ANASTASIA in CT- Page 2
ANASTASIA in CT
#25ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/14/16 at 12:20am
Owen22 said: ""Dark of the Night" is no longer in the score, so I don't care...
"
Serious? I am a big Bluth defender, but that song (and, frankly, the entire Rasputin plot) reeks of all the issues with his later movies. And it's not even a good villain song--the melody is so uninspired...
Sunshine31
Stand-by Joined: 4/27/16
#26ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/14/16 at 10:02am
disneybroadwayfan22 said: "
From this video
"
The costumes look amazing!
#27ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/14/16 at 10:54am
EricMontreal22 said: "Owen22 said: ""Dark of the Night" is no longer in the score, so I don't care..."
Serious? I am a big Bluth defender, but that song (and, frankly, the entire Rasputin plot) reeks of all the issues with his later movies. And it's not even a good villain song--the melody is so uninspired..."
I'm with Eric. Though I do think it's a moderately catchy melody, I think overall it's a pretty dumb number, and at the end of the day I can totally see why they wouldn't want it in the show. If they had cut "Journey to the Past" or "Once Upon a December," on the other hand, I would be concerned.
#28ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/15/16 at 12:52am
Anyone else see this one yet at Hartford yet? I'd love to hear the full report.
#29ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/15/16 at 7:15am
Daddy Warbucks said: "Anyone else see this one yet at Hartford yet? I'd love to hear the full report.
"
No :/ But, there is info on Gleb, who sounds amazing and MUCH MUCH BETTER than Rasputin (MAJOR SPOILERS)
http://babyklovesmovies.tumblr.com/post/144371858611/what-was-gleb-like
showchoirguy
Broadway Star Joined: 7/14/10
#30ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/15/16 at 8:20am
I saw it on Friday! I don't have access to a computer until tonight, so I'll report back soon.
#31ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/15/16 at 9:02am
showchoirguy said: "I saw it on Friday! I don't have access to a computer until tonight, so I'll report back soon.
"
How did you like it? :)
showchoirguy
Broadway Star Joined: 7/14/10
#32ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/15/16 at 9:14am
The production quality was spectacular! There are a few things that need to be tweeked hardcore and they really need to work on Gleb. He's a great addition to the story, but he isn't fully realized yet.
Sunshine31
Stand-by Joined: 4/27/16
#33ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/15/16 at 9:27am
showchoirguy said: "The production quality was spectacular! There are a few things that need to be tweeked hardcore and they really need to work on Gleb. He's a great addition to the story, but he isn't fully realized yet."
What section did you sit in? Did you have a good view of the stage?
leefowler
Broadway Star Joined: 7/13/04
#34ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/15/16 at 9:58am
When someone sees a show, and the first thing they say is that the production looks spectacular, one worries about the quality of the show.
Behind the fake tinsel of Broadway is real tinsel.
showchoirguy
Broadway Star Joined: 7/14/10
#35ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/15/16 at 10:17am
I sat Section F, Row 4, Seat 4. Very house left, but didn't miss anything!
#36ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/15/16 at 10:52am
Should I see it in CT or wait till it comes to Broadway?
Sunshine31
Stand-by Joined: 4/27/16
#37ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/15/16 at 7:56pm
showchoirguy said: "I sat Section F, Row 4, Seat 4. Very house left, but didn't miss anything!"
Good to know. I'm in the same section!
Buddy Plummer2
Understudy Joined: 5/4/12
#38ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/15/16 at 9:06pm
Seeing the show now. Trust me when I say the previous poster saying the production is beautiful is not the only take-away: the show itself is really really good. You get chills anytime the original tunes are played, and the additions are just as good.
I agree that there could be some tightening (I think Gleb's first song is easily curable so that he enters the story right when Anya meets him), but for a fourth preview, it's in fantastic shape. If you're a fan of the film you owe it to yourself to see this.
#39ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/15/16 at 10:10pm
Making plans with my friends to see it next month! About to buy tickets when plans are finialzed
showchoirguy
Broadway Star Joined: 7/14/10
#40ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/15/16 at 10:49pm
Okay! Finally home from a long weekend and I’m ready to tell all!
