Be very careful of these rumors that prevail. Be very careful what you say. I am the girl who knows the truth behind the tale…don’t let this one get away! The Neva flows! September Song shows— and now it’s finally here… They’re on the stage, they’ll turn your page… with their Anastasia this year. In case you somehow haven’t heard, (the rumors in Carroll County-berg) September Song Musical Theatre is celebrating their 50th Anniversary season with Anastasia, the charming, mysterious fairytale musical based on the 1997 animated film of the same name. Directed by Debbie Mobley with Musical Direction by Kelly Stoneberger and Choreography by Amy Appleby, this haunting tale is a transportive journey to the past with iconic movie numbers and some new characters that will keep you enchanted for two and a half hours’ stage traffic.
All the rage straight from the land of yesterday seems to be acquiring these Broadway-grade projections and putting them to use in one’s local stage production. September Song is no exception to this trend and have gotten their hand on Aaron Rhyne’s (Broadway Media) show productions to enhance the Russian-Parisian journey, including dancing mists of Anya’s past, the moving scenery for the train ride scene, and lots of snow because it only ever snows in Russia. Projection Technician Tess Kasztejna, working in tandem with Lighting Designer Corey Brown and Lighting Technician Pollyanna O’Hair, ensure that the projections are a focal point of the experience, woven carefully into scenery with lighting cues designed around them so that audiences are treated to the full Anastasia experience from a visual standpoint. Brown, responsible for the show’s lighting and sound design, does a fine job of keeping the lighting cues simplistic but effective. The use of ‘emotional brights’ (red for fury and anger or darkness, blue and softer whites for sorrow and longing) are triggered with precision throughout the performance, aligning themselves effectively with the overall pathos of the musical numbers as they arise.
Anastasia is a fairytale but also a historical story and Set Designer Jim Stoneberger goes about encapsulating that essence into the scene work he puts on the stage by way of two large ‘storybook’ scenic stands, which have internal ‘pages’ that can be ‘turned’ (executed with swiftness and accuracy by Stage Manager Ciaire Green and ASM Dana Bonistalli, Stage Crew Lead Keira Seargeant and Run Crew Members Lexi Day, Reed Diffenderfer, and Echo Scott) as the scenes change from the streets of Petersburg to Paris, from inside the Neva Club to the Grand Ballet, and beyond. Stoneberger’s storybook pages are enhanced by Scenic Artist Erica Hansbrough who has painted intricate designs on these upright flats— personalized touches like a portrait of the Tzar’s royal family inside the Dowager Empress’ home featuring the actual actors in the cast— creating for a detail-oriented experience peppered liberally across the set. Stoneberger puts his craftsmanship skills to the test with double-decker rotating ballet boxes that spin slowly to reveal the characters present during the scene at the grand ballet, which creates a sense of marvel and wonderment, particularly when the box— house right— spins effortlessly to reveal the titular character in her sapphire-navy affair. But Stoneberger outdoes himself with the larger-than-life-almost-doesn’t-fit-on-the-stage train leaving Russia for Paris. The carriage looks like something straight out of Broadway, towering nearly up into the fly-tower, making the ‘jump’ from its backside quite thrilling. And it spins, creating the grand visual effect, in tandem with the moving train-track projections, that the train is actually going someplace. Bravo, Stoneberger, bravo.
