I'll just preface this post by stating that I'll likely attempt to see this show on Broadway if I go to New York City during the summer in 2017 (granted it's still open and we don't have another Tuck Everlasting-style failure on our hands). I'll also buy the cast recording once it releases. But...I couldn't help myself. There is a bootleg floating around, and I just couldn't wait because I just rewatched the animated movie a couple days ago. Besides, the show is still likely a work-in-progress, and the Broadway version that I will be able to see in a year could be very different.
It was very good. It was basically everything I hoped a remake of Anastasia targeted at adults would be. The book was well-written. The intertwining of politics and history to the fictional story was clever and far less black-and-white than in the animated movie. Most of the new music is downright beautiful. The choreography and costumes were both fantastic. Christy Altomare feels perfect as Anya.
Some standout moments: the new version of "Rumor in St. Petersburg", "In My Dreams", the entire scene in act 1 with Dimitri and Anya on the bridge, "Stay, I Pray You" (my favorite newly added song, although "new" is somewhat of a stretch. The melody is
very familiar), everything to do with Lily (the musical version of Sophie),
THE BALLET SCENE (it deserves cap lock and bold)
Still, here are four things that I think they may have to examine before the Broadway premiere:
1. There were probably way too many solo Anya songs that slowed the plot to a halt. This makes the show feel somewhat tedious. I'm not saying the songs themselves were bad, actually quite the contrary, but I just felt as though there were far too many times where Anya just stared wistfully at the audience and sang a solo about her past. I get that Once Upon A December is a fabulous song (and honestly, I now realize that it might just be one of my favorite musical numbers in an animated movie ever) but it almost feels like it's an afterthought since it's crowded by so many other attempts at creating similar showstopping Anya numbers. I am willing to bet that at least one of them will be cut before Broadway.
2. Dimitri. I liked the simple attempts to flesh him out, as well as how the story makes connections to his past and Anastasia's, but there's something about the way that his actor portrays him that just bugs me. He doesn't seem to nail the character's cool, deadpan personality, instead going for a more boyish and immature vibe (although, to be fair, most of the time the actor does look like he just walked off the stage at a production of Newsies, so I might just be projecting). I just don't think he works very well, and John Cusack did the role better. Plus, since the musical expands so much in so many other areas, Dimitri does seem far less important in the musical when compared to the animated movie. Anya is put at the forefront of her own story, and I am okay with that, but I'm sure that some of the people who thought that Anya and Dimitri's relationship was the best part of the animated movie will be disappointed that the musical doesn't emphasize the romance.
3. I really like the idea of Gleb as an antagonist, and he truly shined in many of his scenes, but his inclusion occasionally felt contrived for the sake of having a single antagonist rather than just using the entire Communist Party as the antagonist. He does indeed have a really good backstory reason for being "the villain", but he may need a bit more time onstage so that he feels more connected to Anya's story. At this point, it just feels he's composed of bits and pieces of a much larger picture that could be more thoroughly explored. Plus, there was a moment near the end of act two where his appearance completely broke my suspension of disbelief. He just wasn't involved in the story enough to properly set up the show's climax.
4. I hate to say stuff like this, but I truly worry about this show finding an audience. It'll probably be too dull/violent for children who are not heavily into musicals and/or history, and the idea of the original source material being an animated movie that sugar-coats history may cause adult theatre-goers to avoid it unless there's really good word-of-mouth surrounding it.
This review of the musical makes a point that the show needs "more magic" and is far "less fun" than the animated movie, and although I disagree, I can certainly see why people would be bored by it. I don't know how the crew behind the musical could remedy that. The second act seems to intentionally be more "fun" and comedic than the first act to contrast the exciting, capitalist society in France to the drab, communist society in Russia. It's a unique structure for a serious musical, but I'm not sure if audiences will appreciate it. I just
really don't want this show to close quickly.
Overall, however, it's a fantastic production that should be supported when it reaches Broadway. If I were to honestly make a top 6 list of my personal favorite currently-running Broadway musicals as well as Anastasia, my list would probably go something like this:
1. Fun Home (although it is closing a few days, so it will cause everything on the list to move up a rank
)
2. Hamilton
3. The Lion King
4. The Color Purple
5. Anastasia
6. Waitress
New stuff may premiere on Broadway in the next year that could rank higher (I'm personally curious about
Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812, since I've heard great things about that) but...wow. I was honestly was far more impressed by Anastasia than I thought I would be.
