Troupe 1096’s “Anastasia” Review

Troupe 1096’s first show of the season, Anastasia opened on Saturday, October 29th at 7pm. The show will run ten performances total, including two with the understudy cast on November 5th and 12th. “Anastasia” is the story of a Russian princess (whom the play is named after) that supposedly dies with the rest of her family when communists attempt to take over Russia. Some time after their death, rumors begin to spread that the princess is still alive and people begin to search for her to earn a reward from Anastasia’s grandmother, who lives in Paris. The story follows a possible Anastasia and two people named Vlad and Dmitry who escort her to Paris to receive the award. It is a musical adapted from the 1997 animated film by Don Bluth.

The board showcasing the leads and understudies cast of troupe 1096’s “Anastasia” which is performed October 29th- November 12th, 2022. The board is located in DHS’s commons.

 

Mena’s Thoughts

I watched the musical on Friday, November 4th, 2022 at 7pm with the original cast. I thoroughly enjoyed the show. I found it to be very believable, entertaining and enchanting. All of the actors were committed to their roles and possessed a lot of talent. Gleb (Jacob Fuller) and Anastasia (Katelyn Bowie) were very strong singers. I could rave about Countess Lily’s (Cruz Colvig) personality and sarcasm forever. She was absolutely hilarious and my favorite line of hers was, “I love life”. I think it was well casted and everyone was an amazing singer. I loved the set too, it was very dynamic and well-decorated. Gleb was a convincing villain and played the part of “torn between two life altering decisions” well. The costumes were timely (to the show) and absolutely gorgeous. I really enjoyed the trio of Anastasia, Dmitry (Ben Hinkley) and Vlad (Aiden Hurley), they worked quite well together. I thought the entire performance was funny and relevant while also being he

artbreaking and emotional. Incredible job to the cast, costume and set crew, directors, lighting crew and everyone else who had a part to do with the show, the entire experience was awesome! 

 

Evie’s Thoughts

I went to the show on Saturday, November 3rd and very much enjoyed the hidden messages that apply to real-life struggles that were portrayed in a fantasy setting. Like how Gleb struggles with his self-worth. I thought the lighting and the sounds matched perfectly to set the right mood and engage the audience. I fully agree that the part of Gleb was well portrayed and showed his different layers and progression throughout the story. I thought it was perfect dialect and acting for the time period it was set in and historically accurate. I loved the comic relief that Countess Lily gave the show and it created a perfect balance of emotions that the audience felt while watching the show. The singing also was heartfelt and emotional that engaged me to feel as the characters did in the play. I am so proud of this school to put on such an inspiring and emotional performance!