ANASTASIA Previews- Page 7

[rochisny]

Posted: 3/28/17 at 3:41pm

Yes. Was Row B, house right, all the way on the side. Last two seats. Obstructed view but not awful.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 3/28/17 at 3:51pm

Whizzer, all your points are valid, but I will just emphasize: it was even worse in Hartford. Even more random and disconnected.

The point about the seating reminds me--- I was on the far house right mezz, front mezz, on the aisle, and my view of stage left was obstructed. The seat was not sold as obstructed but I couldn't see Ramin at the desk or anyone else in that corner of the stage. Beware.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/28/17 at 4:00pm

I've made this argument before, but I really don't see why the story needs an external antagonist like Gleb. It's extraneous in the film and it seems to be extraneous here, because the central conflict has always been whether or not she is actually Anastasia.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 3/28/17 at 4:13pm

That's an interesting point, though this version and the film resolve that pretty early on when we find out she really is Anastasia.

The Gleb thing seems to be tied to what Terrence has tried to do throughout the whole book, which is tie the story to the political & social climate of Russia. Which, for obvious reasons, is much more resonant now than it was last spring, even.

Updated On: 3/28/17 at 04:13 PM

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/28/17 at 4:29pm

Kad, I agree. I thought act two was going to be us watching the trio of Anya/Vlad/Dmitry attempting to convince The Dowager Empress that she was indeed Anastasia, but the Empress and Anya's first meeting happened off stage, which I found a bizarre choice. Isn't this what the entire show has been building toward? Isn't this what we care about? Can Anya pull it off? And then you don't let us see it? Completely baffling. 

The structure of act two was very odd to me. Caroline O'Connor's Countess Lily, a character we have not been introduced to at all in act one (although I believe she appears briefly to walk the Empress off stage), suddenly overtakes the show with back to back numbers. It's all a completely extraneous detour, but at least it's fun so you forgive it, but it only made me regret having to return to Anya and Dmitry afterward. Bolton and O'Connor seem to be having a blast and have chemistry, albeit a kooky, secondary character one. I didn't really think Klena and Altomare had great chemistry- they're both pretty people, with pretty, clear voices, but they weren't exactly setting the stage on fire. They would have made fine replacements in Cinderella and Osnes and Fontana would have brought more to Anya and Dmitry. 

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/28/17 at 4:30pm

neonlightsxo said: "Whizzer, all your points are valid, but I will just emphasize: it was even worse in Hartford. Even more random and disconnected.
 

neon, Who played Gleb in Hartford? Did they write new songs for Ramin? 

 

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 3/28/17 at 4:44pm

Manoel Felciano. And yes, "Still" at the end of Act 1 is new, and the other song he sings is either new or heavily revised. I can't quite recall.

Updated On: 3/28/17 at 04:44 PM

[FiddleMeThis]

Posted: 3/28/17 at 9:57pm

WhizzerMarvin said: "Kad, I agree. I thought act two was going to be us watching the trio of Anya/Vlad/Dmitry attempting to convince The Dowager Empress that she was indeed Anastasia, but the Empress and Anya's first meeting happened off stage, which I found a bizarre choice. Isn't this what the entire show has been building toward? Isn't this what we care about? Can Anya pull it off? And then you don't let us see it? Completely baffling. 

The structure of act two was very odd to me. Caroline O'Connor's Countess Lily, a character we have not been introduced to at all in act one (although I believe she appears briefly to walk the Empress off stage), suddenly overtakes the show with back to back numbers. It's all a completely extraneous detour, but at least it's fun so you forgive it, but it only made me regret having to return to Anya and Dmitry afterward. Bolton and O'Connor seem to be having a blast and have chemistry, albeit a kooky, secondary character one. I didn't really think Klena and Altomare had great chemistry- they're both pretty people, with pretty, clear voices, but they weren't exactly setting the stage on fire. They would have made fine replacements in Cinderella and Osnes and Fontana would have brought more to Anya and Dmitry. 