Costumes across the board are as visually striking as the other aesthetic components designed for this production. Costume Designer Andrew Malone has worked a sense of historical accuracy into much of the show’s sartorial selection. His crowning glory, no pun intended, is all of the unique tiaras featured on the Romanovs and other high nobles of court seen in the early scenes. Of course there’s hearty flavors of 1927 Paris in every ensemble outfit, with no two being the exact same style or color, and several touting different socio-economic tiers of class. Malone keeps Dmitri looking like a dirty street rat right up until he has to polish him up for the ballet, and Anya much the same; the transition from city urchins to sophisticated aristocrats is astonishing and well-executed, particularly when it comes to Anya. The Leningrad Uniforms have a meticulous look about them as well, giving those scenes featuring Gleb and his workers a darkness to them. Malone has fabricated quite a series of costumes for this production, each one unique and well-tailored to the actor wearing it. Adding to the historically accurate aesthetic of the show, Properties Mistress Missy Grim keeps the historical verisimilitude and overall accuracy of the show in mind whilst gently adding props to various scenes. The leather-bound photo-book seen with the Dowager Empress is a resplendent touch, as is the unique music box with it’s turn-flip top. There’s also an upright Parisian piano with detailed gold inlay painted onto its viewable surface (a combination effort of Grim’s research and Director Debbie Mobley’s scenic-painting skills) that gets featured far too briefly during “The Land of Yesterday” but is a gem of a set piece all the same.
Director Debbie Mobley (assisted by the aforementioned Stage Managers and Run Crew) runs a tight ship; scenic transitions are smooth and impeccably well-paced, even the behemoth task of spinning those glorious Ballet Opera Boxes comes together with ease and the rolling on of the train as the Lead Trio of characters and the ensemble work their way into “We’ll Go From There.” Mobley showcases a deep bench of character work and intrapersonal connections between the characters consistently throughout the performance; while there are some moments— inevitable in musical theatre these days— where the actors comes right to the dead center of the apron and belts out their number, there are dozens of other moments where engaging, emotional connections are being made and clever things are happening on stage. Not the least of which is the Dowager Empress taking the opportunity to include some local color in her dismissal of the various ‘poser Anastasias’ (…that girl from…Westminster…what even is that…sounds dreadful!) Two of the most clever moments in the production is the way the ensemble are staged for the ballet— it’s brilliant and a surprise, so I won’t spoil it, but it’s a fascinating and unique use of the theatre as a whole to stage the ensemble members as they are staged. There’s also this hauntingly tragic moment at the train station before “Stay, I Pray You” where a little girl (Nova Tuttle) is deposited at the station by her family, told to stay, and then they flee; implying that they know their own grim fate but are making one last ditch effort to give their young daughter a chance at life beyond communist Russia. It’s harrowing and very touching and all contained silently within just a moment’s stage traffic.
Choosing to take four members of the crew/ensemble (it was impossible to tell which was which) and dress them like train conductors, flanking them all around the gargantuan train carriage so that they could effortlessly and effectively spin the scenic beast in time with the song shift during “We’ll Go From There” is another incredibly clever idea that really draws the audience into the production. You get attentive passengers on the train as well, some deeply engrossed in their own antics— like trying to sleep, elbowing one another to shove-up, crocheting— or others, like the young girl whose eyes are fixed on Anya as she sings, all culminating in an active stage experience so that you find yourself fully drawn into the world of Anastasia as it folds around you.
Mobley’s blocking over the production as a whole, working in tandem with choreographer Amy Appleby, creates the sense of a crowd without ever giving you the feeling that the stage is crowded. You feel this particularly keenly at the train station leading up to “Stay, I Pray You” and during “Paris Holds the Key.” The latter of the two is a prime example of Appleby’s clean choreographic execution, which is both simplistic in nature but still flashy enough to meet the perceived expectations of the song. Appleby’s choreography really shines during “The Land of Yesterday” where there’s a bust-out tap routine at the dance break, giving that swanky 1920’s feel to the song. Featuring Kaitlyn Huffman, Martin Zaepfel, Kaitlyn Cooper, Aubrie DellAgnese, Taylor Maughan, Mica Poppek, Heather Skinner, and Anna Tope, this zesty routine is a swinging good time for the audience to watch and the dancers appear to be enjoying themselves as well.
