Inspired by the beloved films, the romantic and adventure-filled new musical Anastasia comes to Broadway.
From the Tony Award-winning creators of the Broadway classic Ragtime, this dazzling show transports us from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family.
Anastasia features a book by celebrated playwright Terrence McNally and a lush, new score by Stephen Flaherty (music) and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics). Tony Award-winning director Darko Tresnjak directs.
Young women and girls in search of a new Broadway role model need look no further than the title character in 'Anastasia,' the sumptuous fairy tale of a musical that should please the kids, satisfy the sentimental and comfort those who thought the old templates for musical comedy were passé. The broad strokes of the familiar - a romantic young couple, a villain in hot pursuit, comic supporting characters, an endearing family member - can still be irresistible when combined with taste, craftsmanship and a willing suspension of disbelief.
Those mid-20th-century musicals that must've sounded like a good idea at the time, but tend to be remembered today only by hard-core aficionados of the genre. They were frothy but earnest shows, set in distant times and foreign lands, with titles like 'Mata Hari' and 'Pleasures and Palaces.' Such shows had a hard time squeezing their epic-size selves into the corsets of book-musical conventions, and they usually died young. I don't foresee a similar fate for 'Anastasia,' which originated at Hartford Stage in Connecticut and is directed by Darko Tresnjak (a Tony winner for his ingenious staging of 'A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder'), with choreography both stately and antic by Peggy Hickey. The cartoon version from 1997 is very fondly remembered by people who saw it as tweens, especially girls. Its Ahrens-Flaherty score included the breakout hit 'Journey to the Past,' which is repurposed here and sung ardently by Ms. Altomare. So 'Anastasia' may well tap into the dewy-eyed demographic that made 'Wicked' such an indestructible favorite of female adolescents. Those without such nostalgic insulation are likely to find this 'Anastasia' a chore.
2016 | Regional (US) |
Hartford Stage World Premiere Production Regional (US) |
2017 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2018 | US Tour |
US Tour US Tour |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Christy Altomare |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | Terrence McNally |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical | Linda Cho |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Mary Beth Peil |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Music | Stephen Flaherty |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Musical | Anastasia |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Doug Besterman |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Projection Design | Aaron Rhyne |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Peter Hylenski |
2017 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Caroline O'Connor |
2017 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Broadway of Off-Broadway Musical | Anastasia |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Christy Altomare |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Terrence McNally |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical) | Linda Cho |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Darko Tresnjak |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | John Bolton |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Caroline O'Connor |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Mary Beth Peil |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical) | Donald Holder |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Musical | Anastasia |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Stephen Flaherty |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Doug Besterman |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Projection Design (Play or Musical) | Aaron Rhyne |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Set Design (Play or Musical) | Alexander Dodge |
2017 | Theatre World Awards | Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance | Christy Altomare |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | Linda Cho |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Mary Beth Peil |
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