By Adsen Tarr
This past week young performers have been preparing to share the story of Anastasia with an audience. The talent, storytelling and music displayed on Urbana High School’s stage is undeniably magical.
Presented by the Urbana Park District’s Youth Summer Theatre, this group of young artists take the audience on a journey with Anya, a young amnesiac as she discovers her true identity and regal past while making many new connections along the way. This plot is tied to history and real people and the teenage actors carry that emotional story with impressive depth and understanding.
Show Info: Holds the Key to Your Heart!
Venue: Urbana High School’s Cobb Theatre
Ticket Info: Adults $14, Student/Senior $10, 12 and under $7
Showtimes: July 25, 26 at 7 p.m. and July 26 at 2 p.m.
Rating: All Ages
The Plot (Without Spoilers)
It’s based on the real life story and rumors of Grand Duchess Anastasia’s escape from the assassination of the Romanov family. Anya, a young girl with amnesia, joins with best friends Dimitri and Vlad to find her true identity and family in Paris. She believes she is the long lost Princess Anastasia and the story follows her journey to find family, love and safety with many fun dance numbers sprinkled in.
Set in communist Russia, the show’s plot is based in a lot of history and historical references, so if you plan to bring young children — which you most certainly should — a quick glance at Wikipedia’s summary might help them to better appreciate the show’s story. Things like the Romanov family, amnesia and the overthrow of a country might be difficult for the child to grasp while watching the show, especially since I know of adults who had to watch this show multiple times to understand the context!
Leads with Star Power
With actors from elementary school all the way to high schoolers, there were several incredible performances from kids of all ages. The charming and hilarious trio of Anastasia, Dimitri and Vlad — played by the wonderful Alex Olson, Ben Summers and Gideon Wright, respectively — are absolutely the shining stars of the show. They light up the stage with their own unique talents and have amazing chemistry onstage.
Alex Olson’s performance is both serious and silly as she portrays her strong understanding of her character’s life and backstory. Her performance is truly moving. Ben Summer’s Dimitri is charming and funny, bringing a level of adventure to the story that would be lost without him. And Gideon Wright as Vlad is absolutely hilarious and will have you constantly laughing out loud. His strong acting choices really make his character stand out. The three of them performing “Learn to Do It” together creates the sweetest, most fun dynamic that carries through the entirety of the show.
Young Actors Get to Shine Onstage
As mentioned previously, the show is full of young talented actors and actresses. And while there are many talented high schoolers, the younger kids really do steal the show! This musical gives directors the opportunity to showcase A TON of talent and this production team certainly takes advantage of this. Between singing solos in different songs and dance solo and duet moments in the show every kid is wonderfully showcased in a way tailored to their talents. Whether it be Nina Lokshin’s beautiful ballet solo in “Quartet at the Ballet,” or Cora Rudd stealing our hearts as the Train Announcer, everyone gets a moment to themselves, something that should certainly be applauded in youth theater.
A Show for All Generations
This one is surely an event for the whole family. Kids will be dazzled by the gorgeous costumes and flashy dance numbers such as “The Land of Yesterday” led by the talented Maewyn Truijllo. And with so many young performers onstage, perhaps a younger kid could be inspired to join them next summer. There will be laughs, a few tears and an inexplicable urge to give a standing ovation after each number. Don’t miss it this weekend!