“Journey to the past” with the multi-Tony Nominated hit, Anastasia: The Musical, a dazzling new musical from the writers of Ragtime and Once on this Island. Based on the legend of the mysterious lost Romanoff Russian princess, Anastasia runs three weekends, July 21-August 6 at Arts Express Theatre. Shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., and matinees Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.
From the twilight of the Russian Empire to the splendor of 1920s Paris, Anastasia centers on a brave young woman, Anya (Danae Dorame/Alison Thomas Visgar), who sets out to discover the secrets of her past. With no recollection of her life prior to waking up in an orphanage as a young girl, the now adolescent Anya arrives in St. Petersburg, ready to pick up discover the truth about her past.
Soon, she encounters a charming young con man, Dmitri (Tommy Irish/JD Letkeman), who notices uncanny similarities between Anya and descriptions of the lost Romanoff Princess, for whom a large reward has been issued for her safe return from the lost royal’s surviving grandmother the Dowager Empress. With the help of Dmitri’s ex-aristocrat friend, Vlad (Rafael Acuña/Michael Stewart), they concoct a plan to train Anya to “become” the lost princess Anastasia so they can all escape communist Russia and collect the reward to start a new life.
But, as the trio embark on their quest to execute “the biggest con in history,” Anya’s memories begin to resurface, making them all question who she really is. With the ruthless Russian revolutionary officer, Gleb (Dallen Anderson/Gavin Evanson) hot on their trail and feelings for Dmitri surfacing, Anya must race to Paris to finally uncover who she really is.
With favorite songs like “Once Upon a December,” “Journey to the Past,” and “My Petersburg” and music, lyrics, and book by Tony Award-winners Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens, and Terrence McNally, this more grown-up, historical take on the legend takes the animated film to a new level and is not to be missed. Soaring vocals, lush orchestration, and stunning visuals are sure to enchant audiences of all ages.
Anastasia is directed by Jonathon Scott Crider, with music direction by Chris Will and choreography by Simone Jolivet-Manuel.
For tickets, visit https:// www.arts-express.org/anastasia/ or call the Arts Express Theatre Box Office at (520) 319-0400.
ABOUT ARTS EXPRESS THEATRE
Arts Express Theatre is southern Arizona’s leading musical theatre company, staging large-scale professional quality musical theater productions throughout the year. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, AET is committed to opening the arts to all ages. It serves over 25,000 people annually through a continuum of introductory and advanced programs, and engaging audience experiences.
