If you haven’t kept up with my life this past year, then let me fill you in. I have fallen deeply in love with Anastasia on Broadway. If you are indeed wondering, yes, Anastasia is the Broadway adaption of the 1997 Twentieth Century Fox animated film. The show opened in April of this year in New York City, and I have never felt such love for a show. I have personally never seen a show more than once, but Anastasia is the type of show I would love to see over and over again.
I have been keeping up with this show for about over two years now, and for very personal reasons, in which I’d like to express. Growing up, my grandmother and I adored the movie, mainly because we loved the real story and history of the Romanov family and Russian Revolution (I am now a major history buff on both subjects!). My grandmother was raised in Scotland her whole life, and her and my grandfather traveled the world immensely. Even after moving to America, my grandmother had traveled to Scotland and England whenever she could.
If you are familiar with the film at all, than you know that Anastasia and her grandmother had a strong bond. At the beginning of the film, her grandmother gives her a music box. The lullaby with the music box goes like this; “On the wind, cross the sea, hear this song and remember, soon you’ll be home with me, once upon a December”. This was my me and my grandmother’s same lullaby, that we took from the film. My grandmother even bought me a replica of the music box from the film! Needless to say, this film is very special to me. I will always remember that about a week after she passed away over two years ago, they announced that a musical adaption of Anastasia was in the works. This was around the time that I began talking to Christy Altomare.
Christy is the original and current Anya or Anastasia in the Broadway musical. Christy and I became Facebook friends about two years ago, and began messaging each other quite often. She has made such a positive impact on my life over the time I have known her, and she is someone I absolutely adore. She has been there for me about my grandmother, and I am so thankful to know her. I had the opportunity to see Anastasia this past June, and Christy invited me backstage afterwards. I cried throughout the entire show, mainly because, I was able to remember my grandmother in the most special way. She always wanted a Broadway adaptation and historically accurate depiction, and I was witnessing that very thing on that stage. My favorite line in the whole show, is when the grandmother gives Anastasia the music box; “When you play it, think of an old woman who loves you very much”.
Anastasia is very different from the film in many ways, and it is much better. It has moments of sadness, happiness, and mystery. It is, in my opinion, my ideal of a perfect show. Anastasia has been a huge comfort and shred in my life for the past year, it is just my feel good type of musical. The cast is absolutely stellar, and I have found myself in love with everything they do. The show does still feature the classic songs from the film, but the writers also wrote a bunch of new and different songs for the musical adaption, as well. Some of my personal favorites from the show are listed here below:
- Crossing a Bridge
- Land of Yesterday
- In a Crowd of Thousands
- Stay I Pray You
- Once Upon a December
There are so many more songs, so I definitely recommend you giving it a listen, especially since it is now available on Spotify! If you’re ever in New York, I strongly encourage you to see Anastasia. It is a beautiful show, and it is made for all ages. Plus, Christy Altomare is stunning as Anya!
