Anastasia at CIBC Theatre in Chicago

Anastasia, the Broadway musical, is set for Chicago and will play at the CIBC Theatre. This spectacular show takes us from the Russian Empire's twilight to the excitement of Paris in 1920s Paris as a young woman attempts to unravel the mysteries of her past. Anya is pursued by a brutal Soviet officer who wants to silence her. Anya recruits the help of a charming conman and an ex-aristocrat. They embark together on an epic journey to help Anya find love, home, and family.

Kyla Stone will star as Anya on this national tour of Anastasia. She is the first Black actress to portray the role of Anya in any productions worldwide.

Director Darko Tresnjak said, "We are thrilled to welcome Kyla Stone to the group of amazing actresses who have brought Anya to life, and we look forward to showcasing this entire cast to communities all over the country."

Stone received her BFA in Theatre Performance from Chapman University. Her credits include Johanna in Sweeney Todd at Hangar Theater, as well as regional productions of 9 to 5, The Who's Tommy, and many more.

Stone fell in love with performing arts as a middle schooler. She then went to a high school for performance arts. Chapman University was where she continued her passion for performing and majored in musical theatre. Stone was able to graduate despite the many challenges that 2020 presented and she was optimistic about the future. Her initial plans to move to New York after graduating were thwarted, Stone persevered.

Stone said, "I graduated in 2020, the best year to graduate in the pandemic. So, my plan was to move to New York and then obviously that didn't happen, because everything shut down, I ended up doing a lot of short films, basically just auditioning a ton for TV and film, because there was no theater. Luckily, when it started back up again, I was fortunate enough to do "Sweeney Todd" at The Hangar Theater up in Ithaca. On our opening night of that, I found out that I booked "Anastasia."

Anastasia features a book by celebrated playwright Terrence McNally, a lush, new score by the Tony Award -winning creators of the Broadway classic Ragtime, Stephen Flaherty (music) and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics), and tour direction by Sarah Hartman based on original direction by Tony Award-winning director Darko Tresnjak.

After completing a pre-Broadway run in Hartford, Connecticut, Anastasia premiered on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre in April 2017. It was a Broadway hit for three years, with sold-out audiences. Then, "Fanastasia" expanded its global community and now has productions in North America, Japan, Spain and Germany. Anastasia has been performed over 2,500 times worldwide and has sold more than 3.4 million tickets. The show has won more than 15 international awards, including the Outer Critics Circle, Outer Critics Circle, Tony and Drama Desk awards, and Best New Musical awards in Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Anastasia plays at the CIBC Theatre in Chicago from September 20 - 25.