Anastasia at Academy Theatre
(Don’t) Pass the Duchess
A Musical Review
It’s every little girl’s dream to be a princess. Few are born royals, others may become royalty after marrying their Prince Charming. But only one was a princess and later became a princess. Again.
Anastasia.
(Okay, okay! I know her official title was grand duchess, but Google says a grand duchess is the wife or widow of a grand duke.And since Anastasia wasn’t married, her father was the czar/king of Russia, that makes her a princess. So my opening paragraph stands, snarkies. Back to the review.)
Well, at least according to the current musical at the Academy Theatre in Meadville.
Anastasia tells the story of one of Czar Nicholas II’s daughters, the titular character, that according to the musical, managed to survive the execution of her entire family by Bolshevik revolutionaries in 1918.
Based on a thread of historical truth and embellished by at least 10 women who claimed to be Anastasia in the ensuing decades after the family’s death, the myth that the grand duchess survived, continued. Fueled heavily by dreamers and several films (the earliest being from 1928), the legend just spread.
With the book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Anastasia at the Academy, is directed by Shawn Clerkin.
We meet Anastasia (Madison Morgan) in newly- established Soviet Russia as a young street sweeper who’s lost her memory. She encounters two con men, Vlad (Chris Pedersen) an ex-aristocrat and Dmitry (Daniel Megaffin), a young man with no ties or family. Their plan? To find a woman resembling Anastasia and educate her enough to fool her relative, the dowager empress (BJ Angstadt). Once fooled, Vlad and Dmitry expect to be handsomely rewarded.
But the Red Menace rears its head, personified by Gleb (Eric Ziegler), a young Soviet official whose marching orders are to stamp out anything of the Russian monarchy, including people. He warns her against her pursuing her act and follows the trio to Paris to a denouement that’s anyone’s guess.
Unless, you buy a ticket.
The two-act musical contains several memorable songs such as the Land of Yesterday featuring Countess Lilly (Shelly Schuster) and a wildly dancing ensemble of exiles and the poignant The Neva Flows with Gleb and Anya. However, the lively and colorful Paris Holds the Key performed by the entire cast at the beginning of act two serves as the musical showstopper.
There’s a troika of talent within the show: from Pedersen’s scrambling-to-survive former aristocrat, Vlad to Megaffin’s alone, aimless wanderer, Dmitry. Yet it’s the ultimate charm and compassion for Morgan’s Anastasia that transports the audience on a ride that hopefully ends with a young woman finding her rightful destiny.
Looking for a night of regal entertainment? Then bow to Anastasia.
See you in the balcony!
XOXO
****Thea Tah
Anastasia continues through February 25. For more information, visit www.TheAcademyTheatre.org