I agree with all of this. The huge Gleb plot line and the detour into secondary characters in act two both register as very odd and distracting. They really should have focused on the mystery element of Anastasia's identify. It's much more unique and interesting, and would make for a much more compelling evening. The Gleb material remains weak, and doesn't register as resonant for our current times.

 That would be a stretch  

 

[bwayrose7]

Posted: 3/28/17 at 11:03pm

I'm really intrigued reading both the positive and negative reviews. I'm happy that at least fans of the movie are enjoying it, because that's what I am! I agree that the story is the type that doesn't necessarily need an external antagonist. I get what they were going for with Gleb, and Ramin is charismatic enough to cover some gaps, but it's disappointing that it's apparently not a stronger character. At least it's better than a soulless sorcerer who magically incites the Russian Revolution :)

I'm curious, at this point - and maybe this belongs in a different thread, please tell me if so - but: it seems like this show, Amelie, War Paint, and Groundhog Day are all getting mixed reactions in previews. Obviously reviews will be the true test, but I'm wondering which one or two of them seem the strongest or the most Tony-bait at this point? 

EDIT: As I was posting this, someone else started a thread on the question in my second line. Didn't duplicate intentionally!

Updated On: 3/28/17 at 11:03 PM

[ryankon]

Posted: 3/28/17 at 11:12pm

Count me in as one of those who loved Anastasia.  I truly love the show.  The score is gorgeous and melodic--the book is economical and brilliantly constructed.  Gleb's arc gives necessary voice to both history and an alternative voice to the story of the Romanovs--more specifically he puts forth revolutionary ideals that might have been dumbed down in another writing team's hands.  The sense of adventure, the search for identity, the deep love of musical theatre form, the gorgeous physical production, the comedy, the romance, the female empowerment story:  it's all there on gorgeous display.  This level of craft is rarely seen on Broadway these days.   It's a big, proud, gorgeous Broadway entertainment that manages to be thoughtful, entertaining and deeply moving.   I left a very satisfied customer and I had not expected to have that experience.

It's significant to note one detractor on this thread is simply not being truthful: the poster previously claimed involvement with the show while trashing it and she changes her quibbles routinely--some might say obsessively.  Fiddle her that! 

If you are wondering about the differing reactions, be sure to check it out.  The audience is rapturous and for good reason.  Ahrens, Flaherty and McNally really hit their mark and under the sure guidance of Darko Tresnjak.  This team has delivered a Broadway entertainment that is captivating audiences and I'm glad I got swept up in the story with him.   Quite a beautiful evening in the theatre. 

Updated On: 3/28/17 at 11:12 PM

[UrNotAMachine]

Posted: 3/28/17 at 11:51pm

So this show didn't really work for me. I don't have many new points to add as Whizzer pretty much summed up my thoughts perfectly. The costumes are breathtaking and there are some very good moments sprinkled throughout the show, but the book is the show's major weakness. The pacing is very slow, there are little to no surprises and it just felt very clunky. I applaud the decision to create a new villain for the stage, but Gleb is just an incredibly ineffective part of the show. Ramin tries his best to bring depth and life to the role, but it just never comes together in the right way. Gleb is neither menacing enough to fear or sympathetic enough to really root for. The small traces of the love triangle plot that remained seemed to be the only intriguing parts of his character.

SPOILER: And was there ever really any doubt that he would let Anya go in the end (rather than decide to kill her and be thwarted somehow)? Discount Javert was always going to pull an "I can't do it!" in the show's climax and it's never really earned. 

The entire cast was terrific and Caroline O'Connor's big number in act 2 was very fun, I just wish the rest of the material wasn't such a let down. There are faint glimmers of a great show in there but they're quickly dashed to bits by the paint-by-numbers nature of everything else. 

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 3/28/17 at 11:52pm

By the way, not that anyone has asked but it may be helpful. I sat in the last row of the orchestra. When I sat down I was worried about the overhang. It was fine. Aside from not being able to read the entire first projection that has st Petersberg and the year and the name of the club they later go to (neither big deals at all), I didn't miss anything. The only other part with something above stage level is at the ballet where they have two-level "seating" on-stage. The only character to do anything on the higher tier is Ramin who is stage right/house left. So if you're sitting in the last few rows of the orchestra and have to pick house right vs. house left, I'd pick house right.  Not a huge deal either way, though, since it's only a few lines,and I think rear orchestra is generally a fine place to sit regardles of the overhang. 

