Recently, on April 10th, 11th, and 12th, NDP theater put on the hit Broadway musical “Anastasia”. The show features Anya, played by the amazing Abby B. ‘25, who journeys to meet her grandmother, the Dowager Empress (played by Abby M. ’25), to figure out who she really is. Accompanied by Dmitry and Vlad, played by Max O. and Jack A., Anya must regain her true identity as Anastasia, while pursued by the evil Gleb, played by Teagle W. The beloved show takes inspiration from the (real) life of Anastasia Romanov, a Russian princess, but tries to answer one important question: What if Anastasia did not die? What if she had instead lived?
“Anastasia” is an adaptation of the 1997 classic Disney movie of the same name, but has a few key differences. The villain in the musical is a Soviet leader named Gleb, not the evil wizard Rasputin from the movie. The show also introduces a new character named Lily, played by our very own Ryan T. ’25. Lily is the Dowager’s Lady-in-Waiting who helps Anya and has a romance with Anya’s companion Vlad. Although the musical does alter some things, it still contains many amazing songs such as “Learn to Do It” and “Once Upon a December”. It also has the swoon-worthy romance between Anastasia and Dmitry!
“Anastasia“ was a wonderful experience for both the cast and the audience! Charlotte B. ’27 enjoyed her first show at NDP, saying, “It was a really good experience and everyone was really nice. It was so fun but went by so fast and I’m sad its over”. The audience also loved the show, saying it was “amazing” and they “loved it”! One audience member, Anna C. ’27, said she particularly enjoyed the quick cameo by Lucy B. ’27. Lucy came one for a moment during the song “Paris Holds the Key” to hand a rose to Dmitry. In her basket, you may have seen the elusive duck, Bella Hadid. Not only was her cameo excellent, but the rest of the stage crew also did a wonderful job. There were many different set pieces, including two sliding platforms and a (allegedly evil) bed. The large amount of pieces lead to a lot of painting, some of which was even done by cast members, but it all turned out perfect in the end.
The show was the last for many of the cast members, as six were seniors. These seniors are Abby B. (Anya/Anastasia), Abby M. (Dowager Empress), Ryan T. (Lily), Ceci B. (Ensemble), Angeline R. (Ensemble), and Lily C. (Ensemble). Nyla H., who works in the Sound Booth, and Sonya H., who works in Lights, will also be graduating at the end of this year. Abby M. ’25, recounts her last show by saying, “It was a pleasure to be amongst so many other talented people and it was a beautiful production! It was a great to way to end off my shows”.
The spring show is a bittersweet one, but “Anastasia” was fantastic. To all our seniors, we will miss your talents next year!