'Anastasia' Musical To Open At Merriam Theater As Broadway Shows Return To Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Broadway shows are returning to Philadelphia just in time for the holiday season. The curtain will rise for the musical "Anastasia" at the Merriam Theater on Tuesday, Nov. 23.
CBS3's Jim Donovan sat down to chat with the stars of the show.
Tonight @AnastasiaBway opens at the #MerriamTheater. I had the chance to speak with the stars of the show, @kyla__stone and @mdrsinger. #WATCH at https://t.co/7NTImc4Zr3 pic.twitter.com/56v7zdxsGt
— Jim Donovan (@jimdonovancbs3) November 23, 2021
Kyla Stone stars in the lead role of Anya.
"It's about a young woman really searching for herself," Stone said. "She knows that there is something out there waiting for her in Paris and she teams up with these two con men Dimitri and Vlad and they think she might be the Princess Anastasia and might be able to get away with it. But they sort of realize as they go on, she could actually be the princess, they go to Paris and meet the dowager and in the end you may or may not discover she is the princess yourself."
Stone is making history as the first Black actress to play the lead role of Anya.
"I think one of my favorite things is to come out each night and see all the young people in the audience who are excited to see someone who obviously looks like them and I get to wear all of the costumes and be a princess for two hours is very great," Stone said.
Also in the cast is local actress Madeline Raube. She is making her national tour debut in the role of Countess Lilly.
"Countess Lilly, she is feisty, vivacious, she's also hilarious and in Act 2 she gets to come out with a big number called 'Land of Yesterday' and just kind of wake up the crow and have a party on stage. I love stepping into her shoes every single day. We have eight shows while we are in Philadelphia, so there are so many friends and family that I'm looking forward to seeing," Raube said.
Raube says "There are songs from the movie that of course you'll recognize and you'll love to hear," but there is also new music that Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens created for the show.
With many people heading back to the theater for the first time in almost two years, "Anastasia" may be just the ticket.
"Anya is such a perfect way back into the theater because she's been someone who has been alone for so long and for her to come out and sing 'In My Dreams' and talk about how she has this faith in knowing that there is something that will spark up again is the perfect sort of meld of the two," Stone said.
"Anastasia" opens Tuesday night at the Merriam Theater.
The show runs through Sunday afternoon, Nov. 28.
Click here for tickets.