Updated On: 3/28/17 at 11:52 PM

[Wick3]

Posted: 3/28/17 at 11:53pm

Just watched this evening's show and overall I enjoyed it and was entertained. Briefly, I felt Act I was too long (I saw a few people checking their watches) and I felt the part of Lily was too big for Act II (especially when the focus is on Anya and Dmitry.) Beautiful costumes. I liked how the maps/stores were written in Cyrillic. 

By far one of my favorite scenes was the ballet scene in Act II. Christy blew me away especially during the critical moments of the show. Ok I don't want to write spoilers but overall I did enjoy this show and I can see it succeeding this summer. I think tickets will be mainly bought by fans of the film and families. 

[curel1]

Posted: 3/28/17 at 11:55pm

I don't understand why a show has to be surprising. Is anyone really going into this show expecting it to be innovative? It's goin for a feel-good entertainer and there's nothing wrong with that.

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 12:10am

I'm with you, cure11!  I said the same thing for Bright Star last season. (Although I'm a total fan girl of that show and enjoyed it way more than Anastasia.) There are plenty of lovely shows where we know exactly what's going to happen in the end from the beginning.  Most often with romances. Just because the audience knows exactly what will happen doesn't take away the joy of watching the characters in their journey. 

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 12:39am

When I there were "no surprises" I didn't mean that it's too obvious who will end up with whom at the end. It's obvious from the first scenes of Oklahoma that Curly and Laurey will end up together by the final curtain, but there are lots of little surprises along the way. The first time you view Oklahoma you don't know how each scene immediately will play out when it starts. You don't a heroine to sing a bright and sunny song of denial like Many a New Day or for Curly and the villain to have a comedy song like Poor Jud is Daid. 

A problem with Anastasia- as even After Eight notes- is that you see the "ghosts" as he puts it of so many shows before it. The act two opener is Paris is Paris Again from Gigi; the song teaching Anya how to act like Anastasia is The Rain in Spain sequence from My Fair Lady (this sequence could also be I Can't from Bajour or even the music lesson from La fille du regiment if we want to travel back a few centuries!); the song in the train is We're Almost There from The Grand Tour. It's all deja vu and therefore devoid of any surprise for the viewer.. That's the definition of "paint by numbers" writing. The patterns followed in Anastasia as so well-worn that the viewer has nothing new to cling to. 

A way to distract from this is to have imaginative and creative direction; Anastasia's direction is sadly very straightforward, as is the choreography. A show's direction can always be innovative regardless of how "risky" or "safe" the material is. The original production of Hello, Dolly's direction/choreography was HIGHLY imaginative and creative and that is a "feel good" show. I don't think there's anything wrong with expecting high quality, innovative, imaginative work whether you're putting Sunday in the Park or Hairspray. In fact, I think we should demand it. 

[Fan123]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 4:03am

WhizzerMarvin said: "I thought act two was going to be us watching the trio of Anya/Vlad/Dmitry attempting to convince The Dowager Empress that she was indeed Anastasia, but the Empress and Anya's first meeting happened off stage, which I found a bizarre choice. Isn't this what the entire show has been building toward? Isn't this what we care about? Can Anya pull it off? And then you don't let us see it? Completely baffling."

This is interesting to hear. Even aside from dramatic considerations, from what we know about the lawsuit being brought against this show (for alleged plagiarism of the play on which the two films were based), the lawsuit is making much of the allegation that the new musical copies the pivotal 'Recognition Scene' from the play. The second page of this Forbes article, posted in the lawsuit thread, quotes the plaintiff's lawyers as saying "One particularly compelling example of such copying, among many, is of the climactic and most famous scene of Maurette's play, the ‘Recognition Scene,’ in which the female protagonist is presented to, and recognized by, the Dowager Empress to be the princess Anastasia." The complaint document linked from this other article details more specific similarities between the two 'recognition scenes' on pages 11-12. Has that scene been cut from the musical? Are the musical's creators 'pulling a Wicked' and cutting anything that could be construed as (or, that genuinely is) copyright violation? I'm just speculating. Can anyone who saw the show at Hartford, confirm if there was a 'recognition scene' then? If they really have cut that scene, rather than negotiating for the rights to include it, that's rather disappointing.

