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CORRECTION: In a previous version of this article, Linda Cho was said to have won a Tony award for her designs. Cho was nominated for a Tony but did not receive an award. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

As audience members arrived and settled into their seats, nostalgia filled the air at the Landmark Theatre. The audience buzzed with anticipation to see a childhood movie come to life.

“I told my granddaughter I was going to see ‘Anastasia’ and she said, ‘Oh Grandma, can I come with you?’ because she loves the Disney movie,” said audience member Pat Urban.

For five days, audience members are being welcomed into the Landmark to see the Broadway musical “Anastasia.” Combining childhood memories with new stage technology, this close-knit cast has made their way to the stage from across the globe to tell this story.

Following in the footsteps of the first “Anastasia” national tour from 2018-2020, this production tells the film’s beloved story through a new lens, continuing the show’s tradition of rich costume and technical design.

Based on the 1997 animated film, the musical “Anastasia” follows a woman named Anya living in Russia in the 1920s. After a traumatic experience, Anya forgets her identity and fails to remember that she is actually a grand duchess. The musical follows her journey to remembering her true identity.

But what makes this show at the Landmark unique is its technology, said Gerri Weagraff, who plays the Dowager Empress.

“The show creates a 3D video background behind the cast members,” Weagraff said. “The projections are so realistic. You see everything from snow falling, to fiery explosions beyond the palace windows, to a train speeding through the countryside, to fireworks exploding above the Eiffel Tower.”

Cast member Zachary Bigelow added that the show uses three LED screens to display digital projections. This is done both to minimize the amount of physical props that need to be moved and to enhance the show’s realism, Bigelow said.

Gwendalyn Diaz sat in the audience, captivated by the show. Diaz, a Syracuse University student majoring in musical theater, said that the scenic design caught her eye as well.

“I thought the way this tour used projections to inform the setting was incredible, and I had never really seen it done quite as lovely before,” Diaz said.

Besides a high-tech set, the production also includes costumes designed by Linda Cho, whose designs were nominated for a Tony Award and for an Outer Critics Award. Weagraff said the spectacular costumes include glittery gowns, suits for the royal family, tattered clothing for Russian street dwellers and jazzy colorful dresses for Parisians.

The choreography of the show is inspired by Russian art, according to Kaitlyn Jackson, who plays Tsarina Alexandra.

“All of the blocking and everything, the show in itself, the spacing, choreography, is very symmetrical, which is a reflection of that art style of the time,” Jackson said.

Weagraff has been with the tour since it started. She said the cast had two weeks of rehearsals in New York City beginning Sept. 20, 2021, then flew to Evans, Georgia, where they had one preview show, then officially opened in Waterbury, Connecticut, on Oct. 19, 2021.

The cast is comprised of both beginners and veterans of theater. Jackson said they are a relatively young cast, as far as the ensemble is concerned, with lots of recent graduates. She said for many of the cast members, it is their first major opportunity and they’ve bonded over that shared experience.

Christian McQueen, another cast member, said that the cast is like a family and does everything together, both because they are stuck together on tour and because they all really enjoy each other’s company.

“‘Anastasia’ has been one of the greatest blessings of my life,” McQueen said.

The location at the Landmark Theatre holds a special significance for this cast. Weagraff said it has been a “thrill” performing in Syracuse, partly because her son got his musical theater degree from SU in 2014 and her husband spent his early childhood in Syracuse, and was even baptized at Hendricks Chapel.

Similarly, Jackson grew up in Norwich, New York, and came to see shows at Landmark Theatre throughout her childhood.

“Syracuse has always been a place that feels like home,” Jackson said. “It feels really full circle.”

For cast member Brooklyn Libao, “Anastasia” holds special significance because it was the first show she ever saw on Broadway after moving to New York. Now, she plays young Anastasia in eight shows a week.

Libao’s favorite song is “Stay, I Pray You,” because she said she gets to tell a different story every night with her performance. She said the sadness and emotion of the scene appeal to her, and she keeps a different emotion in mind each time she performs it.

Diaz said that the scene she remembers most vividly from the show was the duet, “The Countess and the Common Man.” She said both actors’ performances and commitment left a powerful impression.

Although it was Diaz’s second time seeing the show, the storytelling of this production and the experience of watching it at the Landmark made this night “magical.”

“The Landmark Theatre itself is just such a gorgeous space,” she said. “I think everyone should go experience live theatre at the Landmark while they are in Syracuse. You won’t regret it!”

Published on January 18, 2023 at 11:16 pm