City Circle Theatre Company's “Anastasia" at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts -- December 6 through 15.
Friday, December 6, through Sunday, December 15
Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, 1301 Fifth Street, Coralville IA
A 2017 Tony Award nominee and Drama Desk Award winner, as well as a work by the masterful composing team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, Broadway's Anastasia enjoys a City Circle Theatre Company presentation at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts staging from December 6 through 15, the musical lauded by Time Out New York as "a sweeping adventure, romance, and historical epic whose fine craftsmanship will satisfy musical-theatre fans beyond the show's ideal audience of teenage girls."
Based on 20th Century Fox's beloved animated movie from 1997, Anastasia is both a heartwarming and heart-wrenching dive into one of history’s biggest unanswered questions: What happened to Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov? Set amidst the turmoil of the Russian revolution with the Bolshevik regime on the rise, Anya, an amnesiac orphan stranded in what was once the Russian capital, St. Petersburg, is on a quest to rediscover her past which she believes lies in Paris. Joined by a dashing conman, Dmitry, and an ex-aristocrat, Vlad Popov, who want to use Anya to bamboozle the only remaining Romanov, Dowager Empress Marie, into believing that Anya is the lost Anastasia, she escapes to Paris with a determined Soviet officer on their heels. Including classic songs from the motion picture including “Journey to the Past” and “Once Upon a December," Anastasia explores one determined girl’s journey to find home, love, and family as she discovers who she was and embraces who she is meant to be.
Directing City Circle Theatre Company's latest production is Elizabeth Tracey, whose recent musicals for the organization include Mary Poppins and Spring Awakening. Tracey's music director is Steven Jepson, with additional members of the Anastasia creative team including: choreographer Aaron Malec; stage manager McKayla Sturtz; assistant stage manager Greta Gromacki; scenic designer Michael Blake; lighting designer Hans Hinrichsen; costume designer Cassie Williams; and sound designer Darin Ulmer.
City Circle's Anya is portrayed by Molly Owen, with Dmitry played by Ben Nelson, Vlad by Aaron Poztol, and the Empress Marie by Eve Minkler. Additional members of Tracey's ensemble include: Calvin Boman; Anne Ohrt; Royce Blackburn; Allie Klinsky; Finley McVay; Abby Dart; Tatum Calderwood; Austin Gordley; Lyrah Huggins; Miranda Zimmerman; Doug Beardsley; Jill Beardsley; Dasha Bezugla; Lucy Conroy; Liona Rocca; and Janub Wan. Completing the musical's cast are: Nancy Andreasen; Ethan Balvanz; Emily Brown; Kleo Burkum; Avery Cassell; Sophia Cockerham; Maia DeGrazia; Amelia Douglas; David Edwards; Ahmed Elsheikh; Austin Fine; Bella Hohenadel; Nancy Holm; Asha Mihalopoulos; Vasilios Mihalopoulos; Sam Nester; Joshua Nieman; Connor Norfleet; Xion Owens-Holst; Reef Persons; Jacob Ruchotzke; Henry Schau; Emma Valcourt; and Evelyn Whitsitt.
City Circle Theatre Company's Anastasia will be staged at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts from December 6 through 15, with performances Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. [12/14 update: Due to the weather, the 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, December 14 has been re-scheduled for 7:30 p.m.] Admission is $22-26, and more information and tickets are available by calling (319)248-9370 and visiting CoralvilleArts.org.