By the way, I really like your idea of Gleb threatening or trying to bribe Dmitri, and Dmitri standing up to him. One of the things the story loses when Rasputin is (wisely) cut, is one opportunity for Dmitri to win the audience over by doing something selfless (in the animated film, trying to save Anya from Rasputin).

 

[After Eight]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 8:15am

"A problem with Anastasia- as even After Eight notes- is that you see the "ghosts" as he puts it of so many shows before it."

It was anything but a problem for me, as I couldn't have been more pleased to see them. And I hope we'll get to see them again soon. A plea to our friendly theatre ghosts: Be back soon!

" (this sequence could also be I Can't from Bajour or even the music lesson from La fille du regiment if we want to travel back a few centuries!)"; 

I think you mean "I Can" from Bajour. La Fille du régiment had its premiere in 1840.

[After Eight]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 8:29am

"Just because the audience knows exactly what will happen doesn't take away the joy of watching the characters in their journey."

Precisely. In fact, it's both comforting and gratifying.  I want to see shows turn out exactly how they're supposed to turn out, with music that sounds like actual music, not like some dirge, or the whine of a dentist's drill. That's right: don't throw us any curveballs, please.  Just do what we expect and want from you, and what we shelled out our money to see and hear. Do that, and you'll have our undying gratitude.

[lambchop2]

Posted: 3/29/17 at 9:06am

RE: Fan123

AFAIK the recognition scene is in the show, I can't imagine they'd ever remove it. What they're likely referring to is that Anya's first interaction with the Empress occurs offstage while Dimitri is singing 'Everything to Win' and Lilli takes her to meet the empress. She returns after the song, upset, saying that the Empress wouldn't even look at her and just said to get the imposter out of her sight. So the first meeting isn't shown, just the scene where she goes to talk to Anya.

 

 

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 12:58am

I saw tonight's preview, and I enjoyed it very much. The animated film version of ANASTASIA is one of my favorite non-Disney animated musicals, and I think the show does a great job of capturing its spirit. This is not a Broadway show to dissect. If you pick it apart, of course you'll find flaws, but why bother? Believe me, its target audience won't be analyzing it to death. To the contrary, they're going to eat it up. Tonight's audience was EXTREMELY enthusiastic, and I don't doubt it will continue to please crowds throughout the rest of its run.

[carnzee]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 3:56am

CT2NYC said: This is not a Broadway show to dissect. If you pick it apart, of course you'll find flaws, but why bother? Believe me, its target audience won't be analyzing it to death.

I think people 'dissect' shows that they didn't enjoy. They are interested in why it didn't work for them. If you have a great time at Anastasia, you won't analyze it. I love the book Not Since Carrie because it's interesting to look at the nuts and bolts of flawed shows. 

 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 8:07am

Wait--the first meeting between Anya and the Empress is off-stage?  Is there a more startling bit of craft evasion? Is there another obligatory moment as emotionally loaded as that one?

I thought the animated film was haunting and charming. It's not unheard of, but it's quite a comment on the (degree of) re-vamping that the original I want song has been re-purposed as an act closer. Does that work well? It's just a beautiful, heart-tugging song, and I still love Callaway's rendition.  

[MoveOnGypsy]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 9:03am

I saw the show last night. I enjoyed it a great deal but that moment was the biggest WTF for me. I think my jaw dropped at the ridiculousness of the first encounter not being shown. Did I miss something from the film? Was it there and I just don't remember? Overall, not a groundbreaking show but enjoyable none the less. I also loved hearing the shows from the film live!

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 10:12am

The first meeting is indeed offstage, but she won't even see her, so it's not really their first meeting...