Anastasia Musical? — Page 5

Nothing new to add, except that I've always found it odd that Bluth took such a chilling person as Rasputin and made him a fairly comedic villain. Animation can have terrifying villains-- for me The Lion King's Scar seemed to be Satan incarnate, and for others it's The Evil Queen or Cruella De Vil that haunt their nightmares. Bluth's Rasputin never came close-- although his depiction in "Nicholas and Alexandra" certainly gives me the heebie jeebies. So, I think it's a good idea to cut him from the musical...

But I just had an idea... Wouldn't it be interesting to incorporate a "Rasputin" character who mirrors Anya? A deranged man who believes himself to be the mad monk reincarnated? His true identity would be vague like Anya's, but unlike her, his characterization would lean more towards it all being a fantasy brought on by mental illness instead of the genuine truth. He blames the Romanov family for his death, and when he learns that Anya claims to be Anastasia, he takes it upon himself to kill her. Of course, in the end he would thwarted.

Perhaps too dark for a family musical, so creative team is probably making a very good decision by cutting him out entirely.