With a dramatic flair of lights and intricate set design, the show stopping musical, Anastasia, is brought to life in the HP school auditorium. From October 24th to 27th, the musical Anastasia will be put on for the community.
Traveling back in time to the 1900s, the show takes place in a period after the Russian Revolution, where the Romanov family was executed, and Russia fell under Lenin’s regime. The only survivor of the execution is a young girl named Anastasia, who had gotten amnesia and went missing. As she travels on a journey with two con men, she learns of her true history, and the dangers lurking behind her, as she reunites with her grandmother in France.
“This musical fits our kids, it fits our community, and it also kind of complemented the things that they learned and they did in the previous year’s shows,” technical theater director and auditorium coordinator Joseph Burnam said.
This year is Burnam’s first year at the high school, and he begins the year as the Anastasia tech director alongside theater director Brittney Murphy. Burnam’s new role was taken with stride, as the students and the theater community collaborated with Burnam for a smooth transition.
“It’s been great,” Burnam said. “The students are very eager, and the faculty and parents are very transparent and honest and willing,”
Anastasia the musical is the first production of this year. Anastasia is taken from the original Broadway script, following all the musical numbers and set designs.
“We’re sticking with the same one that’s used in Broadway, professionally,” assistant stage manager sophomore Cadie Walsh said, “Overall, it’s a surprisingly, it’s a generally happy show, even considering the material, but it’s just kind of mostly upbeat.”
Although Anastasia occurs during a historically huge political event of the Russian Revolution, the plot itself mainly focuses on the adventures of the lost princess, reading more like a Disney movie than an intense political drama. This tells the story through a positive lens of a young woman finding her family and herself, ensuring people of all ages can enjoy the show.
“All that effort going into it is gonna make it a really magical experience for everybody involved,” Walsh said.
Auditions for the show began in late May, so the actors had the summer to prepare. Since the beginning of the school year, rehearsals have occurred four days a week, with actors spending several hours weekly to remember lines, learn stage directions and ensure the musical runs smoothly overall.
“The process of it is we start with music, and we learn all of the music, all the ensemble stuff,” senior Morgan Martinez said. “Then we start blocking where you figure out where you’re standing during the scene, when you’re saying each line.”
After all this is completed, set pieces and costumes are added, and the show is run multiple times to ensure its flawless.
To fit the role, actors go through a process to connect with and embrace their character. This emphasizes the emotion of the role and creates more substance for the plot. This was achieved through an acronym called GOTE, which stands for goal, obstacle, tactic and expectation.
“It’s you who decides, what is the goal that your character has from this, what is the obstacle that is stopping them from achieving a goal, and then what is the tactic that they’re going to use to get this goal,” Martinez said. “And then E is, what’s the expectation of what’s going to happen from them doing this?”
According to Martinez, this is for the actors and actresses to understand how to embody the role and understand what the part they’re playing is actually saying.
While developing the character and the stage presence, actors are also expected to sing. The musical’s numbers are intense, calling for high pitches and complex lyrics.
“[Anastasia] is a little bit more vocally intricate, the harmonies. So it’s a little bit harder just to get it perfect,” Martinez said.
In addition to the extensive practice required by the actors, the backstage crew has a significant responsibility to ensure that the show goes on. This includes lights, mics, props, music and stage cues.
“Mostly we’re on comms, which are like headsets with the other tech people, mostly backstage, queuing anybody, if needed,” Walsh said, “Double checking that everything is running smoothly. Just handling any mishaps that happen.”
The backstage crew extends the expectations by including more detailed designs through projection designs. The high demand for a flawless show creates a lot of pressure, but the theater community is confident that the musical can be accomplished and executed seamlessly. A majority of the play relies on the backstage crew to illustrate the magical aspects of the plot.
“That entails, for this show, specifically, we design with students and construct with students, the set, the lights, the sound design, and for this show, some of the projection design,” Burnam said.
Anastasia will be shown at the HPHS Auditorium this fall, fit for all ages.
“[It’s a] really fun experience for anyone who wants to get outside their comfort zone or just try something new and meet some new people. ” Martinez said.
“I think the community is familiar with Highland Park High School theater, and they’ll say, ‘Wow, I’m so thankful for the kids’ new experiences and getting to see something on stage that maybe I didn’t get to before.’”
