“Anastasia” is a beautiful journey to the past

Since the Broadway shutdown, my musical intake has been pretty subpar. The last show I saw on Broadway was “Beetlejuice” in February 2020. And the last show I saw on tour was in December 2021. So, of course, I was thrilled to see “Anastasia” was making it to Luhrs, and seeing it live truly reminded me why I love musical theater.

“Anastasia” is the story, or rather the legend, of the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna, who was rumored to be the sole survivor of the Romanovs. Years later, two con artists hope to cash in the reward for finding the lost Anastasia and attempt to use a street worker named Anya. Over time, romance blossoms, enemies are made and the pieces start falling into place that Anya might be the missing princess.

Besides a few songs and a vague memory of the original animated film, I went into “Anastasia” completely cold. Right away, I was speechless at the terrific set design and costum-