Have You Heard Anastasia’s Coming to Broadway

Journey to the Past – An Anastasia Musical is Coming

In 1997 thousands fell in love with the story of Anastasia as told by the animated classic “Anastasia.” The 20th Century Fox animated film, directed by former Disney Animation directors Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, was a hit grossing $139.8 million at the box office, and costing $50 million to make.

Now, on the 20th anniversary of the film, the beloved animated classic is coming to life in a new musical set to hit Broadway in 2017. Learn more about the production, what you can expect and where to purchase your ticket.

Anastasia the Animated Film

The animated film, a stark contrast to the actual story, starred A-list actors including Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Hank Azaria, Christopher Loyd and Angela Lansbury. Although the fantastical retelling of the life of the Grand Duchess, rubbed some historians the wrong way, the film was well reviewed by critics and loved by audiences.

Music played a pivitol role in the animated classic, earning the film several nominations including Oscars for Best Original Song and Best Original Musical or Comedy Score. Composer David Newman, known for his compositions for films like Matilda, The Mighty Ducks and Jingle All the Way was a perfect pick for the animated musical.

Coming to Broadway

On March 23rd, Anastasia will hit the Broadhurst Theatre for its stint on Broadway. The musical has already played to sold out crowds at the Hartford Stage. While the musical will share many similarities to the animated feature, the antagonist of the Broadway musical is not Rasputin.

In real life, Rasputin had died many years before the capture and deaths of Tsar Nicholas and his family. In the musical, the antagonist is Gleb Baganov, a general for the Bolsheviks, who captured and killed the Romanovs in 1918. While there are differences between the stage adaptation and the animated film, audiences can rest assured that the spirit of the cartoon is still there. Most notably, the music from the animated feature is brought to life in the musical. Including Once Upon a December as pictured above.

Meet the actors who bring Dimitri and Anya to life in the video above. Tickets for the play are on sale now, get yours before they sell out.