By Adsen Tarr
From gorgeous gowns to one of the 20th century’s most famous unsolved mysteries, Parkland Theatre’s production of Anastasia the Musical has a little something for everyone.
A cast full of local staples and emerging talents
This cast is a conglomeration of Champaign-Urbana’s best performers. From community theater stars to local college students, the stage is full of seasoned performers that bring the show to life.
The incredibly talented cast is led by Madelyn Henson in the titular role. Henson is a Champaign native, graduate of Central High School and senior at Illinois State studying musical theatre. She leads the cast with a beautiful voice and confident smile. Henson is joined by fellow ISU musical theatre student Andrew Crisp as Dimitri, whose rendition of My Petersburg may have been my favorite part of the show. In addition, many up-and-coming Chambana performers make up the ensemble, including Grace Kreps, Paige Greve and Lin Gilbertz from UIUC’s Lyric Theater Program and Parkland students Owen Skarbalas, Jera Soroto, Jaiden Burgess and Brandon Potenberg.
And while these young artists can certainly hold their own onstage, they are supported by a wonderful group of veteran C-U performers, including local music teachers Jason Morgan and Cheryl Forest Morganson as well as community staples Emily Hogan, Jacob Deters and Karin Vermillion. They make for a wonderfully well-rounded cast for an incredible audience experience.
Partnership with local dance companies
One big draw of the show is that it invites the opportunity for very skilled ballerinas to perform a short excerpt during a song called “Quartet at the Ballet.” For me this was certainly a highlight of the show, not only because of the wonderful dancers’ technique, but because of the use of incredibly talented community members. This production of Anastasia partnered with Urbana Fine Arts as well as Dance Theater Illinois to put together a gorgeous piece for the show. The ballerinas you’ll see in the show are locals and the piece was set by the director of Urbana Fine Arts, Luciana Rezende. Director Abby Gailey called it a “very exciting community collaboration,” highlighting that there are “so many talented community members” in C-U.
Technical Magic!
This really wouldn’t be a proper review without talking about the excellent technical elements of the show. The set is a two-story masterpiece with impressive staircases that move to indicate different environments. The 13-person orchestra, led by Noah Larson, is cleverly hidden in a side alcove and sounds wonderful, creating a strong foundation for such a music heavy show.
And of course, I could not go without highlighting the incredible wigs of Michael Steen. In this show, Steen pulls double duty, starring as Vlad, as well as doing the wigs for the entire show. While I’m never unimpressed with wigs, I don’t think people understand how incredible it is that our community theater has such professional, well-styled wigs. In addition to the visuals, the microphones worked perfectly, and I could understand every word, which is a huge win.
All in all, this show is a wonderful way to entertain yourself or your kids this weekend and next weekend. An intriguing story, a timeless score and a mystery you won’t be able to stop thinking about make for a great show!
The Basic Information
Venue: Harold and Jean Miner Theatre
Dates: April 9, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25 at 7:30 p.m. and April 19, 26 at 3 p.m.
Tickets: Adult $25; Student/Youth/Senior/Veteran $18
Rating: Appropriate for all ages
Parking: Lots C4 and C3 off of Duncan Road are closest to the theater entrance and have plenty of spaces
Intermission: 15 minutes with concessions offered