Fairfax HS Stages Memorable Production Of 'Anastasia The Musical'

By Sienna Lardizabal of Alexandria City High School
Cappies Review

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — With the dimming of lights and the swell of a live orchestra, the audience is swept into pre-Bolshevik Russia, giving way to a young and innocent Anastasia, unbeknownst to the journey that will lay before her in the coming years. In Fairfax High School's production of "Anastasia: The Musical," bone-chilling vocalists and immersive technical elements painted a world in which themes such as finding one's identity and defining one's future could be thoroughly explored.

Predominantly taking place post-Russian revolution, the musical follows Anya, one of the last living members of the Romanovs, a royal family that the Bolsheviks executed during the revolution. Having no memory of her life of luxury or the family left behind, the now-impoverished Anya teams up with conmen Dmitry and Vlad to convince the grand duchess (her grandmother) that she is the long-lost Duchess Anastasia. The story, brought to Broadway in 2017, explores the hypothetical of what could have happened had the real Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna escaped the execution of her family during the Bolshevik Revolution.

As Anya, Kaylee Williams captivated the stage with smooth vocals and crisp, distinct enunciation, in glowing renditions of "Once Upon a December" and "Journey to the Past." Alongside her, Dmitry (Alejandro Cahoon) commanded the stage with his boisterous pantomime and expressions, showing impressive range both vocally and emotionally. His partner in crime, Vlad (Tristan Farmer), animated every scene with comedic timing that sent the audience into fits of laughter. The trio worked in perfect harmony, playing off each other with natural banter in outstanding numbers such as "Learn to Do It."

Also to be applauded is the ethereal Mauro Manganello, whose harmonious acapella rang throughout the otherwise silent stage in "Stay, I Pray You." Throughout his stunning solo, he conducted the ensemble behind him with perfect pitch, an incredible feat for a vocalist singing without accompaniment.

The student-led orchestra (Orchestasia - Berkcan Bayram, Clementine Worshek, Isak Schwille, Cedric LeFloch) played off the performances onstage with impeccable cohesiveness, with details such as the synchronized chiming of bells as a lamp was lit aglow. The orchestra worked in tandem with the vocalists, slowing or quickening the tempo to match the pace of the singers with amazing precision.

The choreography team (Nate Smith, Naomi Bautista, Libby Hansen) delighted the audience with delightful, historically accurate dances, pulling choreography from actual Russian culture. From the dynamic use of chairs as levels in "Land of Yesterday" to the graceful leaps and turns of the ballerinas in "Quartet at the Ballet," every number was engaging and entertaining, with never a dull moment onstage.

Whether it be the breathtaking vocals of the cast members, or the dynamic dances dreamt up by the choreography team, Fairfax High School made every second of "Anastasia" a moment to remember.