Anastasia is a musical with music and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, and a book by Terrence McNally. Based on the 1997 film of the same name, the musical tells the story of the legend of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, which claims that she in fact escaped the execution of her family. Anastasia, who appears in the plot as an amnesiac orphan named Anya, hopes to find some trace of her family and sides with con men who wish to take advantage of her likeness to the Grand Duchess.
Anastasia opening on Broadway April 24, 2017 at the Broadhurst Theatre, following its world premiere at Hartford Stage.

New York Times reported that up and coming actors will take the two principal roles on Broadway: Christy Altomare (“Mamma Mia!”) will be Anya, the young girl unsure of her identity, and Derek Klena (“Dogfight”) is Dmitry. John Bolton and Caroline O’Connor, who co-starred in “A Christmas Story: The Musical,” are in the cast as well.(New York Times 2016/06/29)

All Beautiful pictures  from Anastasia Hartford Stage Production by Joan Marcus

Anastasia Now Playing

First Preview Mar 23, 2017

Opening Apr 24, 2017

Broadhurst Theatre Broadway

Anastasia the Musical Instagram Picture and Video Galleries

Reviews

New York Times

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Variety

The Stage

Entertainment Weekly

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TimeOut NY

Hollywood Reporter

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Broadway News

Cast

Christy Altomare – Anya

Christy Altomare is an actress and singer-songwriter who played the role of Wendla in the first national tour of the rock musical Spring Awakening and made her Broadway Debut as Sophie in Mamma Mia!. She originated the role of the title character of the stage musical adaptation of the movie Anastasia at Hartford Stages and is set to reprise the role on Broadway in the Spring of 2017.

Ramin Karimloo – Gleb

Ramin Karimloo is an Iranian-Canadian actor and singer recognized chiefly for his work in London’s West End. He has played leading male roles in both of the West End’s longest running musicals: The Phantom and Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera, and Jean Valjean, Enjolras, and Marius in Les Misérables. He also originated the role of the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies, which continues the story of The Phantom of the Opera. He made his Broadway debut as Valjean in the 2014 revival production of Les Misérables, for which he received a Tony Award nomination.

John Bolton – Vlad Popov

John Bolton is an actor stage and film and Broadway regular. Bolton is best known for originating the role of “The Old Man” (Mr. Parker) in the critically acclaimed Broadway show, A Christmas Story: The Musical, based on the classic 1983 movie A Christmas Story, which itself was based on stories by radio humorist Jean Shepherd. He recently performed in the Broadway revival of “Dames at Sea”.

Derek Klena – Dmitry

Derek Klena is a singer and actor film and stage played Fiyero in Wicked on Broadway, and played Eddie in the off Broadway Production Dogfight. Derek originated the role of  Michael in 2014 Broadway Production of The Bridges of Madison County, along side Kelli O’Hara and Steven Pasquale.

Caroline O’Connor – Countess Lily Malevsky-Malevitch

Caroline Ann O’Connor is an Anglo-Australian singer, dancer and actress O’Connor’s film work includes the featured role of Nini Legs in the Air in Baz Luhrmann’s film Moulin Rouge!, and as Ethel Merman in the Cole Porter biopic De-Lovely.  In 2003, she made her Broadway debut as Velma Kelly in Chicago. Her West End theatre performances include Mabel in Mack and Mabel for which she received an Olivier nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She was a member of the original 1986 revival cast of Me and My Girl at the Adelphi Theatre. Other British theatre credits include A Chorus Line, Hot Stuff, Chicago, Damn Yankees, West Side Story and Showboat.

Creative

Book by Terrence McNally

Music by Stephen Flaherty Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens

Chorepgraphy by Peggy Hickey

Director – Darko Tresnjak

Scenic Design – Alexander Dodge
Costume Design – Linda Cho
Lighting Design – Donald Holder
Sound Design – Peter Hylenski
Video & Projection Design – Aaron Rhyne
Wig & Hair Design – Charles G. LaPointe
Music Director – Thomas Murray
Orchestrator – Doug Besterman
Vocal & Text Coach – Claudia Hill-Sparks
Music Preparation – Joann Kane Music Russell Bartmus & Mark Graham
Fight Choreographer – Jeff Barry
Casting – Telsey + Company – Craig Burns, CSA
Vocal Arranger – Stephen Flaherty
Dance Music Arranger – David Chase
Associate Music Director – Steven Malone
Dramaturg – Elizabeth Williamson
Production Stage Manager – Bonnie Panson
Stage Manager – Trey Johnson
Assistant Stage Manager – Kelly Hardy

Music Numbers based on Hartford Stage Production

Titles of songs, which appeared in the 1997 animated film are in bold.

Production History

A reading was held in 2012, featuring Kelli Barret as Anya (Anastasia), Patrick Page as Vladimir, Angela Lansbury as the Empress Maria and Aaron Tveit as Dimitri. A workshop was held on June 12, 2015 in New York City workshop, and included Elena Shaddow as Anna, Ramin Karimloo as Gleb Vaganov, a new role, and Douglas Sills as Vlad.

The original stage production of Anastasia premiered at Hartford Stage in Hartford, Connecticut on May 13, 2016 (previews), with direction by Darko Tresnjak and choreography by Peggy Hickey, and starring Christy Altomare and Derek Klena as Anya and Dmitry.

Director Tresnjak explained: “We’ve kept, I think, six songs from the movie, but there are 16 new numbers. We’ve kept the best parts of the animated movie, but it really is a new musical.” The musical also adds characters not in the film. Additionally, Act 1 is set in Russia and Act 2 in Paris, “which was everything modern Soviet Russia was not: free, expressive, creative, no barriers,” according to McNally.

Full Cast Apr 2017