Anastasia. Book by Terence
McNally. Music by Stephen Flaherty. Lyrics by Lyn Ahrens.
Directed by Darko Tresnjak.
Choreographed by Peggy Hickey. Musical Director David Piper. Set Design
Alexander Dodge. Costume Design Linda Cho. Lighting Design Donald Holder. Sound
Design Peter Hylenski. Video Design Aaron Rhyne. Hair/Wig Designs Charles G.
LaPointe. Orchestrations Doug Besterman. Vocal Arrangements Stephen Flaherty.
Dance Arrangements David Chase. Original Musical Supervisor Tom Murray. John Frost for Crossroads Live and
Opera Australia and Adelaide Festival Centre with Willow Wealth. Adelaide
Festival Centre. Festival Theatre. Until August 31 2026. Bookings: 131246
Reviewed by Peter Wilkins
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| The Australian Cast of Anastasia |
Could the survival of Tsar Nicholas’s youngest child be merely a rumour? History has proclaimed it to be untrue. And yet the legend lives on and the mystery remains in the hearts and minds of many who may still find it difficult to believe that the Bolsheviks assassinated every member of the Romanov family during the 1917 Uprising. Whatever the case, the fairytale magically entranced the audience, transported and captivated by Stephen Flaherty’s enchanting music, intrigued by Lyn Ahren’s lyrics and enticed into the adventure from Soviet Russia to unconventional Paris by Terence McNally’s book. In Darko Tresnjak’s direction it becomes obvious that John Frost’s sumptuous and splendidly staged production of Anastasia presents a fusion of the elements that breathe new life into this century old myth.
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| Eleanor Flynn and nancy Hayes in Anastasia |
McNally’s characters are the stuff of mystery drama. It begins with a conspiracy, concocted by rogues, Dmitry (Robert Tripolino) and Vlad (Rodney Dobson) who discover Anastasia look-alike Anya, a humble Leningrad street sweeper. Their task is to persuade the exiled Dowager Empress (Nancy Hayes) that the reformed Anya (Manon Gunderson-Briggs, excellently stepping into the role originally performed by Georgina Hopson in the production I saw) is indeed her beloved granddaughter. The subterfuge is threatened by the pursuit of the Soviet official Gleb (Joshua Robson), who Javier like must confront his human failing and unrequited love of Anya. One may perceive a Pygmalion reference in Anya’s transformation and echoes of Les Misérables in Gleb’s dereliction of his duty to kill the imposter. In a book that traverses time and countries McNally is careful to distil the essence of each dramatic moment in skilfully crafted vignettes, that advance the adventure with the aid of Peggy Hickey’s choreography, outstanding US video design and lighting design on Alexander Dodge’s grandiose set design. The production elements are awe-inspiring in the true tradition of the great Broadway Musical. From Hickey’s vibrant recreation of the Romanov ball to the delightfully staged moments of Tchaikowsky’s Swan Lake or the gayly abandoned Charleston of the Neva Café in Paris the stage explodes with colour and movement in Linda Cho’s costume designs. Everything about this production of Anastasia is imbued with stylish elegance and professional mastery.
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| Rhonda Burchmore as Countess Lily in Anastasia |
From the very opening scenes of Romanov opulence and privilege and the eruption of revolutionary violence one is swept along by the sheer grandeur of director Tresnjak’s staging of this epic musical. The casting is impeccable. The legendary Nancy Hayes brings a dignified and imperial stature to the authoritative Dowager. Rhonda Burchmore’s Countess demonstrates comedic mischief with Rodney Dobson’s Vlad and Tripolino’s charming naivety appeals in his love for Anya. Gunderson-Briggs takes on the demanding task of assuming the title role and enchants in her musical numbers ( In MY Dreams and Journey to the Past). The success of the musical rests heavily on Gunderson-Briggs’s ability to arouse doubt in the veracity of history’s verdict and belief that the street sweeper could have been the escaped heir to the Romanov fortune. Gunderson-Briggs assumes the task convincingly and charmingly.
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| Robert Tripolino as Dmitry in Anastasia |
Ultimately Anastasia succeeds as a reflection of our dreams and desires, a concocted fairy tale that holds the promise of fulfilled fantasies. It is why John Frost’s production for Crossroads Live and Opera Australia and the Adelaide Festival Centre and Willow Wealth is such a huge success and survives at a time when other musicals are folding throughout Australia. It appears that no expense has been spared in bringing this Broadway Hit Musical to Australian audiences with a superb Australian cast. The tragic tale of the Romanov assassination and the violence of the Revolution may not conjure an impression of an appealing subject for a musical. However, this outstanding production dispels all doubt and the rapturous applause of the audience around me, many of whom were young members of the audience, confirmed that the story of one woman’s dream became interwoven with their own.
Photos by Jeff Busby
