Anastasia at CIBC Theatre

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...Who says "bigger is better?". Tonight, we found that some shows belong on a smaller stage in a more intimate venue. Several years ago, we saw a production of "Anastasia" at The Nederlander Theatre, one of the Broadway In Chicago large stages. It was a wonderful production filled with some memorable moments, but tonight, the production we experienced at the CIBC Theatre (the old Shubert for those keeping score) was far more enticing and held our attention even more."

Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Recommended

"...Anastasia's plot is equally derived from the historical curiosity of the Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov and adapted from the more whimsical 1997 animated movie (itself the second Fox movie on the topic). At the boiling point of the Bolshevik revolution, the Romanov family is massacred, and all all hope seems to be lost for the citizens yearning for the past. But there is a rumor that there is one Romanov left alive: the Grand Duchess Anastasia. From these rumors emerge two opportunists, Dmitry and Vlad who plan to coach a girl into becoming Anastasia in order to claim reward money for her return to surviving relatives . They team up with the amnesiac Anya (Veronica Stern), and through their antics and eventual escape to Paris, they begin to uncover the mystery of Anastasia themselves."

Third Coast Review - Somewhat Recommended

"...This touring cast does an admirable job with the material they’re given; both Stern and Butler make their national touring debut here, and they easily keep pace with their fellow actors and the material. The standout, by far, is saved for the second act in Madeline Raube as Countess Lily, the Dowager Empress’s lady-in-waiting who’s the gatekeeper to the former monarch. She’s got comedic chops and impressive pipes, and the stage lights up whenever she enters. But even the staging here is disappointing, a sort of community-theater style mounting that relies on a few set-pieces to establish depth and then puts the majority of the scene changes on a digital display that spans the entire wall upstage."

Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended

"...In researching the history behind the hit musical Anastasia, it’s hard to decipher if the story is, in fact, based on true events that happened to the Romanov family or simply an old Russian legend. Regardless of the historical context, the play is fantastic! Anastasia brings together the staples we hope to see in a Broadway musical – drama, comedy, beautiful music, extravagant costumes, and most of all, stellar actors."

NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...But the real magic of this show is in the songs by composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens. McNally, Flaherty and Ahrens are the same triptych who gave us “Ragtime,” and there is a similar feel, albeit with a distinctively Russian flavor. The handful done for the Fox cartoon are kept but there are so many others it is almost a new score. There is an orchestra and chorus and everyone in the cast is a superb singer. There are arias, duets and a spectacular quartet of ballet scenes that incorporates ballet music. Incidental music is used to great effect."