This was my first time at Harford Stage and I was extremely impressed by the whole facility and staff. Really made a good impression! So now about the show…THERE WILL BE SPOILERS AHEAD!
The show obviously needs to be tweaked and worked on, but for a first preview, I really enjoyed it!
The story is very similar to the beginning of the movie. It starts in 1907 right before the Dowager Empress leaves for Paris, and then jumps to 1917 where the Romanov’s are hosting a ball before their attack and demise. We then jump to 1927, and are introduced to St. Petersburg after the revolution and Dmitry and Vlad. They concoct the plan to find an actress and teach her to be Anastasia. We are also introduced to Gleb, a soldier whose father was one of the officers that led the attack on the Romanov’s. Anya is introduced as a young girl trying to get exit paper from Dmitry, until he and Vlad convince Anya to go to Paris to present herself to the Dowager Empress, so they can get the reward. Gleb brings her into his office to warn her of what could happen if someone impersonates someone like the Grand Duchess Anastasia. Dmitry and Anya then go off and have a romantic moment before going back to learn some more before they leave. Dmitry then gives the music box to Anya and she starts remembering things from her past. They go to the train station and board the train and are on their way to Paris, until they are stopped and a Count is killed for leaving the country. The police start chasing them too, so they jump off the train and find multiple ways to travel to Paris. Once they arrive in Paris, they go to find Countess Lily, one of the Dowager Empress’ closest confidants, to try to present Anya to her. They make a plan to attend Swan Lake the same night as the Empress, but they are not alone, for Gleb has followed the group to Paris. When Anya goes to meet the Empress, she is sent away, heartbroken and furious at Dmitry and Vlad. They go back to the hotel, where the Dowager Empress has decided to give Anya a chance, and she pulls out the music box and they embrace, finally having found one another. We then move to a press conference, where they are about to reveal Anya, until Gleb traps her at gunpoint in the room, but he can’t find himself to shoot Anya, and goes back to Russia, and explains that Anastasia was only a rumor. Anya then goes to find Dmitry, who turned down the reward, and she goes off with him to live their life as Anya and not the Grand Duchess Anastasia.
The portrayals of the characters are almost completely different from the way they were in the movie. Christy Altomare’s performance is really special. We see her at the beginning as the timid Anya, but throughout the play, she blossoms into the strong, brave Grand Duchess that everyone knew her as. Her voice is absolutely stunning, especially during Journey to the Past. Derek Klena’s Dmitry has way much more charm and was less smarmy and cocky. He sounds great, per usual, but some of the songs were tailored to show off his highs, I’ll get to the music later. Their chemistry was great, but I missed the banter and sass that they had in the movie. John Bolton is an absolute delight and it’s so wonderful to see him having fun with Vlad! He’s made this role his own and had kept the essence of the character we saw in the film, with a touch of his comedy and charm. He practically steals the show with a new number between himself and Lily, who was originally Sophie in the movie, played by the brilliant Caroline O’Connor. She was outstanding and I can see why they chose her to originate this role, it’s practically written for her. I wished that I could say the same thing for the new character, Gleb. Manoel Feleciano is a great performer and he’s doing the best he can, but Gleb hasn’t been fully fleshed out yet. What’s fun about Gleb is that we see him charmed by Anya when he first meets her, but then all of a sudden she’s the grand duchess and she must be stopped. He went from following her to Paris to pulling out a gun and almost assassinating her at the opera. Once he gets her alone, he drags on for a good while until he can’t get the guts to shoot her and leaves. It was weird… Mary Beth Peil is such a delight as the Dowager Empress. She had the right mix of bitter and backhanded sass, which a touch of tragedy that really made you feel for her. The ensemble is extremely strong in the cast and they grace the stage with beautiful dances of many different styles and they give the smaller characters (the Romanov family, the St. Petersburg villagers, the French celebrities) color and they all shine individually at one point in the show.
