Ephraim-The musical Anastasia has come to life on the stage at Snow College, directed by Jenn Chandler. With music and lyrics by the famous writing team Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, and a book by Terrence McNalley, the show is based on the popular animated film of 1997. It opened on Broadway in 2017, with many notable changes from the film.
Being one of the smallest colleges in one of the smallest towns in Utah, I still say that this theatre department is one of the most valuable theatre educational experiences in Utah. So many of the elements of what makes a solid production in general are shown in production of Anastasia proving how this department provides a good education. The first piece of this is the live orchestra conducted by Dr. Michael Huff. Not only was there an orchestra, but it was a 21-piece orchestra of music students attending the college. The music of Flaherty is intensely difficult, and these students were up to the task. The vocals of the ensemble, under the direction of Huff and Brian Stucki were impeccable, and the backdrop of live musicians that rival the sound of an equity-level orchestra in a small rural theatre where the most costly ticket was only 12 dollars continues to astound me.
The next element that impressed me was the set design by Trent Bean. Lately the latest fad in theatrical productions has been projection. Some people have not been a fan of this, but I do quite enjoy the medium. Bean and his team of students have elected instead to use traditional paintings and sets, and the effect that this had on the production was far more eloquent than I could possibly describe. Many of the backdrops utilized in different scenes appear to be almost like full paintings one would seen in a European art museum, and this added to the ambiance of the show and transported the audience to the time period in a way that projections would not do. Additionally, utilizing the talents of several student painters credited as a scenic painting class again gives great credit to this theatre department. When combined with the fantastic costumes designed by Jess Wallace, the visuals were stunning. Wallace’s designs that were brought to life through the skills of the students working in the costume shop helped the audience travel from the last stages of opulent Imperial Russia to the beginning of Bolshevik Revelotion, to 1920s Paris, the accurate and fun reflections of costumes were full of class and beauty. Often in productions each of the main players gets a fancy costume, yet in this production every single member was dressed to the nines when required, and also in accurate simple clothing when also required.
Of course, any production of Anastasia is only as good as it’s title character, Anastasia or Anya. Shayla Florence as Anya is an absolute gem. From her first moments on stage sweeping the floor, to her breathtaking solos of “In My Dreams” and the iconic “Journey to the Past” it is very easy to make the claim that Florence is a star. Not only did she bring the charm to the role to believe that she very well could be a princess, she also brought a great deal of depth and humanity. I was surprised to find that I felt this the most in a moment that I had not much connected with in other renditions with the musical version of Anastasia, where the character is face to face with the new villain for the stage version, Gleb, played by Bryce Esplin, and Florence’s composure and strength in that final scene (not to mention that glorious red dress!) was awesome.
I truly loved the chemistry that the characters of Dimitry played by Dylan Hunter and Vlad played by Matt Thompson added to Florence’s Anya. Their rendition of “Learn to Do It” has to be described as simply fun. This is one of the many spots where the choreography by McKenzie Levie was shining. Hunter and Florence balanced the playfulness and romance in their dancing with perfect delicacy. Thompson’s character could quickly become a third wheel, however he was able add charisma and charm in nice doses. The choreography was further showcased in many ensemble numbers, from elegant waltzes to fun Charleston’s.
From the costumes to the music to the sets to the performances, Sno w College’s Anastasia matches any professional production I have seen in the last year. The strong education and interaction that the students have with their educators results with story creation that is above and beyond expectation.
Anastasia plays Wednesdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm through March 1st at the Kim Christison Theatre in the Eccles Performing Arts Center on Snow College Campus. 150 College Ave, Ephraim, Utah 84627. Tickets are $10-12. For more information see https://snow.edu/academics/fineart/theatre/upcoming.html
