Anastasia

Two things about this musical adaptation of the animated movie Anastasia.

1. They are cutting out Rasputin and Bartok. Animation fans I have chatted with don't like this since they considered them the best part of the movie. I can definitely understand why they made that decision.

2. They brought the songwriters back to add new songs and they moved "Journey to the Past" to the end of Act I when they are nearing Paris. I've recently listened to the song and from what I heard, it makes perfect sense.

I 100% agree with removing Rasputin and I can't really see why anyone would disagree. I really know nothing about the new antagonist figure (A Soviet Agent sent to verify if Anastasia really is the lost princess and, if she is, kill her), but at least he sounds more involved in the plot and the main characters than Rasputin does.

I mean, ok, I get that Bartok and Rasputin are funny and he has a badass SOUNDING (it look really pathetic because... bug back up singers? really?) Villain Song, but neither of them actually do anything. The plot of Anastasia getting to Paris and finding her grandmother rolls around for awhile and, every so often, some random magic happens to remind us that Rasputin is a thing and then the actual plot continues like normal.

Anya (that really should be Nastya) and everyone are on the train. Train gets taken over by Rasputin's... green demon things. Suddenly the train's engineers are missing and the train is going to crash, but the heroes escape! Except... they just witnessed a bridge explode because of magic and then a train randomly crash undoubtedly killing all of the passengers. The protagonists never reflect on this or acknowledge the event ever again.

Later, Anya gets up from her bed and tries to commit suicide and throw herself from the ship. Demetri saves her and... neither of them really question this moment ever again. Bad dream or not, you'd think 'Uh, you almost killed yourself in your sleep!' would warrant a conversation or two.

Then its the climax! Anya leaves the party to follow her dog and gets enticed to one of the big Parisan bridges (how the palace maze led to a public bridge is anyone's guess). She's finally confronted with Raputin who is... Well, they've shared almost no screen time up until now. In fact, I'm shocked she even knows who he is at this point. It would have been absolutely hilarious if he showed up all dramatic and she... doesn't know who the hell he is at all.

To make it even worse, Demitri shows up and doesn't question the situation either. Who is the guy attacking Ana? Why does he have magic? WTF HE MADE A STATUE COME TO LIFE?! As soon as Rasputin is dead, he's never really mentioned again. Anya decides to stay 'missing' and run off with Demitri and live Happily Ever After.

I hate to say it, but Rasputin could be completely and 100% excised from the story and it would lose very little. He doesn't factor into any of the major plotlines and, when he does have some affect on something, it becomes a Big Lipped Alligator Moment because its never mentioned again. If he's there to show a character's growth, then he doesn't work that way either. Anya mentions early on in 'Journey to the Past', Life is full of choices/No one mentions fear. So, one could say that Rasputin is there for Anya to get over her fears. But those fears aren't a significant enough part of her character for me to see it as a worthy climax for the journey.

At least this new antagonist sounds like he's a complex character, poses a real world threat to Ana's life, and his sudden meeting climax at the end of the story at least makes sense.

Sorry if that sounded like a rant.

edited 14th Aug '16 1:42:41 AM by InkDagger

It is true that Rasputin is rather extraneous to the plot, but In the Dark of the Night is, by far, the most memorable song of the entire film. Cutting a entertaining but extraneous antagonist? Sure. Losing the movie's best number? No.

I'd argue that just means the actors and actresses have a bit to work with in making the other numbers just as good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13UvuhiVin0

Journey to the Past works as a pretty good Act 1 Finale it seems.

I think it's out now. How is it? :)

It makes sense that they'd cut Bartok. A talking cartoon animal works well in an animated movie aimed at kids, but on stage you're going to need to put a lot of effort into doing something like that (usually with puppets), and in this case it isn't particularly vital to the plot. Similar to how the stage version of Hunchback drastically tones down the Gargoyles and nixes the goat entirely.

Well, the Gargoyles are still there, just in a vastly different role. They're not comic relief, but an expression of Quasimodo. And, since I saw the Sacramento production of Hunchback, they also acted as his voice since Quasi was played by a deaf actor who signed the songs while one Garrgoyle was designated as his 'voice'. Excellent performance.

Anyway, I don't know how well its doing. All the youtube channels I found with videos of the performances have been axed. Naturally so, but still annoying because I want to know what its like and not everyone can afford to go to Chicago to see a show they might not enjoy.

Ramin Karimloo (AKA the Phantom in the better film version of Webber's musical) has been cast in the Broadway version as the villain.

edited 23rd Sep '16 7:36:29 PM by DS9guy

He also played JVJ in the Les Mis American tour a few years back. I saw it when it hit TO...and ’OH MY FUCKING GOD WAS HE AWESOME'

Previews are underway now.

It's playing at the Broadhurst and I have seen that theater described in one word: intimate.

It's amazing.

I saw it twice last year, once in previews, and then once with a friend who was visiting NY.

Gleb is... ahhh a lot of reviewers were confused by the character, because he's neither an alternative love interest nor a card-carrying villain, but that's what makes him interesting! That's what makes him compelling. Basically, the reviewers didn't think a "princess show" should be allowed to have actually complex characters.

Oh, and Ramin Karimloo was Enjolras in the 25th Anniversary concert of Les Miz, too. It's actually interesting to think of this character through that comparison - Gleb is, essentially, when the revolution does succeed, and Enjolras, without realizing it, has become Javert. Ramin also played Che in Evita in Tokyo recently, on that revolutionary note.

There are some bootlegs of the CT run floating around online, but they changed so much after that for the actual Broadway production. The actual Broadway production is amazing.

The set designs are also something that needs to be mentioned. They're pretty stunning, and the use of changing digital backgrounds is quite amazing - especially the end of "Journey to the Past", the train scene, and "Paris Holds the Key To Your Heart".

........ they also cut the adult-bonus historical references from Paris Holds the Key, which like... makes sense. They wouldn't work in the stage production. They tried it in the CT version and it just came across as really cheesy. (Side note: It's so interesting to see this after having seen An American in Paris on Broadway...)

New songs are amazing.

The tune from "In the Dark of the Night" is reused as an emotional song about the feelings of the people on the train about leaving Russia, "How can I desert you, how to tell you why?/ Coachmen, hold the horses, stay, I pray you/ Let me have a moment, let me say goodbye..." and then poetic descriptions of nature scenes to the tune of the "come my minions" part - a much better use of that melody.

"The Neva Flows", and "Land of Yesterday" are amazing.

The lyrics of "A Rumor in St. Petersburg" are a lot more political and direct, too.

It's not perfect, it has slow moments, but it's better than probably 80-90% of musicals, in my opinion.

This is probably all old news now, but I thought I'd share my thoughts anyway...

2021 update: So, in Japan, there have been both regular productions and a Takarazuka Revue production. In the regular production, the voice actor of Vil from Twisted Wonderland was Dmitri. He was also Enjolras in Les Miserables recently.

Edited by lavendermintrose on Jul 1st 2021 at 4:11:30 AM