Darko Tresjak really did a fantastic job with this show! He came out and the beginning and said not to be surprised if we paused at any moment, but the show went on without any trouble. He’s created a very fun and very new show that’s also very detailed and engaging. Ahrens and Flaherty have some work ahead of them. Yes, all the old songs were wonderful and so were some of the new songs, but some of the songs did not fit into the score at all. Anya has a new song called In My Dreams, which presents our heroine quite nicely at the very beginning. Dmitry also has 2 new songs, one good and one that doesn’t fit in this show. Everything to Win is in Act 2 and is basically Dmitry worrying about Anya and revealing his feelings while Anya tries to talk to the Dowager Empress, which was really charming and sweet. My Petersburg on the other hand sounded like a mix between Streets of Dublin from A Man of No Importance and a cut song from Rocky. It was so poppy, which made Derek sound spectacular, but sounded different than any other piece in the show. Caroline O’ Connor has a new song in the show called Land of Yesterday, where Lily and other Russia dignitaries all visit the Neva Club and reminisce over the old days. It was right in her wheelhouse. Jazzy, sexy, and fun. Lily and Vlad also have a duet called The Countess and the Common Man, which not only was a wonderful new addition, but a highlight of the night. I think they stopped at one point because they were laughing as hard as we were. The Dowager Empress sings a new song called Close the Door, which she gives up on looking for Anastasia, and it was heartbreaking and chilling. It reminded of a song from The Spitfire Grill. As for Gleb’s pieces, those need a little more fine tuning, especially the song Anya, which reminded me of Hellfire from Hunchback, but more tame. There’s also a few new songs between the ensemble and Anya, Dmitry, and Vlad, which were also spectacular! The old songs still have that magic that they did in the movie and they’re joined by some terrific, new orchestrations by Doug Besterman, which were a huge highlight to this production! Terrence McNally’s book is also in need of a little work. There were some jokes that didn’t land and some of the writing got very cute, but when it was strong, it was funny, heartbreaking, and heartwarming. Peggy Hickey’s choreography is a wonderful spread of dance, from Russian ballet to the Charleston. They even did select dances from Swan Lake during the scene at the ballet. Another standout of the production
The show is beautifully designed, especially the costumes, lighting and projections. The walls revolve and they display different projections, which were jaw-droppingly stunning, for each setting. There’s also a turntable in the stage used for some numbers, which was used very creatively. Another shout out to the dramaturg for the show!
I think that the Hartford run will be really good for the show and it’s development and I can’t wait to see what happens to it in the future!
#41ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/15/16 at 11:32pm
Ugh, based on that review, I hope to God I see it soon. Looks like it is meeting my expectations and more
showchoirguy
Broadway Star Joined: 7/14/10
#42ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/15/16 at 11:36pm
disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Ugh, based on that review, I hope to God I see it soon. Looks like it is meeting my expectations and more"
Sorry it took so long! I wanted to make sure I touched on everything.
#43ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/15/16 at 11:43pm
showchoirguy said: "disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Ugh, based on that review, I hope to God I see it soon. Looks like it is meeting my expectations and more"
Sorry it took so long! I wanted to make sure I touched on everything.
"
No prob :) You did a great review
#44ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/16/16 at 1:01am
Looks like Buddy Plummer2 and I were at the same performance, which goes to show how small the theatre community really is!
Let me start off by saying that, for once, I am glad to be a theatre lover living in Hartford, CT. I am always jealous of you New Yorkers who have the opportunity to see so many great shows all the time. Not that Hartford is that far from the City, but it's far enough that any visit to see a Broadway show requires a legit daytrip -- which means I can't reasonably enter the Hamilton lottery every day. 
That being said...
Hartford Stage has put on a wonderful musical production. Despite getting national attention for bringing A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder to Broadway in 2012, Hartford Stage actually only does one musical a year, so many of its patrons (myself included) look forward to the production that will cap off its season. Like last year's production of Kiss Me, Kate, Hartford Stage has itself another winner.
As others have mentioned, the production is -- first and foremost -- really, REALLY beautiful. The sets and costumes are stunning, yes, but what stood out to me were the incredibly detailed, carefully crafted projections. I'm always wary of projections, as they can really cheapen the look of a show (case in point: the first U.S. tour of the latest Les Mis revival). But perhaps drawing on the high standards set by An American in Paris, Projection Designer Aaron Rhyne did a great job allowing the projections to enhance the look and feel of the show rather than be a distraction.
