Once upon a December at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre, a musical based on a movie based on a rumour transports the audience from the fading grandeur of Imperial Russia to the shimmering promise of Paris, in an unforgettable tale of love, loss, and identity where history and legend intertwine.
Making its Australian premiere, Anastasia The Musical is presented by Opera Australia and Tony Award-winning collaborators Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, with book by Terrence McNally and direction by Darko Tresnjak.
Over a century ago, the Russian royal family met a tragic end, but that was just the start of their story. The tale of the Romanovs would capture the imagination of the world, sparking conspiracy theories, inspiring impostors and resulting in multiple adaptations across stage and screen, including the beloved 1997 animated film.
Largely fictionalised, the film reimagined history into a sweeping romantic fantasy framed by a fallen dynasty, star-crossed lovers, and a young woman’s search for truth and a rightful place to call home. But much like the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen’s morbid tales were given the Disney treatment, Anastasia’s romantic veneer conceals an origin not only real but nightmarish.
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Following the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, the Russian Imperial family, Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, and their five children, including Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna, were imprisoned and in 1918 brutally executed. Rumours of Anastasia’s survival circulated for decades, fuelled by a hidden burial site and claims from several impostors, most famously Anna Anderson.
It wasn’t until 2008 that DNA testing conclusively confirmed that the family had died together, finally resolving a long-standing mystery.
Inspired by the Oscar-nominated 1997 animated film, which was in turn based on the 1956 film starring Ingrid Bergman, Anastasia The Musical opened on Broadway in 2017 and was nominated for two Tony Awards and nine Drama Desk Awards.
Leading the Australian production with warmth and assurance, Georgina Hopson anchors the show as the courageous and feisty Anya. Her portrayal resonates with the awareness of an actress skilled in bringing fictional women to life within real historical worlds, echoing her earlier role as Rose DeWitt Bukater in the musical parody of Titanique.
Our journey to the past begins in 1906 in Saint Petersburg, as a young Anastasia clings to a music box gifted to her by her grandmother, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, before the Empress leaves for Paris.
Years later, the Romanovs are torn apart after the Bolsheviks invade the palace, and while the Empress grieves in exile, whispers of Anastasia’s survival echo through a grieving Russia. As the Dowager Empress, Nancye Haynes exudes regal authority tempered with the bitterness of a heart too many times broken.
Fast-forward and two con men, Dmitry, charmingly played by Robert Tripolini, and Vlad, a loveable former member of the Imperial Court, portrayed with mischievous flair by Rodney Dobson, are searching for an Anastasia look-alike to swindle the Empress for reward money when they meet a spirited young woman named Anya, who bears a striking resemblance to the lost princess but has only fleeting memories of her past.
While fans of the film will recognise familiar scenes, including the thrilling train sequence and the Paris ballet, the stage adaptation deviates from the animated version, most notably in its removal of Rasputin’s supernatural vendetta, leaving only the most subtle motifs of In The Dark Of The Night.
Instead, the musical grounds the story in history, focusing on the complexities of the Soviet regime in post-revolutionary Russia. Bartok the bat and all his comedic one-liners are gone, and Rasputin is replaced by General Gleb Vaganov, a Bolshevik officer torn between his father’s role in the Romanovs' assassination and his growing feelings for Anya.
Played by Joshua Robson, Gleb’s numbers, particularly The Neva Flows and Still convey his inner turmoil with moral tension and melancholy. Robson effortlessly gives the show’s most impressive male performance, his commanding vocals lending the character both gravitas and emotional depth.
Another subtle difference is that the character of Countess Lily (formerly Sophie in the film) has an expanded backstory with Vlad. Played by Rhonda Burchmore, she brings flirtatious comedic charm to Act II, particularly in the impressive bar scene, Land Of Yesterday. Meanwhile, The Countess And The Common Man is so delightful it almost deserves its own spin-off.
Supported by these remarkable performances this epic story comes alive on stage as Anya, Dmitry, and Vlad embark on a sprawling adventure to uncover the truth of her past, bolstered by expanded characterisation and further amplified by the show’s evocative score.
Musically, Anastasia honours its animated roots with many beloved numbers from the film, while enriching the story with 16 new songs.
Once Upon A December emerges as the show’s emotional cornerstone; its haunting melody weaves throughout the production like a half-remembered lullaby. Echoing the iconic music box, the motif acts as a powerful narrative device, symbolising Anya’s fractured memories. However, its first appearance midway through Act I proves less effective than its original placement in the film.
In contrast, Journey To The Past, now positioned at the end of Act I, works even better than its original position in the film. It stands as the show’s most breathtaking number, as Hopson’s voice soars with triumphant radiance as Anya stands on the precipice of her destiny in Paris.
Learn To Do It added a delightfully light-hearted counterpoint to the show’s more emotionally charged numbers. While lively ensemble numbers including A Rumor In St. Petersburg and Paris Holds The Key (To Your Heart) injected momentum and infectious energy into the show.
Among the new songs, In My Dreams stands out as it captures Anya’s yearning with quiet restraint, while My Petersburg and Stay, I Pray You express two contrasting shades of love for one’s homeland.
Complimenting the score Peggy Hickey’s choreography balances stately precision with a verve de vie, capturing both the rigidity of revolution-era Russia and the exuberance of Parisian escapism.
Two-time Tony-winning costume designer Linda Cho’s creations are truly something to behold. From lavish ball gowns dripping in imperial splendour to austere military uniforms, drab streetwear and glamorous Parisian attire, the designs capture the contrast in social class and locale.
Alexis Van Maanen, as Tsarina, wore the most opulent gown in the show, eliciting audible gasps from the audience, while Hopson wore Anastasia’s signature midnight blue gown with graceful poise, and looked positively regal in the red finale dress.
The production relies on Tony-nominated scenic designer Alexander Dodge’s panoramic sets to carry the audience from the gilded halls and sombre, wintery streets of Saint Petersburg to glittering boulevards and ballrooms of Paris. Enhanced by immersive video projections by Aaron Rhyme, the effect is a visual feast, nothing short of breathtaking.
Exuding royal grandeur, Anastasia is a theatrical spectacle that dazzles on every front and will leave you spellbound. The production will play in Melbourne until late February before it embarks on a national tour.
