A N A S T A S I A

Set in a Russia grappling with revolution and loss, the story opens in the 1920s, when rumors begin to circulate that the youngest Romanov daughter, Anastasia, might have survived her family’s execution. Seizing the opportunity, two con men—Dmitry (Zamir Gorden) and ex-aristocrat Vlad Popov (Jude Chiarella)—decide to transform a mysterious orphan girl into a princess impersonator to claim a reward from the Dowager Empress of Russia, now exiled in Paris. Their song, “A Rumor in St. Petersburg,” is one of the production’s early highlights. The ensemble shines in this number with their harmonies, energy and enthusiasm. The dancing, while subtle, is exciting to watch.