Review by Jane Smith, Front Row Reviewers
This review reflects that of the Paris Cast.
Come with Draper Historic Theatre as we take quite the road trip to meet the beautiful star of the amazing musical Anastasia. We start in Russia during the Romanov reign. We meet the young darling Anastasia (Melody Turner) and her family who are out celebrating the Winter’s Ball. Here we see the young child and her Grandmother, the Royal Empress Dowager (Charisse Finch) sharing the most precious moment between a grandmother and her favorite grandchild. From singing their lullaby one last time, to a gift of a music box. This touching and intimate moment is sadly ruined once there is an invasion in the palace, leaving the poor Dowager fleeting as her family are killed, and our young princess- forgotten.
Fast forward ten years and we learn that due to the revolution what was formerly known as St. Petersburg is now known as Leningrad and Gleb (Danny Keetch) who is a young commander in the Bolshevik army, is intent on keeping things the new Bolshevik way. The ensemble sings to us a song about the rumored survival of a princess which stirs up the interest of a young man named Dimitri (Benjamin Ash) and his partner in crime- Vlad (Tyler Oliphant). These two decide to pull off the biggest con of the century and find a girl to play the young lost princess and take her to Paris to meet with the Dowager herself, and then leave with the money. The key is finding her. Enter Anya (Mira Hulm), a young woman whose memories are blurred–she doesn’t remember who she is, where she comes from, or anything about her family. She just knows that someone is waiting for her in Paris. With Dimitri’s and Vlad’s help- she joins them on this journey to rediscover home, love, and family.
Anya/Anastasia, played by the incredibly talented Hulm, who more than excedes my expectations for this character. Her absolute songbird of a voice cuts right through to your soul and you feel the pain, the fear, and the longing she feels for wanting to know who she is. Particularly in the song “In My Dreams”, she excels in such a beautiful way. My heart was in tears for this woman and the horrors she’s gone through. Her renditions of the beloved songs from the 1997 movie “Journey to the Past” and “Once upon a December”, are even more spectacular performed live.
Ash as Dimitri is everything we want in this rascally, loveable character. Besides being the stubborn man who has had to make his own way in life from a young age, we get to see a truly heartwarming side to him. He does a truly incredible job in his performance of “My Petersburg”, giving us extremely strong, clear vocals on those high notes. However, what captivated me the most was his performance of “In a Crowd of Thousands”, his charming duet with Anya. He really draws the audience in with his tenderness to this young woman a in her moments of horror, calming her and showing her his soft side.
Comic relief character Vlad played by Oliphant is truly hilarious. This con man brings some necessary cheer in an often sad story. His duet with the stunning Countess Lily – played by Laura Lewis, is hysterical. Their chemistry is undeniable and their little gestures to each other throughout the show are just brilliant! These two are the quirky couple we all need throughout the show and seeing how they banter and play off each other is truly perfect.
Danny Keetch as the dedicated comrade Gleb is horrifyingly brilliant. Being his military father’s son is something we know weighs heavily on Gleb throughout the whole show and he portrays this ongoing inner turmoil through the whole show. Much as we want to hate him, we couldn’t feel anything but empathy for him. His talent of singing such difficult lyrics such as “The Neva flows, the Czar lies cold” in the number “The Neva Flows” is so hauntingly beautiful.
Special moments that truly make this production a must see was that of the song “Stay, I Pray You” by Konnor Hafen who plays Count Ipolitov . This song stops you in your tracks and for anyone who has ever had to leave their homeland, this hits hard. It showcases the pain of leaving everything you’ve ever known, and the fears, worries, and dreams that lie ahead. Hafen and the rest of the cast wow the entire audience and give everyone whoever had to say leave their homeland a look back at that moment. Well done, and thank you.
The ensemble is used portraying the deep themes and motifs in Anastasia, and bravo for the great casting choices. From those who play other commanders, to the reporters, to the incredible ballet dancers, this is a star studded cast. I was particularly impressed with the way the Romanov family is used in this production. It should be noted that the beginning scene Is dark and scary to witness, but highly effective. The Romanovs seem to float throughout the rest of the show and their ghostly memories that haunt Anya give this production another delightful layer.
Director Mike Romney and his incredible team Melissa Van Dam as Assistant Director, Mindy Eckroth as Producer, and Tanner Tate as Music Director all must be heartily praised–Anastasia is perfection. They met such a heavy, beloved show and exceeded all expectations with this one. Romney, who is also the Choreographer, does an incredible job of not just making the moments crisp and beautiful, but embraced the authenticity of the country, culture, and time period. The dances are impressively helpful at telling the story but their real gift is they are such fun! With such a giant cast, Katrina De Karver truly outdid herself with the costuming. My personal favorite was the yellow dress our now Princess Anastasia wears at the end of the show, it fed the nostalgia I had and it helped bridge the gap between the film and the stage, and I truly loved it. The lighting and projection from Romney alongside the sound engineers of Kayla Rydalch and Patrick O’Boyle is incredibly impressive. They managed to make me feel the gunshot rattle my bones, made me have flashbacks with Anya, and made me feel like I was partying in the streets of Paris. It was so immersive and perfectly executed. Sarah Hinkley and her crew do a brilliant job with the set and though it is small, it is mighty. Along with the projections, it helped keep us moving on this journey with the beloved trio.
So jump on the train and take a journey of a lifetime with Draper Historic Theatre and you’ll find that Anastasia will hold the key to your heart this December.
Draper Historic Theatre presents Anastasia, book by Terrance McNally, Music by Stephen Flaherty, Lyrics by Lynn Aherns.
Draper Historic Theatre, 12366 South 900 East, Draper Utah 84020
December 12–28, 2024, 7:00 PM. Matinees at 2:00 PM on select days.
Contact: 801-572-4144
Tickets: $11–18
Draper Historic Theatre Facebook Page
Photo credit: Ashley Loewer, Sunshine Studios Photography
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