With a sizeable ensemble, Musical Director Kelly Stoneberger has her work cut out for her but the harmonies are sublime, the vocal strength and blended sounds are smooth and robust, and “Quartet at the Ballet” comes in perfectly balanced with the four principals singing their parts and the ensemble backing them. Stoneberger evokes a great deal of emotion from her cast, particularly during “A Nightmare” (a number featuring The Romanov Family— Roman Adolfs as Tzar Nicholas II, Rachel Miller as Tsarina Alexandra, Nolan Appleby as Alexi, Ronni Snyder as Maria, Alona Lakhmaniuk as Olga, and Jessica Little as Tatiana) where the vocalizations of this bunch are truly spine-tingling. You hear this same group singing again, along with the larger bracket of the ensemble, during “Still/The Neva Flows (Reprise)” as they are backwards-marched into recreating history; a stirring visual with striking vocals to accompany the scene. Stoneberger finds ways to elicit boundless joy for numbers like “Paris Holds the Key”, haunting nostalgia in every rendition of “Once Upon a December” and a truly fathomless and sobering sorrow or “Stay, I Pray You” where there’s not a dry eye on stage or in the house.
The ensemble— Nolan Appleby, Roman Adolfs, Dimonté Brice, Meghan Brown, Izzy Butler, Danielle Carter, Jessica Cheeks, Kaitlyn Cooper, Aubrie DellAgnese, Micahia DeLoach, Maddie DiNello, Sarah Field, Madeleine Greenhagen, Grace Hansbrough, Joe Hansbrough, Kaitlyn Huffman, Sadie Huffman, Sydney Imbraguglio, Emily Kranking, Alona Lakhmaniuk, Jessica Little, Taylor Maughan, Rachel Miller, Amanda Polanowski, Mica Poppek, Aiden Russell, Daniel Russell, Nathan Russell, Ariana Satre, Jude Sims, Dennis Skinner, Heather Skinner, Justin Skinner, Ronni Snyder, Jennifer Stravakis, Payton Stoneberger, Anna Tope, Griffin Thweatt, Nova Tuttle, Mailey Wah, Martin Zaepfel— is a vocal force that gives emotional weight to all of the group numbers, particularly those more sobering ones like “Stay, I Pray You.” You get standout performers amid the ensemble as well— like the slimy and unctuously unsavory Count Leopold (Nathan Russell) who though he’s only briefly featured, you get the sense you want some hand sanitizer close by once he slinks his way in and out of those two scenes. And Joe Hansbrough as Count Ipolitov, who has a glorious acapella solo at the top of “Stay, I Pray You” gives a brutally honest expression of his fate painted clearly all over his face from the moment he bows and takes Anya’s hand. You never get the sense that it’s a foregone conclusion, but rather that he is a character resigned to the inevitable; it feels heavy and raw and real.
Bringing a shadowy gloom to the otherwise mysterious yet hopeful tale of lost memories and adventures, Gleb Vaganov (Matthew Lamb) is librettist Terrence McNally’s response to Universal Studios’ Rasputin & Bartok. (Gleb doesn’t even get a sidekick…he does get a boss- Gorlinskly played with bombastic anger by Aiden Russell.) Lamb is serviceable in the role, his rich tenor tones giving a solid sound to numbers like “Still”, “The Neva Flows” and his quarter of “Quartet at the Ballet.” When their four voices— Matthew Lamb, The Dowager Empress, Dmitri, and Anya— come together for those perfectly balanced sounds, mingling and mixing with one another in a swirl of emotions and lyrics, it’s quite the aural spectacle, which is balanced against the visual spectacle of the “Swan Lake Ballet” happening on stage (Featuring Kaitlyn Huffman, Daniel Russell, and Martin Zaepfel.)
The Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna (Sara Butler) casts her own imposing shadow over the production, but one of jaded bitterness in which true comfort and solace has been found as bitter, jaded outlooks on life never lead to disappointments the way false-Anastasias do. Butler does a perfect job at delivering the Nona-figure some two decades apart, first as the kinder, doting senior woman who has a blissful duet with Young Anastasia (Grace Hansbrough, who is sweet, innocent, and just a hint of bratty as the young Duchess) when she presents her favorite granddaughter with the precious music box, and then later as the soured, heartbroken old woman, whose facial expressions are simply to die for, particularly when she’s facing off with Dmitry. Watching Butler have her dueling mouth-off sessions first with Dmitry at the Grand Ballet and then later in the hotel with Anya is truly astonishing as she’s serving face for miles. Butler also manifests the character’s age perfectly into her character, still carrying herself with dignity and grace. It’s the mournful nostalgia that she pours into “Close the Door” that really wins over the heart when watching Butler take up this role.
