ANASTHESIA
A sold-out opening night audience Dec. 6 was likely entranced with the lovely costumes, fine acting, solid choreography and strong vocal performances in Anastasia at Hillbarn Theater in Foster City. But younger members of the audience who were expecting the play to more closely follow the 1997 animated film might have also felt disappointment.
Judith Miller and Araceli Grace (photo by Tracy Martin)Unless you’re familiar with the story ahead of time, a number of short, staccato scenes whiz by before they even sink in. That’s one shortcoming of this production.
Romanov Dynasty ball before the Russian Revolution (photo by Mark Kitaoka)But the play starts off with a bang — really several very large “explosions” — that make the audience feel as if a real earthquake might be happening. That’s because the Bolsheviks have taken over control of Russia and have renamed St. Petersburg Leningrad. Worse, the Bolsheviks invade the royal palace, capture the royal family and proclaim they have executed all of them
Tsar Nicholas II (Faustino Cadiz) and the Romanov family (photo by Mark Kitaoka)It appears that the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna (a stellar Judith Miller), who lives in Paris, is now the only remaining member of the once-proud Russian aristocracy.
Jillian Smith (photo by Mark Kitaoka)Yet over the next 21 years, rumors persist that the youngest Romanoff, five-year-old Grand Duchess Anastasia, might have somehow been spared. That possibility makes the Bolsheviks relentlessly try to disprove the rumor by tracking down every lead. As Gleb Vaganov, a Bolshevik general, Coleton Schmitto makes a suitably dangerous foe.
Alex Hsu as Vlad Popov, Brad Satterwhite as Dmitry and Jillian Smith as Anya
(photo by Mark Kitaoka)So what did happen to young Anastasia? In this telling, as she ran to escape, she fell, hit her head and ended up in a hospital with amnesia. Nurses there took care of her as she grew up, named her Anya, and eventually she was released without knowing what her real name was.
Gleb Vaganov as Coleton Schmitto (photo by Mark Kitaoka)With no noticeable life skills, Anya (a solid Jillian Smith) gets a job sweeping streets to make a little money for food. That’s where she runs into two con men, Dimitry (a finely honed performance by Brad Satterwhite) and Vladimir Popov (equally strong Alex Hsu).
Jillian Smith (photo by Tracy Martin)Dimitry and Vlad have been looking for a young woman who might pass for Anastasia if they teach her how to speak, how to act as if she were royalty, how to dance and eat properly, and they’ll provide her with important information about her family history. The con men figure they’ll get the reward the Dowager Empress is offering if they can find someone who looks enough like her to be convincing.
Jillian Smith and Brad Satterwhite (photo by Tracy Martin)They’ve “auditioned” a lot of women, but none has the right combination of traits. Then they spot Anya who, although a street sweeper, has what Dimitry calls “Romanoff eyes.” They convince her to go with them by giving her bread to eat — she greedily stuffs it into her mouth and follows them.
Jillian Smith and cast (photo by Mark Kitaoka)But it’s best to leave the rest of the story to theatergoers because some of it is so farfetched as to be laughable. Instead, focus on the terrific dance numbers choreographed by Karen Law (who doubles as a ballerina in Swan Lake), the women’s rich authentic-looking costumes by Nolan Miranda, and some helpful back-screen projections created by Hillbarn’s executive artistic director Stephen Muterspaugh.
Brad Satterwhite), Alex Hsu and Jillian Smith (photo by Tracy Martin)Several other exceptional actors pepper this production: as Countess Lily, the lady in waiting to the Dowager Empress. Jacqueline De Muro doesn’t even appear until Act II but then she’s gangbusters doing a mean flapper dance, and her duet with Vlad (“The Countess and the Common Man”) is one of the best in the show. Faustino Cadiz also shines in three roles: Tsar Nicholas II, Count Ipolitov, and then Van Rothbart in Swan Lake.
Jacqueline De Muro as Countess Lily and the cast (photo by Tracy Martin)The entire ensemble is hardworking, literally switching costumes in a minute or two. Whether dancing, singing or simply providing background — they’re all fine.
Andrio Fong and the cast (photo by Mark Kitaoka)Mention must be made of the eight-member orchestra, high up in a second-story room, led by conductor/keyboardist Diana Lee. There are upwards of 25 songs plus several reprises in Anastasia, so it’s not an easy show to play. Some of the best songs, created by Ragtime‘s Stephen Flaherty (music) and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics), include “Once Upon a December,” “Learn to Do It,” “My Petersburg,” “Paris Holds the Key,” “Close the Door,” “Land of Yesterday” and “Meant to Be.” What’s fun is that the audience gets a brief peek at a Cossack dance, a Roaring Twenties number, and a smidge of the Swan Lake ballet.
The Cast (photo by Tracy Martin)But what’s missing is a stronger hand by director Catherine Weidner to keep the repetitious movement of set designer Paulino Deleal‘s tall gray metal steps that twirl around, in and out, to accommodate a few other props like Anya’s bed. Pamila Gray’s lighting design and Jeff Mockus’s sound are good. But many wigs by designer Lyre Alston — three worn by Jillian Smith in particular — don’t fit well and look fake.
Jillian Smith (photo by Mark Kitaoka)Perhaps some of the problem with Anastasia can be laid at the door of playwright Terrence McNally, who wrote the book; if that doesn’t work, it’s hard to make up for it no matter what.
Choreographer Karen Law as Odette in Swan Lake (photo by Mark Kitaoka)Anastasia
Hillbarn Theatre
1285 E. Hillsdale Blvd. in Foster City
Fri at 8; Sat at 2 & 8; Sun at 2
ends on December 29, 2024
for tickets, call 650.349.6411 Ext. 2 or visit Hillbarn
Jacqueline De Muro and Alex Hsu (photo by Tracy Martin)Joanne Engelhardt is a former San Jose Mercury and Santa Cruz Sentinel writer and theatre critic and is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. Contact: [email protected]
