u/Argentenuem

When I caught wind that the Broadway musical production of Anastasia was within driving distance, I had mixed emotions. Don Bluth’s 1997 film Anastasia is my favorite animated musical, more than any Disney movie I’ve ever seen. It’s one of my favorite movies of all time, and I have very strong childhood memories because of it. Very few movies I’ve seen have that combination of emotional resonance and nostalgia the same way Anastasia does. That’s exactly why I was slightly hesitant to actually go see the musical. I knew the musical existed for many years, but the only thing I knew about it was that it was very different from the movie. I didn’t know what specifically was changed. The idea of rewriting one of my favorite childhood movies scared me a little. Even so, I was able to recognize that this was an opportunity I would be foolish to squander. I had seen a couple of school musicals and a play or two, but never a full, big-budget Broadway musical production. Musicals are something a lot of people talk about, but I never interacted with, though I was more than open to seeing them. I had to whet my appetite eventually, and what better way to do that than with an adaptation of my favorite animated musical film? I decided to give Anastasia a chance. I invited my friend Ariana with me, we cleared our schedules, and we went to go see it.

It has been a few days since then, and I can confidently say that it was one of the most wonderful things I’ve ever seen. I’m so glad I went into this blind, because I’m not sure I would have gone if I knew what was changed. As expected, there were a few changes I didn’t like. I think Anya not having the music box until she meets Dimitri is lame. I get that it would be unlikely for a soviet citizen to keep something that valuable that long without trading it for food or getting it stolen somewhere, but it’s the only thing that she had from her previous life and therefore her only clue to her true identity, so I think it’s much more powerful that she DID hold onto it for that long. She could have at least kept it buried somewhere to prevent someone else from getting to it. Also, the scene where she turns against Dimitri towards the end after realizing he was using her the whole time is cut drastically short and lacks the action sequence I liked from the movie. Lastly, Anya herself is far less feisty and sassy than I’m used to. I think her softening up over time as she reclaims her identity would be more tangible and rewarding, but having her be mostly gentle from the get-go makes little sense to me.

Other than that, every other change made perfect sense to me, and I actually really loved them. The movie was animated, so they were allowed to be more exaggerated and fantastical, but the musical took a more grounded, realistic approach that really took time to flesh out the main characters and their relationships with each other. The biggest example of this was the removal of Rasputin and Bartok in favor of Gleb. I love Rasputin and Bartok, and I miss Into the Dark of the Night, but the villain being a representative of the oppressive Communist regime the main characters are fleeing from ties into the overall themes of the story so much more, even if I could see Gleb’s arc resolution coming from a mile away. Gleb’s dynamic with Anya is far stronger and deeper than Rasputin’s was, and he’s also personally involved with the plot a lot sooner. Even though “Into the Dark of the Night” was sadly cut, its melody made its way into a new song that’s roughly in the same spot. There are other changes I was appreciative of also. Anya’s full backstory was mostly cut, to leave a sliver of doubt to those in the audience who are unfamiliar with the story. Vlad was given a backstory, as well as a thinner frame, since the USSR was infamous for starving its citizens. Every major character got a song of their own. The songs carried over from the movie are greatly expanded upon and placed in more appropriate locations for the sake of the story’s flow. Almost nothing was lost musically, just shuffled around. It’s crazy to me that the musical was so good that it vastly improved upon something I thought was nearly flawless. Literally the only problem I had from the original movie was that it didn’t portray Communism badly enough, and the musical more than made up for it.

The new songs were nice, though I do think that having a second song named after St. Petersburg is a bit silly. I’m sure they’ll grow on me over time as I listen to them again and again. The returning songs from the movie and their newly-added reprises are what moved me the most, since those melodies are special and nostalgic to me. I got extremely giddy (and teared up) the instant I recognized the melodies to “Rumor in St. Petersburg”, “Once Upon a December”, and “Journey to the Past.” I had to suppress every fibre of my being to prevent myself from clapping and singing along for fear of disturbing those seated next to me. I don't remember the last time I felt this energized and excited over anything. Hell, I could easily imagine an alternate timeline where I was born an extrovert and became a theater kid.

Anastasia: The Musical was a fantastic, whimsical adventure, and if it ever comes near me again, I’m taking my whole family to go see it. I may be an introvert with low energy, but this whole experience really put pep in my step, and had me singing and dancing even after I got home. It made me feel like a kid again in a way very few things do. For my first Broadway musical, I don’t think I could have forged a stronger memory. I love it with all my heart and soul. <3