‘Anastasia’ Preview: An Elegant Tale of Perseverance and Hope

Love, politics, royalty, and dreams will take center stage in the Harvard Radcliffe Dramatic Club’s production of “Anastasia,” directed by Katie M. Runions ’25. Based on the 1997 film of the same name, the musical adaptation will run from Nov. 1 to Nov. 9 at the Loeb Drama Center.

“Anastasia,” which originally premiered on Broadway in 2017, is based on the 20th Century Studios film about a lost Russian princess. The story follows Anya (Caitlin A. Beirne ’25), a young woman on a search to discover her past as she travels from Saint Petersburg to Paris with two con artists, Dmitry (Kaylor G. Toronto ’27) and Vlad (Alexander H. Lee ’27). Set in the early 1900s, “Anastasia” depicts the politics of Russia from the killing of the imperial Romanov family to Communist rule. In an attempt to secure the reward for finding Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov, who might have survived her family’s execution, Dmitry and Vlad make it their mission to train Anya to pass as Anastasia even as she’s pursued by the villainous Bolshevik Gleb (Isaac A. Newman ’25). Over the course of this journey, the men find out that Anya has unbelievable similarities to the missing Grand Duchess.

“The show is about having the courage and the determination to go out and follow your dreams, and find your family, and your hope and love,” said Beirne.

Runions echoed the sentiment, adding that an ambiance of political change and a dazzling mystery also constitute key elements of the story.

Beirne describes Anya as courageous and feisty, a rare treat to portray on the big stage. Beirne has performed Act I finale “Journey to the Past” as an audition song for jobs over her gap year — for her, Anya’s determination has long been an inspiration.

“‘Journey To The Past’ has been one of my favorite songs to perform since I was about 13 years old,” she said.

Beirne exemplifies the same strength as her character, spending her days shining on stage and preparing to head to pilot training once she graduates as a cadet in Air Force ROTC.

The production stays true to the official music of “Anastasia” and has leaned into the classical structure of the show, with aspects reminiscent of Golden Age musicals.

“I think that we have a really lovely set of designers and choreographers and music directors, and being able to work with everybody and collaborate means that we're able to take the script as it was given to us and create something that's even more beautiful for our college,” Runions said.

“There’s so many components that are so big in this production,” said Toronto, who plays Dmitry — a character he described as a pessimistic king of the streets who undertakes the journey of learning about hope.

Toronto elaborated on the ingenuity of the team’s ability to portray a show of such scale within budget and logistical constraints, expressing gratitude for the team’s problem-solving abilities and positive attitude, a sentiment which Runions shared.

“The first act of the show is obviously all in Russia, and then the second act changes location to Paris, which is difficult to create a set for, difficult to find costumes for,” Runions said.

Music director A.J. Yi ’25 expressed excitement about working with a large ensemble and pit, shouting out Henry H. Wu ’25 and fellow music director Joe C. Bradley ’25 for their hard work in creating a lush sound for “Anastasia.” Yi focused on sonic blend and unity throughout the production and is excited for audiences to hear a few key moments, especially the acapella section of “Stay I Pray You.”

“You suddenly realize the gravity of what's going on after a lot of more silly, goofy musical theater songs. It feels very solemn and, I think, very powerful in that moment,” Yi said.

Both cast and crew members overwhelmingly agreed that a strong sense of community has been created on the set of “Anastasia.” From handshake competitions to bringing each other meals, the team has grown close.

“It feels like a party every time I step into rehearsal because everyone’s there to have a good time, which is the purpose of theater altogether, just to have fun and do art, so I love everyone,” Toronto said.

While the musical is an adaptation of a popular film, Runions assures audiences that they will find new insights and surprises through the musical adaptation — not to mention that they will experience what Toronto describes as a truly beautiful show, both visually and sonically.

“Anastasia” runs at Loeb Drama Center from Nov. 1 to Nov. 9.