Hartford Stage has also shown itself to be, once again, the master at making the most out of a small space. Utilizing three turn tables and a horizontally tiered set, the production team was able to depict far more scenes than I originally anticipated when the curtain first rose. As showchoir guy noted, Director Darko Tresnjak warned the audience of technical mishaps that could interrupt the production. The fact that the scene transitions looked so smooth tells me that the backstage crew (and Scenic Designer Alexander Dodge) really deserve a big hand for doing a lot with very little.
As for the production itself, I'll start with the actors. Christy Altomare, as Anya, is really bringing something special to the stage. Beautiful in voice and sincere in character, I was close enough to see tears well up in her eyes for every song she sang. She is truly immersing herself into the role (to the audience's absolute benefit). Derek Klena is charming, as one would expect, and has a crisp, clear tenor that really shines, particularly in his duets with Ms. Altomare. Through his performance, he can readily claim his status as a bona fide Broadway heartthrob. John Bolton and Caroline O'Connor, former castmates in A Christmas Story: The Musical on Broadway, had the audience in splits during their comic relief moments, and Mary Beth Peil was respectably affecting as the Dowager Empress. I really wanted to like Manoel Felciano as Gleb, but I just couldn't buy into his performance. Much of this has to do with the fact that, as others have mentioned, Gleb, as a character, is woefully underdeveloped and deserves a hell of a lot more for character resolution at the show's climax. However, I also think Mr. Felciano, as talented as he is, isn't quite right for the role. Gleb is supposed to be simultaneously menacing and emotionally conflicted -- not unlike a Javert -- but I did not get that impression from Mr. Felciano. I'd be interested in hearing others' thoughts on this, but I think Gleb may be better suited for a high baritone than a low tenor like Mr. Felciano.
The plot was passable (not that I expected a masterpiece), with the first act being much stronger than the second. The Ahrens and Flaherty score is quite pleasant to listen to, though you won't be able to blame them for lyrics that are too witty. The book, likewise, needs some work, especially in terms of adding legitimate narrative heft to Act II, the climax in particular. I was also bothered by Book Writer Terrence McNally's use of the word "girl" throughout the production. Let's just say that if you're familiar with the #LikeAGirl campaign, you can probably wager that Mr. McNally either doesn't know about it or has willfully ignored it. Either that or his use of irony is way off.
As for the theater itself, you can't go wrong with any seat in the house. Hartford Stage is a fairly intimate space with a good view from even the last row. I sat in the $25 "Super Saver" seats on the floor (Row 4, Seat 310), and I will say that if you don't qualify for a $20 student seat and can handle chairs that aren't secured to the floor, the floor seats are an absolute steal. I can also affirm that the theater is built in a way that really enhances good sound design (props to Sound Designer Peter Hylenski). As someone who routinely has problems hearing what actors are saying in most theaters I visit (an annoying problem to have as a theatre lover), I can boldly say that Hartford Stage is one of the best theaters in the country to see a musical in when it comes to sound.
All in all, I really enjoyed the production and look forward to seeing the Anastasia team improve the show before it hits the Great White Way. Catch it while you can...and support Hartford theatre! 
#45ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/16/16 at 1:03am
Thank-you for that incredibly detailed review showchoir guy!
sparepart973
Broadway Star Joined: 4/7/12
#46ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/16/16 at 1:45am
When they say that it'll open on Broadway in the 2016-17 season, is there any chance it'll open by/before December?
#47ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/16/16 at 11:00am
Robert16 said: "Should I see it in CT or wait till it comes to Broadway?
If you have the flexibility to see it in CT -- and you're okay with seeing a piece that's still a work in progress -- I would highly recommend buying a ticket to the Hartford Stage production. Hartford Stage is a really nice theater, and the show is in great shape, even in its pre-Broadway tryout form. Plus, if you're on a tight budget like me, you can see the show for as cheap as $20, if you're a student, or $25, if you're a non-student.
#48ANASTASIA in CT
Posted: 5/16/16 at 11:03am
sparepart973 said: "When they say that it'll open on Broadway in the 2016-17 season, is there any chance it'll open by/before December?
Nothing's been announced yet, so who knows. I'd recommend keeping an eye out for announcements on theatre news sites, like BroadwayWorld. Otherwise, I'm sure as more news is released, someone on this board will post something about it.
