Broadway Star Joined: 6/28/03
haha i almost forgot what my avatar was....it's appropriate for this conversation i believe
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/19/06
oh ya btw they made this show into an ice show i saw it when i was little
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/19/06
oh ya btw they made this show into an ice show i saw it when i was little
When ANASTASIA was released to theatres there was excellent advance buzz and many stories highlighted the fact that it was nice to have a big budget well-made animatted film that was NOT controlled by Disney.
Disney didn't like this.
They were planning a re-release of LITTLE MERMAID for the Thanksgiving holiday 2 weeks later and they bumped the opening date up so it opened the same weekend as ANASTASIA!!
Still ANASTASIA did well and has been a steady seller on video.
ANYA "the musical musical" - waheter THAT means - was a 16 performance flop. The OCR (not on cd) has wonderful score with melodies taken from Rachmaninov. The re-weritten ANASATSIA AFFAIR is on CD (with just piano accomaniment) and is deadly dull.
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
Haha KJ you took the words right out of my mouth! Who cares how historically accurate a script is. It is an entertaining story with a great score and I would love to see it on Broadway! I think the reason that the other stage adaptations of this story didn't work was because they tried to make it to accurate. If they take a hint from the good ole' folks at Disney and make a light, fun, show I think it would work quite well!
I think that this could make a good musical! I love listening to the soundtrack, especially Once Upon a December. It's so beautiful, and I think I enjoy the ghosts in that scene a bit too much.
Hello eveyone,
I can't beieve this thread has gone on for so long about the greatness of ANASTASIA, blah blah blah, Sutton Foster (!)blah blah blah, without the mention of the one name that really made the music AMAZING-- the person within whom this greatness manifested, and that name is LIZ CALLAWAY-- singing voice of ANASTASIA. I think each and everyons of you deserves a smack in the head.
Your friend, Bluefame
I'm sorry, BlueFlame, I almost mentioned her but I didn't. I also love her voice.
i was just about to say that!
liz calaway is my favorite part of the movie!
ALSO BERNADETTE PETERS AS SOPHIE is priceless. teh siging voice of dimitri has also been in a number of broadway shows as a replacemtn, including into the woods, hairspray, chess, company...the whole cast is talented.
my mom and i watched the m,ovie yesterday too, and the whole tiem we were talking about what a great stage show it would be. The songs, teh possible set desin (with russia and paris), teh amazing roles for actors...
it would eb fabulous. as someon whos done two flaherty/ahrens shows (once on this island and seussical) i have to say i fully support teh idea!
im glad im not alone! the whole movie is magic.
and i dont think it matters much that the history is off. no oen seemed to complain that the enchanted objects in BATB are lifesized....no one really cares too much about that suff and if they are they are snootie, and cant just ENJOY some plain simple entertainment. thats all it is. they arent a history book telling people THIS IS HOW IT HAPPENED. its just meant to be enjoyed. thats all theater is.
something to enjoy.
so. there.
Broadway Star Joined: 6/28/03
I agree....Liz Callaway has an amazing voice. I can listen to her all the time. But the thing is Anya is supposed to be 18 and I don't know..Liz doesn't look 18. That's just my opinion however, and I love her voice a lot. She sings on the Swan Princess cd, with Howard McGillan and shes on the Aladdin sequel soundtracks. She has a very pretty "Disney" like voice.
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/25/04
I just watched this movie today and thought the same thing. How ironic.
I think it would be a little hard to create the whole Rasputin underworld and also create all those green monsterous things that Rasputins wand thing sends out, for the theater. I'd love to see it happen though!!
I thought the movie should be renamed Aneshthesia.
I just watched this movie today and thought the same thing. How ironic.
Haha I just went with my friends and she bought the cd and dvd! Wow!
I think it could work if they reworked the story a bit. In the movie you're led to believe that she was the real Anastasia, but I would leave it ambiguous. Or better yet, have the audience realize she's an imposter but sympathize with her plight. I like how in the original play ANASTASIA, the Dowager Empress is asked at the finale what they should tell the people gathered for the press conference, after "Anastasia" has disappeared yet again, and she replies, "Why, I'll say,'Go home. The play is over.'" In other words, she realized that the girl claiming to be Anastasia was an actress after all.
i agree that the movie leads us to believe that she is anastasia, especially during the "learn to do it" songs where she suddenly knows things, this can only work if she is "in" on the scheme and then not a sympathetic lead. If there was a way for it to be ambiguous, the yes, it would be wonderful, but it will be very difficult. maybe the things she "remembers" can be common knowledge or part of some story she learned at the orphange, it would have to be explained.
If it is done i request that they keep the audition section in because it has the greatest line in the movie. The other night my friends and i watched the movie and we stop and replayed the line probally like 30 times...
"Grandmama, it's me Anasatasia."
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
I wish this were really happening. Hmm...maybe I shall make it happen...
Broadway Star Joined: 6/28/03
i see what y'all mean, but i personally like the fact that she really is Anastasia. but the other way is cool too
I have thought this for a LONG LONG LONG time! It would do well!
Did he make this script up or he actually got it from somewhere? I would LOVE to see this script. Did it follow the movie closely or not? I think it would be an interesting show to see, but something might have to changed.
I love this movie, and the music is beautiful. I don't really think that it has the commercial appeal to be successful on Broadway, but it would be very cool to see.
Anyway, it's an animated movie.... the historical inaccuracies are no more egregious than they are for some of Disney's movies (hello, Pochahontas).
Watched in on tv today, it's an awesome movie, i loved the story of the "mystery" when i was little.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
I ALMOST posted a new thread on this but are you all proud of me? I SEARCHED!!!! And HERE IT IS! hahahahah!!!
I am watching Anastasia now and I am sitting here thinking, wouldn't Sutton Foster be a really cute Anastasia. I love Sutton. I ADORE Liz Callaway...but she can't play Anastasia on stage anymore.
Then I thought wouldn't this be a great Broadway musical!
I think so. I thought Beauty and the Beast would be great on Broadway too when I first saw the movie and everyone poo-poo'ed me!
I love this story and it DOES make me cry...but I am quite the sap.
This was the first animated movie that my wife and I saw together- LOVE IT !!! The score is excellent !
The singing voice of Dimitri in the movie is Jonathan Dokuchitz, who is currently playing Corny Collins in Hairspray on Broadway and was Mr. Walker in Tommy. I love love love his voice. There are also lots of Broadway voices in the ensemble--Vicki Clark and Jeff Blumenkrantz have solos in A Rumor In St. Petersberg.
And Sutton Foster may be young, but as long as the argument is being made, she's no 18 years old either.
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