Broadway babes are wild about Anastasia
The crowd, five or six deep, forms outside the stage door of the Broadhurst Theatre on W. 44th Street as soon as the audience can reach the exits after a performance of new musical Anastasia.
When the stars appear — Christy Altomare, as the title character who claims to be the surviving daughter of the last Russian tsar, and Derek Klena and Ramin Karimloo as the men who love her — the screams erupt.
I’ve walked past this particular tableaux a dozen times since the show by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (with a book by Terrence McNally) started previews in March.
I realised right away it wasn’t aimed at me — but I was intrigued, in spite of myself, by British producer Bill Taylor’s creation for Stage entertainment.
So I went along. And every stalls seat — and as much of the circle and balconies as I could see — were jammed with young girls, their sisters, mothers, aunts, plus teachers, brothers and boyfriends.
Some I spoke to told me they had grown up watching the Fox animated movie (voiced by Kirsten Dunst and Meg Ryan) released 20 years ago (the rights are now owned by Disney). A few songs from the film have made it into the stage show.
Others in the stalls knew Ingrid Bergman’s 1956 movie Anastasia.
A few people had warned me off going. But though it makes little attempt to follow historical fact, I found myself drawn in. And I was fascinated by the audience, who would scream and holler at various points.
essex-based Karimloo told me he had never experienced anything like it. ‘There are the young audiences, the nostalgic audiences, and the crowd that’s seen Wicked — and the crowd that likes to see strong women in a show who aren’t defined by men.’
After I left, I headed to Sardi’s to meet Taylor and Ms Ahrens.
Next to us was a table with students and teachers from DaySpring art school in Missouri. They went wild when I introduced Ahrens to them. A few cried. All wanted to see the show again.
Taylor told me that Anastasia will tour the U.S. next year — and be on the London stage by 2019.