ANASTASIA – Book by Terrence McNally; Music by Stephen Flaherty; Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens; Directed by Shelly Gaza; Music Direction by Katie Hughes; Choreography by Kate Vallee Maclaren. Produced by Candlelight Dinner Playhouse (4747 Marketplace Drive, Johnstown) through August 31. Tickets available at 970-744-3747 or ColoradoCandlelight.com.
Months ago, when the touring company of ANASTASIA played at the Buell, they told the romantic story and sang the beautiful music in a production that was blessed with magnificent, mind-bending projection special effects. An faux explosion that practically blew those in the first ten rows out of their seats, a realistic journey on a train that allowed the prospective to change as they ran to different parts of the machine, and, the most amazing, which allowed Anastasia to revisit the site of a ball she had attended as a child and to dance with the ghosts of her murdered family.
When Candlelight announced that they were doing this show, I wondered how they were going to duplicate those complicated technical special effects. Wisely, they chose not to. Instead, they created the chaos of the explosion and its aftermath through smoke, the frightened action of the actors, and the dramatic music that accompanied the scene. While not enjoying the movement of the complicated train journey, they still managed to convey the anxious dialogue of that scene without changing the background. The scene with the dancing ghosts became beautifully nostalgic when the actors returned to the stage in their ball gowns and danced through a cloud of mist and around the watching Anastasia. What this achieved was a much more authentic style of storytelling, which relied on the stage pictures created by talented actors/dancers rather than on the (while beautiful) artifact of special effects. This had to be the result of a collaboration between the creative team of Shelly Gaza (the director whose theatrical vision was honored), Kate Vallee Maclaren and Dave Clark (the administrators who said “make it happen), Josiah Buhre (the technical director who implemented the vision visually), Mark Derryberry (who created the sound design that made everything believable), Katie Simonson (whose lighting design tricked our eyes into seeing what they all wanted us to see) and the hard-working crew in the booth and backstage who made it all happen. Congratulations to all of you for making these particular creative decisions to create authenticity.
But, of course, it wouldn’t have all happened without the dedication of the people on stage who worked equally hard to add their own touch of genius to the project. New to the mix is the young lady who took on the crucial role of Anastasia herself with confidence and moxie. Katie Stone, only a junior in college, has the promise of a long and successful career as a performer if this is any indication. The journey of Anya (as Anastasia is called through most of the play) calls for the actress to express fear, confusion, vulnerability, sorrow, spunkiness, character, and confidence, all the while singing like an angel. No small feat and yet . . .
Her two mentors, who initially exploit her for financial gain, are Dmitry, played by returning Jazz Mueller, and Vlad, created by Scott Severtson. Jazz, a relative newcomer to Candlelight, delights again as a romantic partner to Anya. His slow acceptance of her truth and what it will mean to them is heartbreaking to watch. His partner in “crime” is Vlad, a true con man who also comes under Anya’s spell and doesn’t mind having an excuse to journey to Paris to reunite with his love. Scott provides early comic relief with a touch of humanity mixed into his larceny.
It’s also delightful to see Scott and Tracy Warren be reunited on stage again after years of doing shows together at BDT Stage. Tracy returns to bring Anastasia’s grandmother to life. Because of her life in Paris, she avoided being shot with the rest of the family, which forms the need for the trio to get there to be hopefully “accepted” by her grandmother. The scene in which they confront each other is a classic as they share memories. Not to be missed.
Additional comic relief comes in the form of Vlad’s former lover, Countess Lily, played by Sara Kowalski. Her residence with the Dowager Countess in Paris has allowed her to indulge in the high life of the Russian emigre community and welcome Vlad back into her life with gusto.
There must be a villain, of course, and, in this case, it’s a KGB officer determined to eliminate the last possible remnant of the aristocracy. Finding himself strangely attracted to this woman who pretends to be the lost princess, Jerod Mose plays the conflicted officer with appropriate nastiness and confusion.
This is a fairy tale production full of adventure, wrapped around a mystery, and embracing a love story. Another instance in which the Candlelight production brings heart and joy to their audiences.
A WOW factor of 9!!