There was a lot of excitement in the air for 'Anastasia'’s opening night at Perth’s Crown Theatre, with audience members arriving in Parisian chic – sequins, boas, tiaras, and glam – as a sea of fashionable decades await the Perth Premiere.
Inspired by the Twentieth Century Fox Motion Picture (1997), this rendition serves to ground the initial story in a modern fairy tale – as these stories are about everyone and start from stories of real people. While audiences may expect a creaking, and corpse-like Rasputin – or a wise-cracking bat, the production in fact returned us to the real-world history of the Romanovs and the civil war that changed the Russian landscape forever.
The opening performance introducing the royal family shifted into 'Rumour In St Petersburg' with such a rhythm, and seamless transition, it was like watching a live-action cinematic release. Mechanists expertly shifted set pieces, and backdrops, while using media screens with sweeping animations and visuals by Alexander Dodge and Aaron Rhyne.
At no point did the production slow down, or lose steam – each movement and action was deliberate – and you never wanted to look away!
A poignant piece at the heart of a touching story of identity and self-discovery, was in fact 'Stay, I Pray You'. As Anastasia, Dmitry, and Vlad wait to escape Russia to Paris, they await the last train out – preparing to flee their beloved country, along with many others, seeking refuge and brighter futures. It held such a psycho-social reverberation considering the current state of affairs; the fear, the ache of leaving a home you’ve only known, and with such lyrics as “I’ll bless my homeland ‘til I die”, is a sentiment felt across many generations of people. This moment transitioned into 'We’ll Go From There', where a train carriage apparatus became a character as much as the ensemble.
These moments, tied in with lighting and sound design, brought audience’s attention inward during solo performances, and pushed them out during vastly choreographed ensemble pieces – such as the ghostly visages of Anastasia’s family, to exciting Parisian club numbers.
Image © Jeff Busby
Georgina Hopson played the titular character, most known as Anya. Dressed in beautifully crafted costumes designed by Linda Cho, Hopson delivered a mesmerising performance. . . No, it was enthralling! Her vocal mastery never wavered or was knocked off by choreography. Each note carried your breath away, leaving goosepimples in its wake. With 'Once Upon A December' being my favourite song from the 1997 movie, all I can say is that Hopson could have been mistaken for Liz Callaway.
Robert Tripolino (Dmitry) and Rodney Dobson (Vlad) carried as much camaraderie and mateship as their 1997 counterparts and even strung some brevity along with the narrative. Tripolino’s voice carried, and harmonised effortlessly with Dobson, and Hopson – making 'Learn To Do It' as fun, entertaining, and animated to watch.
Joshua Robson replaces Rasputin as the son of a military man who led the coups against the Romanov family. Robson had such an interesting arc as a character, where he was driven by legacy and expectation, fighting inner and projected demons. Throughout, Robson’s burnished baritone was a powerhouse, and amplified his character’s presence every time he was on stage.
There’s so much more to say, and little time to explain – such as Sophia Bae, Davis Giotopoulos Moore, and Keian Langdon who took the stage as the three leads of Swan Lake, performing strong ballet movement in rhythm and timing to a chorus of vocalists – to the incomparable performances of Rhonda Burchmore (Countess Lily) and Nancye Hayes (Dowager Empress), embodying humour, regality, and magnetism.
What I can say is that 'Anastasia The Musical' is a once-in-a-lifetime performance that holds the same electrifying element audiences saw in 'Wicked', when it first landed in Australia. This is a testament to the creative team, the brilliantly selected cast and orchestral musicians, which resulted in a standing ovation for their Perth Premiere.
