Additional casting has been revealed for the Broadway premiere of the new musical Anastasia. Reprising her performance from the Hartford Stage world premiere will be Mary Beth Peil (Nine, The Visit) as the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna.
Peil will be reunited with original cast members Christy Altomare as Anya, Derek Klena as Dmitry, John Bolton as Vlad and Caroline O’Connor as Lily. New for the Broadway production is Ramin Karimloo (Les Misérables, Love Never Dies) in the role of Gleb, a character that is new to the stage incarnation.
Tony winners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, who are collaborating with Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally on Anastasia, have envisioned a more human and historic take on the legend of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia for the musical’s stage debut.
The 1997 animated film utilized the mystic confidant Rasputin (and his sidekick, the albino bat Bartok) as the story’s villain. For the stage, the writers have created the character of Gleb, the plot’s antagonist who Ahrens previously described as “a character who represents Communist Regime. He’s more of a contemporary figure. He’s in post-revolutionary Russia, he’s a Czechist as they called them.”
Additional casting will be announced.
Anastasia will officially open on Broadway April 24, 2017, at the Broadhurst Theatre. Previews begin March 23.
Tickets go on sale to the general public October 7 at 10 AM via Telecharge.com or by phoning (212) 239-6200.
Tony Award winner Darko Tresnjak (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder) directs Anastasia, which features choreography by Peggy Hickey.
Here’s how it’s billed: “From the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, the new musical, Anastasia is the romantic, adventure-filled story of a brave young woman attempting to discover the mystery of her past. The new musical is inspired by the Twentieth Century Fox Motion Pictures.”
