The story of the Grand Duchess Anastasia, the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, has captivated the imagination for more than a century.
Although the tsar, his wife, and their five children were killed by Bolsheviks in 1918, from horror sprung hope when rumors surfaced that young Anastasia had escaped death. Although DNA disproved any possibility that the girl survived the brutal execution of her family, the story of Anastasia’s fate has been the subject of plays, books, and movies, most notably a 1956 film starring Ingrid Bergman as Anastasia, which inspired the 1997 animated film, “Anastasia,” the main source material for the stage musical.
Mikayla Cohen as Anastasia in Slow Burn Theatre's "Anastasia." (Photo by Larry Marano)
“Anastasia” debuted on Broadway in 2017. That musical, with a book by Terrance McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty, and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, is now on stage at the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, in a hauntingly beautiful production by Slow Burn Theatre Company through Sunday, Jan. 5
Slow Burn, known for impeccable, Broadway-quality musicals, delivers another sumptuous production, filled with amazing performances and top-notch design elements.
In the musical, which borrows a bit from “My Fair Lady,” Dmitry (Jarod Bakum) teams up with Vlad (Aaron de Jesus) to find a young woman they can pass off as the Grand Duchess Anastasia and collect a reward from Anastasia’s grandmother, the Dowager Empress (Laura Turnbull) who moved to France before the revolution.
After interviewing a few women, they meet Anya (Mikayla Cohen) who is desperate to escape Russia and get to Paris. Anya has amnesia and can’t remember anything of her life – not even her real name – before waking up in a hospital where she was given the name Anya.
Dmitry and Vlad see potential in Anya, especially in her amnesia, and they begin to groom her into being able to pass herself off as Anastasia. But the lessons stir memories in Anya, glimpses into a past she cannot truly recall, that lead her and her cohorts into believing that she might truly be the Grand Duchess Anastasia.
Sean William Davis in "Anatasia." (Photo by Larry Marano)
Along the way, Anya and Dmitry develop feelings for each other that pose quite a quandary for Dmitry, because if the plan works and Anya is accepted by the Dowager Empress as Anastasia, she will take her rightful place among the aristocracy and, as a commoner, he will lose her forever.
Cohen delivers an enchanting performance as Anya. She is a marvelous actress, gifted with a glorious voice. Her Anya is a plucky yet vulnerable heroine, and has the audience rooting for her from the start. Don’t be surprised if her performance of the first act closer, “Journey to the Past,” conjures a few tears. Bakum is wonderful and believable as Dmitry, a young man who goes from schemer to the pillar of morality over the course of the show. Bakum and Cohen have great chemistry, especially on their duets, “My Petersburg” and “In a Crowd of Thousands.”
As Vlad, de Jesus provides some great comic relief, especially in his scenes with Gail Bennett, who steals the show as Countess Lily, the Dowager Empress’s personal assistant and Vlad’s old flame. Lily’s first appearance on stage is as a polished professional, carrying out her duties for the Dowager Empress.
But at the Neva Club, the Parisian hot spot for ex-pat Russians, Lily is an alluring flapper, a sultry seductress who loves to kick up her heels, as she does on “Land of Yesterday.” When she and Vlad reunite, their comically passionate love affair resumes in one of the best numbers in the show, “The Countess and the Common Man.”
Jarod Barkum in "Anatasia" at Slow Burn Theatre. (Photo by Larry Marano)
Turnbull portrays the Dowager Empress as a woman embittered by the brutal loss of everyone she loved, finally hardened by years of deception and her loss of hope at ever finding her beloved Anastasia. Turnbull’s grand, no-nonsense presence make her scenes some of the show’s most dramatic and satisfying. Sean William Davis plays Gleb, a Russian officer with feelings for Anya, who has been tasked by his superiors to track down this young woman claiming to be Anastasia and eliminate her. Davis possesses a rich voice and a charm that gives the plot an edge, turning a role that, in lesser hands, could have been a one-note robotic killer into a poignant, multi-dimensional man.
The tension in the story and the urgency of each character all come to a head in “Quartet at the Ballet,” in which the strong performances of four of the principal actors are showcased. During a performance of “Swan Lake,” Anya, Dmitry, the Dowager Empress, and Gleb all sing their inner monologues together, their voices blending and contrasting to a grand crescendo, in a simply breathtaking scene.
Gail Bennett and Laura Turnbull in Slow Burn Theatre's "Anastasia." (Photo by Larry Marano)
The design elements are gorgeous. Rick Pena’s stunning costumes are a feast for the eyes, especially Anya’s regal red ballgown, and Pena’s white and cream-colored palate that give certain scenes a sense of ethereal wonder. The wig design by Patrick Fitzwater, who also directed “Anastasia,” works in congress with Pena’s costumes to fully flesh out each character. Cat Pagano’s exquisite choreography includes ballroom, Russian folk dance, ballet, and jazz, imbuing various numbers with energy and poignancy.
Lee Soroko’s fight choreography is exciting, especially in a scene in which Anya and Dmitri fend off some unsavory bullies. Eric Norbury’s lighting design and Dan Donato’s sound design work together to enhance the tension, horror, and beauty of the plot and the characters’ journeys. The scenic design, by Nikolas Serrano, makes great use of the space, and utilizes some key elements to work for several locations, creating many worlds within the story.
The projections, by Kacey Koploff, enhance the haunting, mysterious atmosphere.
Slow Burn’s production of “Anastasia” is one of the best shows of the new season, a dazzling holiday gift to South Florida theater audiences.
IF YOU GO
What: “Anastasia”
When: Performances are 1 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m., Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday. 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Through Sunday, Jan. 5. A sensory-inclusive performance with a post-show meet and greet is at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 28 and an open captioned performance is at 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 29.
Where: Amaturo Theatre at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW 5 Ave., Fort Lauderdale Tickets:
Tickets: $72 and up
Information: www.browardcenter.org
