Today in theatre history: Anastasia, the Broadway stage musical adaptation of the 20th Century Fox animated film, officially opened at the Broadhurst Theatre April 24, 2017, following previews that began March 23.
The musical arrived on Broadway following a world premiere at Hartford Stage in May
2016.
Anastasia featured a score by Tony winners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, who
wrote the songs for the 1997 animated feature, including the Academy
Award-nominated 鈥淛ourney to the Past." That film included a number of Broadway stars in the voice cast, including Angela Lansbury, Bernadette Peters, and Liz Callaway as the singing voice of the title character.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Ahrens and Flaherty Dissect Their Score for Broadway's Anastasia
The Broadway production had a book by late Tony winner Terrence McNally, who had previously collaborated with Ahrens and Flaherty on the Tony-nominated musical Ragtime.
Anastasia is a fictionalized take on what could've happen to Anastasia Romanov, the youngest daughter of the last emperor of Russia, if she had survived the Russian Revolution. In the story, Anya is an orphan with amnesia who sets out to discover who she truly is. The musical featured new songs from Ahrens and Flaherty and a new script that excised many of the supernatural elements from the film to focus on a more realistic narrative.
The original Broadway company featured Christy Altomare as Anya, Derek Klena as Dmitry, John Bolton as Vlad, Caroline O鈥機onnor as Lily, Ramin Karimloo as Gleb, and Mary Beth Peil as Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. (Altomare, who had been with the production since creating the role of Anya in the 2016 Hartford Stage world premiere, stayed for the entire Broadway run, as did Bolton.) Karimloo can currently be seen on Broadway in Pirates! The Penzance Musical.
The original cast also included Zach Adkins, Sissy Bell, Lauren Blackman,
Kathryn Boswell, Kyle Brown, Kristen Smith Davis, Janet Dickinson,
Constantine Germanacos, Wes Hart, Ian Knauer, Ken Krugman, Dustin
Layton, Shina Ann Morris, James A. Pierce III, Molly Rushing, Nicole
Scimeca, Jennifer Smith, Johnny Stellard, McKayla Twiggs, and Allison
Walsh.
Tony Award winner Darko Tresnjak (A Gentleman鈥檚 Guide to Love & Murder)
directed the production with choreography by Peggy Hickey, set design
by Alexander Dodge, costume design by Linda Cho, lighting design by Donald
Holder, sound design by Peter Hylenski, projection design by Aaron Rhyne,
hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, music direction by Thomas Murray, orchestrations by Doug Besterman, vocal arrangements by Flaherty, dance arrangements by David Chase, and casting by Telsey + Company's Craig Burns.
Read reviews for Anastasia by clicking here.
The musical was subsequently nominated for two 2017 Tony Awards: Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Role in a Musical (Mary Beth Peil) and Best Costume Design of a Musical (Linda Cho). Altomare received a 2017 Theatre World Award.
The original Broadway cast recording was released by Broadway Records.
Anastasia ended its run
March 31, 2019, following 34 previews and 808 regular performances.
Learn what other theatre milestones happened on April 24 by visiting the 半岛体育 Vault.
Look back at the Broadway's Anastasia in the gallery below.
