Posted: 10/25/14 at 8:56am
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Posted: 4/14/15 at 5:08pm
The workshop is happening....again. On June 12th.
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/McNally-Ahrens-Flahertys-ANASTASIA-Musical-Gets-Staged-Reading-in-June-20150414
Posted: 4/14/15 at 5:32pm
I think there's some really beautiful music in the score... and of course, there's Liz Callaway. I'm not sure how they'd make the villain work though. Everything else that follows those stories where an Anastasia impostor appears is alright. Everything about Rasputin is too cartoony. I also question if it could find an audience. You've got Russia and Paris... which aren't so hot right now on Broadway. And I don't know if the Don Bluth movie got to Disney levels of fandom.
Posted: 4/14/15 at 5:43pm
"The workshop is happening....again. On June 12th."
You say that like it's a bad thing. They clearly have something of potential here and are working and reworking it with staged readings and workshops until they are confident in a product that can come to Broadway. That is the intent, from what I am told.
Posted: 4/14/15 at 5:43pm
didn't Laura Osnes do a reading of this? I wonder who will be cast in this upcoming reading
Posted: 4/14/15 at 5:52pm
"didn't Laura Osnes do a reading of this? I wonder who will be cast in this upcoming reading"
No. I think she mentioned that being a dream role of hers in an interview somewhere but she never did a reading. Not to my knowledge.
Posted: 4/14/15 at 7:28pm
"I think there's some really beautiful music in the score... and of course, there's Liz Callaway. I'm not sure how they'd make the villain work though. Everything else that follows those stories where an Anastasia impostor appears is alright. Everything about Rasputin is too cartoony. I also question if it could find an audience. You've got Russia and Paris... which aren't so hot right now on Broadway. And I don't know if the Don Bluth movie got to Disney levels of fandom."
I grew up in the generation of the Disney renaissance/Anastasia (I'm in my early twenties), and I think it was pretty popular for kids my age and is definitely a nostalgic favorite for many of us now. Really the only non-Disney film of the era that could stand alongside its Disney contemporaries (awkward staircase animation notwithstanding). Plus, it doesn't hurt many of us had our first crush on Dmitri 
Posted: 4/14/15 at 7:29pm
"I think there's some really beautiful music in the score... and of course, there's Liz Callaway. I'm not sure how they'd make the villain work though. Everything else that follows those stories where an Anastasia impostor appears is alright. Everything about Rasputin is too cartoony. I also question if it could find an audience. You've got Russia and Paris... which aren't so hot right now on Broadway. And I don't know if the Don Bluth movie got to Disney levels of fandom."
Rasputin got cut from the stage adaptation long ago.
Posted: 4/14/15 at 7:39pm
Anya (1954) George Abbot, Wright and Forrest, Hanya Holm, Connie Towers and Lilian Gish
16 performanceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anya_(musical)
Posted: 4/14/15 at 8:14pm
""The workshop is happening....again. On June 12th."
You say that like it's a bad thing. They clearly have something of potential here and are working and reworking it with staged readings and workshops until they are confident in a product that can come to Broadway. That is the intent, from what I am told. "
What I mean is they say that they do this every year, but then we don't hear anything afterwards for a year or 2. I'm beyond thrilled this is happening.
"I'm not sure how they'd make the villain work though. Everything else that follows those stories where an Anastasia impostor appears is alright. Everything about Rasputin is too cartoony."
He has been cut out of the show. Thank God, minus his awesome villain song, he was my least favorite thing in the move.
"didn't Laura Osnes do a reading of this? I wonder who will be cast in this upcoming reading"
No, you must be confusing her for Aaron Tviet, reading for Dimitri. But, these two HAS to be cast as Anastasia/Anya and Dimitri. Perfection!
Posted: 4/14/15 at 8:56pm
Do any of you know where I can read up more about the changes they've made from the movie? I'm curious about where the conflict is coming from if they've cut Rasputin. I guess they could play it like one of these movies, none of which I've seen, but I don't know if there's enough there to drive the plot.
And as someone else who grew up largely during the Disney Renaissance and used to watch this movie A LOT, I know I would love to see it on stage. I just don't know if it has widespread mainstream appeal. I hope it would. I'm just not certain it does. (Am I just making my point more unclear?) :)
Posted: 4/14/15 at 11:05pm
They cut Rasputin? But I dream-cast Marc Kudish all this time! And I love his song! I wonder how the plot is going to work without him, because he's the only villain, he drives the story. Did they create another villain/antagonist for the stage adaptation?
Anyway, every time I hear that they keep working on it it makes me very happy. I adore the music and the story, but I'm not too keen on the animation part of the movie... Every time I listen to those songs though I just see this on stage in my head. I so hope this will really come to life... and soon!
Posted: 4/14/15 at 11:15pm
I think cutting Rasputin and Bartok is the right thing to do since they did stick out like a sore thumb in the film.
Posted: 4/15/15 at 1:24am
I'd be all for an adaptation of Anastasia, but not based on a kiddie, animated version. And to the poster who said Paris isn't really big on Broadway right now, have you read the reviews and seen the grosses for An American in Paris?
Posted: 4/15/15 at 1:36am
Did they create another villain/antagonist for the stage adaptation?
You can read the character breakdown here for some ideas.
Posted: 4/15/15 at 8:55am
The adaptation will focus on the relationship between Anastasia and Dimitri, and whether or not she is truly Anastasia- which is really the conflict of the story anyway.
Posted: 4/15/15 at 9:01am
Isn't Laura Osnes playing Anastasia sort of been there done that?
Posted: 4/15/15 at 9:17am
I just LIVE for that moment in the movie during Once Upon A December where the people in the paintings come out and float down to the ballroom floor to dance. I'm expecting the staging to be pretty epic.
