With a sizzling production, Director and Choreographer Parker Esse brings to La Mirada Theatre the turbulent rise of the Bolsheviks and the tragic fall of the Russian Imperial family, one song at a time.
It was at the beginning of 1917 when the Romanovs were placed under house arrest by the Bolsheviks. A few months later on 17 July, the Imperial family was killed by an execution squad. The musical Anastasia is based on the rumors that circulated at the time about the possible escape of the 17-year-old Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia.
Right before leaving for Paris, Empress Maria (mezzo-soprano Suzanna Guzmán) gives her young granddaughter Anastasia (Elayne Cowden) a music box as a gift. Anastasia stays with her parents and siblings to continue her imperial life in Russia. Years later, however, the revolutionaries storm the palace with violence and capture the Romanovs. As the Bolsheviks start to take control of the country, the rumors of Anastasia escaping the execution of her family start to circulate. Taking advantage of the situation, two con men in Saint Petersburg, Dmitry (Dillon Klena) and Vlad Popov (Peyton Crim) set up a plan to take money from Empress Maria by presenting her a girl impersonating her granddaughter Anastasia. While they audition different girls for the scheme, a street sweeper shows up. Her name is Anya (Lena Ceja), who doesn’t fully remember her childhood due to amnesia. There is something special about this girl, so Dimitry and Vlad decide to take her in, train her in imperial manners and hope for the best. From there, the story takes the three characters to Paris; it’s a journey with many unknowns and far less certainty.
There are several things that elevate this production. For one, the use of professional ballet dancers. Anton Harrison LaMon stands out as Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake. His posture, flexibility, and strength reveal his professional training in ballet, a dancer that adds a touch of fantasy to the story. These kinds of details show Esse’s ability to add value to a show of this magnitude. The use of props is also a visual asset to this musical. The train scene is highly kinetic with minimal prop movement. The background projection does the trick. Although projectors can be a hit or miss, most of the images used in this production are used effectively to create a three-dimensional space. Together with the columns, the projections add depth, simulating grand and sumptuous interiors.
As for the star of the show, Ceja shines as Anastasia. She is charismatic and full of energy with a versatile vocal range. She also shows a keen ability to convey the various emotional states of the scenes, making her character feel relatable in the mythic world of Anastasia. Likewise, Klena and Crim give their characters the necessary quirkiness to complement the humor and romance of the story. Groundlings-trained Sarah Wolter as Countess Lily is phenomenal as well. Wolter and Crim show a great deal of chemistry on stage, spicing up their scenes together when rekindling their romance. Richard Bermudez as Gleb Vaganov blends exceptionally well in the story. This character has replaced Rasputin from the 1997 animated film. This creative decision by the creators of the musical adds a political undertone to the context. Ramirez embodies the loyal instrument of the state, but also the heart of a man in love, leading the story to an inflection point.
The music, of course, is crucial to create a great show, and Musical Director Ryan O’Connell takes the audience to a captivating landscape, where folk Russian music and powerful pop numbers capture the history and romance of the transitional period. The numbers in the Neva Club, the ballet, and the palace are examples of a music infused by classical and popular elements, a powerful combination by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, who had the freedom to experiment with more textures that they did when they worked under the studio system for 20th Century Fox. The result is practically a whole new musical work, except for a few songs from the animated film. The costumes also help to tell the story. They’re appealing and spectacular. It’s a journey from the opulent Romanov dynasty style—with Eastern, military, and European royal silhouettes—to the festive and famous La Garçonne style of the roaring twenties in Paris. All of these elements together with the lighting design offer a vibrant and compelling story. All of that put together in three weeks by a dedicated team of creatives. Another win for La Mirada Theatre, a spacious and lively theatre offering spectacular productions to the local scene.
ANASTASIA
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
14900 La Mirada Blvd.
La Mirada, CA 90638
Saturday, June 6 at 8 pm (Press Opening) through Sunday, June 28 at 6:30 pm.
Tickets: lamiradatheatre.com
Book by TERRENCE McNALLY. Music by STEPHEN FLAHERTY. Lyrics by LYNN AHRENS. Inspired by the Twentieth Century Fox Motion Picture, by special arrangement with Buena Vista Theatrical. From the Play by MARCELLE MAURETTE as adapted by GUY BOLTON.
Musical Direction by RYAN O’CONNELL
Direction and Choreography by PARKER ESSE
Cast: Lena Ceja, Dillon Klena, Peyton Crim, Richard Bermudez, Sarah Wolter, Suzanna Guzmán, Annabelle Bergold, and Elayne Cowden. The Ensemble will feature Sofia Aniceto, Tucker Knowlton Boyes, Wes Dameron, Lauren Decierdo, Michael Deni, Christopher Ho, Anton Harrison LaMon, Tayler Mettra, Shanon Mari Mills, Natalie Palmgren, Rasha Willes-Samaha, Kyle Vaughn, and Toni Elizabeth White. The Swings will be Michael Laverde and Sabrina Marielle.
Creative team: Lighting Design by Jennifer Edwards; Sound Design by Josh Bessom; Projections Design by Aaron Rhyne; Costume Coordinator is Adam Ramirez; Hair/Wig Design by Kaitlin Yagen; Properties Supervisor by Kevin Williams. The Casting Director is Julia Flores. The Production Stage Manager is Julian Olive.
