Review: ANASTASIA at Keller Auditorium (National Touring Production)

There are two big reasons to take in the national touring production of ANASTASIA, now running at Keller Auditorium: Kyla Stone (who plays the central character) and the visual spectacle. These aspects are so good that they amply compensate for the weakness of the musical itself.

ANASTASIA was inspired by the 1997 animated movie of the same name. It's a princess fairytale of sorts based on the legend that the Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov, the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, escaped when the rest of her family was killed by Bolsheviks in 1918. Years later, Anya, a street sweeper with amnesia teams up with two con men who hope to get rich by passing her off as the real Anastasia. As she's learning to fake royal roots, she uncovers memories that might not be fake after all. It's a Pygmalion story with a twist.

In the touring production, Anya is played by Kyla Stone, the first African-American to take on the role and also an exceptional musical theatre performer. I hadn't seen ANASTASIA before, but I have a hard time imagining anyone else matching the vocal range and expression she brings to the role. She delivers the kind of thrill-and-chill-inducing performance you go to the theatre for, but only rarely get to experience. I expect that we'll soon see her in all the lead roles on Broadway and winning a bathtub full of Tony awards.

On top of Stone's singular performance, the production is gorgeous. This is thanks to Linda Cho's Tony-winning costume design - all the lavishness you want in a royal period piece - and Aaron Rhyne's Drama Desk-winning projection design - most of the scenes are created digitally. Throughout most of the show, the stage is awash in vibrant color, paying homage to its animated roots.

The combination of Stone's performance, luxurious costumes, and a beautiful set mask the fact that the musical itself is pretty meh. The plot is thin, which book writer Terrence McNally tried to make up for by rehashing the same issues over and over, and, outside of the Oscar-nominated song "Journey to the Past" (which Stone absolutely slays), the music, by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, didn't leave much of an impression. The musical also doesn't seem to know who it's for. The animated film was rated G, and there were a lot of children in the audience. But the stage show is not so clear cut - not only do you need some knowledge of Russian history to get a lot of what's happening, but the added scenes and songs have adult themes. And it seems like they just didn't know what to do with the ending.

Overall, this was a tough one to assess. I'm glad I saw it because amazing performances and spectacle are two big reasons I love big flashy musicals. But I wouldn't rush to see it again - unless Stone was in it, and then I'd be first in line!

ANASTASIA runs through February 13. More details and tickets here: https://portland.broadway.com/shows/anastasia-2022/

Photo credit: Jeremy Daniel

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