Angela Lansbury,Aaron Lazar,Aaron Tveit to Star in Anastasia Stage Reading

[Will42]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 12:57pm

BroadwayWorld.com has learned that casting is now under way for a 29-hour reading of ANASTASIA - A New Musical, based on the hit 1997 animated motion picture from Fox Animation Studios. The musical, which is in its Early Stages of development will feature the five songs from the film along with fifteen new songs written for the stage.

Currently set for the still-being-cast late July reading are Angela Lansbury (reprising her role from the film) and Aaron Lazar with other offers outstanding. Joining the creative team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty will be bookwriter Terrence McNally and Music Director Ben Cohn.

There is currently no official timeline for the project, which is in its Early Stages of development.

The story is inspired by an urban legend which claimed that Anastasia, the youngest daughter of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, in fact survived the execution of her family.

Read more: https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Rialto-Chatter-Exclusive-Ahrens-Flahertys-ANATASIA-Headed-to-the-Stage-Lansbury-Lazar-More-to-Star-in-Reading-20120615#ixzz1xsjjimEF


Updated On: 6/28/12 at 12:57 PM

[Wynbish]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 12:59pm

Wish Sierra Boggess wasn't busy. She even looks like the cartoon character.

[broadway guy]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 1:00pm

finally. i feel like eden espinosa would make a great anastasia. Hunter foster or Hadley Frasier would b a great dimitri

[emo_geek]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 1:12pm

There is a God!

[Will42]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 1:13pm

I'm just completely blown away by Ms. Lansbury's vitality and stamina. Not only she about to leave to Australia to star in Driving Miss Daisy (even though she has previously stated that she doesn't want to play leading roles on stage anymore) at the age of 87, but is in talks to potentially star in another Broadway show. It would make her 5th show since her return to B'way in 2007. What an amazing woman!
I'm so buying her work out video now, since whatever she's doing is obviously working.

[Lefou]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 1:20pm

Boggess would be brilliant, but so would Laura Osnes...

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 1:20pm

A while ago when a poster asked about Stage roles for Ms. L.,
I mentioned this one. I'm glad Angie reads my posts.

[James2]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 1:29pm

That article says "five songs from the film" when the movie had six not counting reprises. I wonder which one got cut?

Also, who should play Vladimir and Rasputin?

[emo_geek]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 1:30pm

The movie has some seriously catchy songs.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 1:31pm

I love this film. It has lots of potentital to be a great musical.

[Will42]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 1:33pm

That was me. Could you please advice Ms. Lansbury to do a movie or at least guess star in a TV show (Smash, perhaps?) now?
Many thanks!

[Will42]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 1:44pm

I want Paul Esparza or Mandy Patinkin for Rasputin. How about Michael McGrath for Vladimir and Megan Mullally for Sophie (I doubt Bernadette Peters would be interested in playing such small role)?

[deck925]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 1:45pm

I've been waiting for this to happen, I hope it does well and comes to Broadway. Sierra or Laura would both be wonderful casting choices for Anastasia, and I can't wait to see what Ahrens and Flaherty add to the score!

[Kad]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 2:35pm

They seriously need to rewrite Rasputin for this. And cut Bartok.

Talk about tonal dissonance with the rest of the movie.

[philly03]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 2:45pm

I think the overall story would be great for stage, but agree the biggest problem is what to do with Rasputin - Rasputin needs a major rewrite and look at the character.

[Will42]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 2:45pm

Yeah, Bartok needs to go and Rasputin at least slightly needs to resemble real person.

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 3:05pm

Ugh I would KILL to hear Laura Osnes sing "Journey to the Past" what a great suggestion!

[Kad]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 3:06pm

It claims they are only using five songs from the movie- not counting reprises/reworkings of the songs, or the end credit songs, there are only 6. Hopefully Rasputin's is the one that got the axe. He's a completely arbitrary villain. He could even be cut entirely.

[Will42]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 3:15pm

Actually, that could be a good idea. Especially, since the real life Rasputin was killed in 1916, a year before the fall of Romanov's dynasty. Not that real life Anastasia has survived the 1918 massacre, but still.

Updated On: 6/15/12 at 03:15 PM

[Wynbish]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 3:18pm

Maybe the new villians could be rival cons looking to prove she is not Anastasia?

[Kad]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 3:19pm

I don't even think you need villains at all. There's already dramatic tension in the central plotline.

[DEClarke]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 3:35pm

Color me excited!

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 4:03pm

I agree. I love the movie, but Rasputin would be way too campy onstage.

[Wynbish]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 4:07pm

Wouldn't Gaston also fall into the villian-in-already-dramatic-tale position?

[E.Davis]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 4:09pm

I just got chills imagining what the Ghost Waltz could look like in Once Upon A December. In the right hands this could really be special.