Ever the lady-in-waiting, Countess Lily Malevsky-Malevitch (Amy Appleby) is by the Dowager’s side every step of the way, except for when she kicks off the big number at The Neva Club in the second act, “The Land of Yesterday.” Playing it up with more of a hushified-swanky sound, like the whole number is one, big speak-easy secret, Appleby is invested in the caricature approach to her character, giving her that almost cartoonish feel that so many theatergoers are seeking because of how fondly they recall the animated film (referred to as Sophie in the animated film.) When she plays up against Vlad Popov (Keith G. Field) it’s an adorable little tête-à-tête, particularly when they play up the humors of ‘being of a certain age’ during “The Countess and the Common Man.” Field, as the boisterous and boldly voiced Vlad lends a great sense of realness to the character, particularly when complaining at Dmitri on their Parisian journey by way of Poland. Keith’s voice is glossy but sure, a hearty sound that is perfect for filling out numbers like “Learn to Do It”, “We’ll Go From There”, and his beautiful solo “Meant to Be.”
With effortless charm and sparkling grace, Ethan Brown as Dmitri is just a delight beyond words. He’s bubbly, boisterous but in a different vein from Vlad, and filled with a perfectly balanced sense of guarded indifference and eager enthusiasm. With a superb liquid-tenor sound he soars through “My Petersburg”, hitting every note to perfection. And you get an extraordinary vocal sustain from him during “Everything to Win.” That number in particular showcases Brown’s emotional capacity for expression, really drawing you into the character’s journey. His defining moment, however, is during “In a Crowd of Thousands”, the duet spun with Anya (Dani Rizzo) where you can see the memories glistening in his eyes and hear them echoing through his voice as he recalls his half of the narrative. The sheer brilliance of this number comes when Rizzo’s Anya is invited to partake; she play-pretends and sings along, as Dmitri has encouraged her to make it part of her story too, the lyrics drifting chimerical and sweet from her lips until that pivotal moment when she catches just half a breath (because it’s still metered to the musical tracks) and realizes that she ‘remembers.’ The interplay between what’s happening in Rizzo’s voice and Brown’s reaction sends shivers of goosebumps up and down the arms of the audience, no question.
Rizzo as Anya-come-Anastasia is a delight, rough and tumble around the edges all through the first act, though vocally balanced in her singing, serving up emotional grit with a gorgeous sound. There are multiple moments where you get the sense that Rizzo is just being swept away in the lyrics as she sings, particularly during “In My Dreams” and “A Secret She Kept”, where this dizzying maelstrom of her intangible past sweeps along— both in her singing voice and in visuals via the projections on the backdrop screen— carrying her away into this whirling dervish of emotions. When Rizzo starts to believe that she is the Grand Duchess Anastasia, you get this sense of pride and confidence that couples her moments on stage, but never without the slight trepidation and uncertainty of doubt that creeps along like a shadow in her wake; it’s a fascinating juxtaposition. Vocally, “Journey to the Past” is Rizzo’s finest solo moment on stage from a powerhouse belting standpoint.
It’s a remarkable accomplishment, this journey to the past that September Song will take you on with their production of Anastasia. Get your tickets before it too, becomes a memory, glowing dim like an ember…once upon a… September (Song.)
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 35 minutes with one intermission
Anastasia plays for four performances only— August 9th & 10th 2024 at 7:00pm and August 10th & 11th 2024 at 2:00pm, with September Song Musical Theatre in The Scott Center for the Fine & Performing Arts at Carroll Community College— 1601 Washington Road in Westminster, MD. Tickets are available at the door or in advance online.
To read the round-robin 50th Anniversary Retrospective Interview with some of the September Song individuals, click here.
