In its yearlong journey from Hartford to Broadway, “Anastasia” has found itself.
When this sweet-natured musical of self-discovery premiered a year ago at Hartford Stage, it was just as lush and romantic, but underneath those gorgeous trappings it seemed uneven, insincere, unsure of itself.
At the Broadhurst Theatre, where it opened Monday night, the show is now fluid, smooth and clear-headed.
“Anastasia” has not fundamentally changed. But dozens of small fixes have made it a much sharper show. Had the Hartford Stage version hurried to Broadway sooner without these tweaks — or heaven forbid, had not tried out in Hartford at all — the show’s stylistic inconsistencies would have doomed it. It speaks and sings now with a stronger voice.
The project no longer seems in the thrall of the two movies that begat it — the 1997 Don Bluth animated film whose songs still anchor the score, plus the 1956 non-musical drama starring Ingrid Bergman and Yul Brynner. For those who didn’t learn this in Hartford, the stage “Anastasia” doesn’t have the puppy, talking bat or ruthless Rasputin of the Bluth film. It doesn’t spend as much time as the Bergman flick did on Anya winning over the nobility with her Anastasia act. It finds its own path, which concerns a treacherous train ride from St. Petersburg to Paris (still a show-stopping scene) but also a lot of tender human interactions.
More often than not, the improvements come through simplifying the action, not complicating it. The second-act opener “Paris Holds the Key (To Your Heart)” no longer tries to mimic the corny, stereotype-filled cartoon version of the song (replete with Gertrude Stein brandishing a baguette). It’s now a more conventional song and dance number, with chorus members kicking up their heels, and it works splendidly.
Other changes are more subtle, such as the color of Anya’s gown when she attends the ballet. Some songs have been significantly altered, while others have been jettisoned altogether. “The Neva Flows” has replaced “In a Crowd of Thousands” as the song that gets a soaring reprise at the end of the second act.
The only major cast change since Hartford is that the Russian officer Gleb (an invention of book writer Terrence McNally) is now played by Ramin Karimloo, a real matinee-idol type who has played The Phantom in London productions of both “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Love Never Dies,” and Valjean in the 2014 Broadway revival of “Les Miserables.” Karimloo is less rigid, and smolders better, than Manoel Felciano (who played Gleb at Hartford Stage) yet has rather less to do. He skulks in the background more often than he sings. But a little Gleb goes a long way. His appearances have a greater impact now, and he no longer drags down the main story, that of the lovely young amnesiac street-sweeper Anya awakening to her destiny.
Her fate involves not just family but love. Anya/Anastasia is still played as wide-eyed yet street smart, by the entrancing yet intense Christy Altomare. Her attraction to the handsome rascal Dmitry (the still-boyish Derek Klena) only gradually becomes love; for much of the show, they are mainly plotting an escape from Russia. When they make it to France, Anastasia is thrust into contact with the Dowager Empress (Mary Beth Peil, as imperious as she was on TV’s “The Good Wife”) who has been searching in vain for her lost, presumed-dead granddaughter.
The comic relief roles of Vlad (John Bolton) and Countess Lily (Caroline O’Connor) — respective confidantes of Dmitry and the Dowager Empress — have only gotten grander and sillier. Theirs is the show’s other class-conscious hook-up. They milk a kiss for every last laugh it can get.
“Anastasia” remains a remarkably traditional musical. If I had to compare it to anything I’ve seen recently it would be Jack O’Brien’s national tour of “The Sound of Music” — respectful of its heritage while avoiding anything trite.
Alexander Dodge’s scenic design uses pillars and arches as the frames for giant projections that serve the same purpose as painted backdrops would have in a less electronically enlightened age. Darko Tresjnak’s staging is reminiscent of classic operettas. Peggy Hickey’s choreography includes royal court dances, waltzes and a ballet interlude. Conductor/musical supervisor Thomas Murray lets Stephen Flaherty’s compositions swell up like Richard Rodgers. Lynn Ahren’s pithy monosyllabic lyrics — “Stay, I Pray You,” “In My Dreams,” “Close the Door” — are ideal for the careful warblings of the singers. McNally scripts some neat melodramatic showdowns.
In this season of “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Come From Away” and “Groundhog Day,” it’s hard to know what New York theatergoers will make of this unapologetic throwback to old theater values (not to mention century-old politics).
What matters most is that “Anastasia” has found its truest self. It is assured, it is lyrical, it is melodic, it is beautiful, it is dashing, it is moving and it is charming. It has no need for snark, irony or talking bats. It is off on a great adventure, and it was Hartford that pointed it in the right direction.
ANASTASIA — book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, directed by Darko Tresnjak — is at the Broadhurst Theatre, 234 West 44th St., New York. shubert.nyc/theatres/broadhurst.
