Since the Broadway shutdown, my musical intake has been pretty subpar. The last show I saw on Broadway was “Beetlejuice” in February 2020. And the last show I saw on tour was in December 2021. So, of course, I was thrilled to see “Anastasia” was making it to Luhrs, and seeing it live truly reminded me why I love musical theatre.

“Anastasia” is the story, or rather the legend, of the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna, who was rumored to be the sole survivor of the Romanovs. Years later, two con artists hope to cash in the reward for finding the lost Anastasia and attempt to use a street worker named Anya. Over time, romance blossoms, enemies are made and the pieces start falling into place that Anya might be the missing princess.

Besides a few songs and a vague memory of the original animated film, I went into “Anastasia” completely cold. Right away, I was speechless at the terrific set design and costuming throughout. The sets are mainly rear projections, but their implementation into the show never distracts and makes the scope feel so much grander. The cast is constantly swapping costumes throughout, and each of them is just as beautiful as the next.

With it being a musical, I’m happy to report that the songs and performances were also stellar from beginning to end. Veronica Stern and Willem Butler dazzled with their magnetic chemistry as Anya and Dmitry. Madeline Raube and Bryan Seastrom stole the show with their comedic supporting roles as Vlad and Lily. You also had some truly standout ensemble performances from Amin Fuson and Zoie Lee. For me however, the true powerhouse in this cast was Christian McQueen as Gleb.

Going in, I was familiar with Ramin Karimloo’s original performance on Broadway and worried that whoever would play the role wouldn’t reach the bar he set. Thankfully, my worries vanished the moment McQueen took the stage. On top of having a phenomenal stage presence, McQueen’s vocals truly convey both the fiery rage and buried sweetness the role requires. “The Neva Flows” and “Still” were easily my favorite numbers of the night, and I was thrilled to see them reprised in Act Two.

Some of the other standout numbers from the evening include the energized “Land of Yesterday”, Anya’s big Act One closer “Journey to the Past”, and “Once Upon a December” and “Stay, I Pray You” were equally beautiful and haunting at the same time.

If I have to knock the musical points for anything, it would mainly be some weird tonal shifts towards the end of the first act. I also noticed the occasional awkward staging, but again this is mainly relegated to the show’s first act. 

“Anastasia” was truly a wonderful time and reminded me why musical theatre is such a wonderful thing, and I truly hope that more shows like it find their way to the Luhrs Performing Art Center soon.

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