perfectly balanced, providing a rich musical background without ever drowning out the vocalists.
The entire cast and creatives should be very proud of this production of Anastasia – I came in with few expectations as someone unfamiliar with the show and found it to be entrancing. Both familiar and new, it provided a wonderful, uplifting evening’s entertainment, despite the dark origins of the story.
Anastasia the Musical is now playing at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne’s Regent Theatre ahead of a national tour.
For more information: https://anastasiathemusical.com.au/
Photo credit: Jeff Busby
