A Journey to the Friendzone - Anastasia by Alla Killins

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 Alla Killins

Anastasia


A Journey to the Friendzone


Coming into this show, I admit I was very excited. In a season full of unfamiliar musicals, this was one that I grew up watching as a cartoon. The national tour of Anastasia opened in St. Paul on Tuesday the 7th and tells the story of the Grand Duchess of Russia, who may have survived the execution of her family. Aided by Dimitry and Vlad, two conmen trying to pass her off as the grand duchess, Anastasia journeys to Paris to discover who she truly is. However, after leaving the show I had no strong feelings about the overall performance. It was a high-quality piece, but there was no residual awe unlike I'd experienced in prior shows. 



Kyla Stone and Sam McLellan, who play Anastasia and Dimitry respectively, are both amazing actors. They have beautiful voices and bring boundless energy to the stage. However, the two actors together had little to no chemistry. I felt like I was watching a high school show in that aspect of the show. The relationship from an audience's view seemed purely platonic with only hints at love, mostly because of the dialogue itself. Speaking as someone who is both familiar with the plot and a helpless romantic, to say I was disappointed might be an understatement. The relationship didn’t go anywhere, there was no development. And unfortunately, this was mostly due to McLellan. I’m not criticizing his acting ability, merely his acting choices. Dimitry is supposed to be a bit cynical, a lowlife conman who only wants to rob the Dowager Empress of her money. But, SLOWLY, as their journey progresses he falls in love with the girl who should only be a pawn in his plan while she reveals his true nature as sweet and protective. And then, after that character development, he selflessly gives up the fortune promised as a reward and leaves Anastasia so she can be happy. That is what I wanted to see. Instead, McLellan brought to the stage a peppy, energetic, and slightly annoying character who looked like he should be opening as Race in Newsies rather than Anastasia. Great energy, wrong show. There was no character development; his performance was consistent for the entire show, which is a great quality in other musicals just not this one. 


One of my favorite parts of this show was the ballet scene. This is probably one of the most underrated parts of the musical but it was incredible. Even though the ballet was a part of the show and not its own performance, it felt like I was getting a two-for-one deal, Broadway and Swan Lake. The dancers were incredible, so poised and graceful;, they were captivating. Every movement was beautiful and I was more focused on them than the actual scene happening around them. Not only that but there was REAL CHEMISTRY between Lauren Tyke and Taylor Stanger; Odette and Prince Siegfried respectively. Every movement complemented each other and the romance was visible in the dance. 

I would also like to shout out to the directors for casting an incredibly diverse show. While this is a quality that should be normal by now, I always appreciate seeing cast members who resemble me with ease. 

In conclusion, I do recommend this show, but only if you can get cheap tickets. It was great but not good enough to spend hundreds of dollars on. 

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