When music celebrates home, love and family.Have you had the chance to take a journey to the past with Broadway’s new musical Anastasia?
The Original Broadway Cast Recording was released June 9.
Tony Award winning musical theatre dream team Stephen Flaherty (composer) and Lynn Ahrens (lyricist).
The album features Christy Altomare as Anastasia and Derek Klena as Dmitry.
A beautiful political story of a young woman who works to discover her past.
The musical portrays the story of the legend of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, granddaughter to Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna.
Maria gives Anastasia a music box before Maria moves to Paris. Ten years later, while at a ball with her family, the Bolsheviks break into the palace and attack. Anastasia is presumed to be dead with the rest of her family.
Anastasia (Anya) escapes the execution, but develops amnesia and does not remember losing her family. In the musical, Anastasia does not remember this.
When a rumour arises that Anastasia is alive, two con men, Dmitry and Vlad Popov, look for someone to pose as the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna’s granddaughter. They meet Anya and decide to groom her to pose as the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna’s granddaughter to bring her to the Empress for money.
There’s the classic I Want number, “Journey to the Past”. It’s the 11th track in. The tempo is slower than the movie version.
And then there’s “Once Upon a December” – beautiful lullaby. I don’t really remember it from watching the film.
Musical theatre composition relies on repetition of melody. The “Once Upon a December” melody is repeated throughout the album.
And “In a Crowd of Thousands” is a beautiful duet between Anya and Dimitry.
Throughout the listen to the soundtrack, the music reminded me of a few shows.
The darker and hopeful moments, Les Miz and Jekyll and Hyde. Haunting.
The lighter moments, Cinderella.
Overall?
Anastasia, the Original Broadway Cast Recording is an enchanting and inspirational portrayal of a young woman’s journey of discovery with a political backdrop expressed through music.
Music fans, don’t fail your music-loving heart, now.
Take a journey to the past with Anastasia.
Monika Weatherly 