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.
It wasn’t enough that the Russian political framework was as massive as its male soldiers, but the cast’s outstanding vocals and immaculately- crafted choreography was more than I could have hoped for. Poor little Anastasia (Victoria Bingham/Taylor Quick), who was the apple of her grandmother’s eye, was in for a whirlwind of lifetime drama when she became an unwilling token in the country’s reconstruction. This reoccurring classic has transformed itself via the lives of high-end hierarchy who believed prayer was the most strategic alliance they had going for themselves while low-end thieves believed their brilliant scheme of perpetrating a princess, would take them to higher levels, making them rich and famous.
As the story unfolds, little Anastasia’s every breath is baited by her beloved grandmother, Dowager Empress (Joy Franz) whose main goal in life was to escape from the Romanov family culture and live in Paris. It was her greatest desire that when she left the woeful confines of her regal Romanov status, that her granddaughter would one day join her and their lives would be complete. While in St. Petersburg, Anastasia’s daily life was filled with dancing and sharing her grandmother’s dreams of faraway places. When the Dowager Empress finally left for good, she left her granddaughter with a small music box, which was representative of their shared dreams and hopes for a future together one day in France. The scheme of turning tragedy into triumph after the Romanov family is all but wiped out by the enemy turns into a battle of wits and courage as little Anastasia is caught between the crosshairs and ends up losing her identity as well as the one chance to be reunited with her beloved grandmother in Paris. In a twist of fate, as she travels outside of St. Petersburg while looking for honest work, the unidentified Anastasia partners with criminals who have come up with a scheme for her to pose as an imposter for the missing princess, whom she didn’t realize she was, and she instantly becomes Anya (Lila Coogan) while studying every movement of her predecessor and eventually convincing her suitors that they couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for their crime.
Director Darko Tresnjak has done an excellent job re-weaving a tale of love and deception, from Terrence McNally’s book, that proved both sad, humorous, and adventurous for the Romanov family as well as the steadfast Russians. Dmitry (Stephen Brower), Gleb (Jason Michael Evans), and Vlad (Edward Staudenmayer) are hilarious in their hell-bent roles of securing Anya’s heart in a way most useful for each of their hidden desires. From the beautifully crafted costumes to the extremely talented actors, the entire musical is a treat well worth the price of admission. As an added bonus to Dallas audiences, El Centro college students in the Special Topics In Fashion Design And Illustration class have onsite a beautiful display of costumes which were created to compliment the Romanov Dynasty and showcase their talents as artists.
Now performing at the Music Hall at Fair Park thru March 3rd
