If you want to see a “Spectacle” on the stage, go to Tacoma Musical Playhouse to see Anastasia. This musical is a luscious, almost edible production. There’s plenty of Russian Sturm und Drang in this production!
The play opens with a young woman Anya (Alyce Campello, a rich and moving soprano), now a street sweeper who doesn’t know who she is or where she has come from. She knows that she had a family but can’t remember whom or from where. This street person is born in St. Petersburgh, had a family. The Bolshevik Revolution comes along and Anya-Anastasia is assumed to be shot to death and buried in a pit with the Czar, Czarina, two sisters and a little brother. But is she really that person? This is the crux of the play.
Along come two would be street fraudsters: Dmitry (Carlos Barajas), a street hustler and Vlad (Stan Morrow), a former courtier and now a hustler. They decide to find a close look-alike to con money from Gleb, (Christian Bolduc), a former courtier who is also looking for Anastasia. They find Anya and involve her in the scam.
This very large cast includes so many characters, it’s hard to pick out only a few to mention, so, lets go on to the staging. Lexi Barnett and Jon Douglas Rake share the Co-Director – Co-Chorographer spots, so that’s a little money saved for the rest of the lavish show.
You know it’s going to be good when you enter the theatre. Dennis Kirtz and J. D. Rake designed the lavish set that becomes movable panels and lighting that delineate the myriad settings: from the Czar’s family home to the dreary streets of St. Petersburg to the Dowager-Empress’s Paris apartment. The lighting by Kevin Nash made everyone sparkle and the staging made the production a worthy evening out.
JulesM did the costumes – from the Czar and Czarina’s ball with all its fanciness to the barren streets of St. Petersburg in dull clothing. After all, the peasants couldn’t expect to have jeweled crowns of their own.
The music was delightful. The music and lyrics by Stephen Flaherty must have done the NYC theatre more than enough wonderful. So too at the TMP.
Come see the play for yourself. There were wild applause and gasps and ohs throughout the production that brought a rousing standing ovation at the end. Altogether a wonderful musical and marvelous evening throughout.
“Anastasia” runs through December 15 at Tacoma Musical Theatre. For tickets, go to https://www.tmp.org/ or email boxoffice@tmp.org.
The music is by Stephen Flaherty, but he did not write the lyrics. Lyrics are by Lynn Ahrens.