Through February 23, 2020
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Roy Berko
There is an adage in theatre that after seeing a musical one should not leave talking sets and costumes. In the case of the touring company of “ANASTASA” however, that’s exactly what the audience was doing. Yes, this is not a great musical. The plot is obvious and the music pleasant, not memorable. However, the production values are outstanding and the cast excellent, so, all in all, what we have is a pleasant, if not spectacular, evening of theatre.
To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.Kerry Clawson
“Anastasia” is a visually stunning musical whose tale has an epic sweep. But for much of the first act, its momentum felt a bit slow Wednesday night at Playhouse Square in Cleveland.
To see a full review of this show, read Kerry Clawson's review here.
Howard Gollop
Luckily, the sets and costumes add color and nuance to a production that could use more of both. At the very least, one would think a veteran director named Darko Tresnjak (for real) could imbue his cast with an authentic Eastern European aura.
No such luck. Although the show is nevertheless engaging and expensive-looking, particularly for a national tour, it's about as Russian as St. Petersburg, Fla.
What
we have is the usual collection of pleasant but hardly memorable
songs, a predictable story line combined with an excellent cast and
spectacular stage set and video projections that add depth. In short
this is a show worth venturing out into the cold and weather to
see. It is indeed a very nice way to spend an evening at
the theater.
Chris Howey
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Chris Howey's Review here.
Laura Kennelly
Bottom Line: Anastasia is a light, enjoyable musical that offers a new take on the rags-to-riches motif. It’s a perfect winter treat. The national touring company does a bang-up job of bringing Broadway to Cleveland. (And yes, Cleveland was mentioned in the dialogue — but I bet a different town is named at the next stop — we all laughed anyway.)
To see a full review of this show, read Laura's posts at Cool Cleveland.
