Hit Broadway Musical Anastasia Loved By Brisbane, Opening To Rave Reviews

Feature-ANASTASIA

The Courier Mail said “Georgina Hopson is every bit the star” and that ANASTASIA is “the ultimate theatrical tasting platter. You get the show tunes and soaring ballads, but you also get comedy, romance, opera, ballet, extravagant costumes and big Broadway moments”. Scenestr said that “Georgina Hopson is a perfect princess” and “an absolute must see” while The Hollywood Reporter called it “musical theatre at its absolute finest. Don’t miss it.”

The cast for this charming modern fairytale and much-loved musical includes Georgina Hopson as Anya, Robert Tripolino as the charismatic con artist Dmitry, Joshua Robson in the role of antagonist Gleb, Rodney Dobson as Vlad, the universally adored Rhonda Burchmore as Countess Lily and theatre icon Nancye Hayes AM in the role of the Dowager Empress.

The ensemble cast includes Sophia Bae, Elliot Baker, Nicholas Cunningham, Davis Giotopoulos Moore, Todd Goddard, Matthew Jenson, Stephanie Kurlow, Bella Minniti, Simon Plant, Nathan Stafford, Alexis Van Maanen, Patrick Volpe, Annie Wilson, Deone Zanotto and Andrea Zappacosta with the Swings team featuring Manon Gunderson-Briggs, Iosefa Laga’aia, Nathan Pinnell and Emma Russell. The local Queensland performers who feature as Little Anastasia include Eva Boldery, Kalina Kita, Harvey Rose McClelland and Holly Murray.

Inspired by the mysterious tale of Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov’s rumoured escape in the dawning days of the Russian Revolution, and the 1997 Oscar nominated animated film of the same name, ANASTASIA has been brought to life on the stage by the Tony Award-winning creative team of Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens.

ANASTASIA is a lavish musical for all ages, transporting audiences from the twilight years of the Imperial rule to the euphoria and exuberance of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman named Anya sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by an army officer determined to silence her, she enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family.

Directed by Tony Award winning director Darko Tresnjak, ANASTASIA premiered on Broadway in March 2017. It received a Tony Award nomination for Best Costume Design in a Musical and won more than 15 major international awards including Best Musical awards in Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.

The book for ANASTASIA was written by the late five time Tony Award winning writer Terrence McNally, whose credits include Love! Valour! Compassion!, Master Class, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Ragtime.

Music and lyrics for ANASTASIA were written by the renowned writing team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens who have been referred to as “one of the greatest songwriting teams in Broadway history.” (Chicago Tribune).

Lyric Theatre QPAC, Brisbane until 18 October 2026

For tickets and further information, please visit www.anastasiathemusical.com.au

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Anastasia: An Elegant, Enchanting Enigma

Anastasia The Musical

Anastasia The Musical Rating

★★★★★

Click if you liked this article

According to Anastasia’s writer Terrence McNally, a fairy tale is a story that even if it isn’t demonstrably true, tells us something very truthful about who we are. So even if modern DNA testing has concluded any claim about a runaway Romanov, the rumour, legend and mystery of Anastasia rightly endure and find luminous life in a Broadway show, now performing at QPAC’s Lyric Theatre in Brisbane. Set largely within economically shattered early 1900s Russia, Anastasia avoids excessive sentimentality, canvassing a society struggling to survive, and haunted with loss. Street sweeper Anya is groomed by conmen Dmitry and Vlad to pose as Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, rumoured to have escaped and survived her Imperial family’s execution, so they can pocket a reward. However, as the story develops, the grift turns to gratitude, and the fiction may not be so far-flung.

Every facet of Anastasia is impressively crafted, creating a musical that is spirited and spellbinding, yet sombre. Of the performers, Georgina Hopson is an admirable Anya, exuding the guts and grace to embody both the peasant and the princess with authentic likeability, not to mention pitch-perfect vocals, delivered with power and tender restraint. Robert Tripolino is eye catching as the resourceful rogue, Dmitry, a conman with a conscience. The magnetism between Anya and Dmitry is evident earlier than the characters realise it, and their burgeoning romance provides them with satisfying realignment and redemption, respectively. Rodney Dobson brings lived-in levity to the character Vlad, wily associate of Dmitry, and ex-member of the Imperial Court, sharing good connection and timing, particularly in his scenes with Tripolino, and Rhonda Burchmore – who is a giddy, glamourous and genial Countess Lily. Joshua Robson stands out as Gleb, capturing the complexity and ambivalence of the character, with velvet, vibrato-rich vocals, while as the Dowager Empress, Nancy Hayes commands with gravitas and regal decorum. The entire ensemble is highly commendable, vivacious and versatile.

 

Anastasia’s projection and videography are remarkable, adding depth and cinematic spectacle to the stage, immersing us in the adventure even more thoroughly. Dance is another special feature, with effervescent group numbers and stirring contrast between Russian waltzes, beautiful but bygone, and the up-tempo jazz stylings of 1920’s Paris. There is some phenomenal ballet added in for good measure, which provides a dazzling link between the old and new. The stylistic changes in costume, dance, and music achieve a marked tonal shift from the repression of revolution era Russia to the joie de vivre of Paris – and the possibilities of a new dawn. The costumes are stunning, the women’s regal dresses in particular draw gasps of appreciation, and the music is sumptuous and memorable, with undertones of melancholy befitting the fallen who at once grace and haunt the stage.

Anastasia shares many elements with the animated 1997 film, including five of the songs, but it achieves something new and more grown up, with each aspect combining beautifully. Director Darko Tresnjak and the entire creative team truly sweep us away in the journey. Overall, the legend of Anastasia endures, and this production is an elegant and enchanting enigma, telling many truths, including about how serendipity leads us where we are meant to be. Highly recommended.

To book tickets to Anastasia The Musical, please visit https://anastasiathemusical.com.au/tickets/brisbane/.

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Little Anastasia Cast Members Revealed For Hit Broadway Musical Anastasia’s Brisbane Premiere

Feature-ANASTASIA

Producers of the hit Broadway musical ANASTASIA have today revealed the talented young Queensland performers who will be sharing the role of Little Anastasia in the highly anticipated musical opening this month at QPAC’s Lyric Theatre.

The local Queensland performers who scored the coveted role amongst many keen auditionees are Eva Boldery (10 years old), Kalina Kita (9 years old), Harvey Rose McClelland (9 years old) and Holly Murray (10 years old).

These hugely talented young performers will join cast members Georgina Hopson as Anya, Robert Tripolino as charming con artist Dmitry, Joshua Robson in the role of antagonist Gleb, Rodney Dobson as Vlad, the much-loved Rhonda Burchmore as Countess Lily and theatre icon Nancye Hayes AM in the role of the Dowager Empress.

The ensemble cast includes Sophia Bae, Elliot Baker, Nicholas Cunningham, Davis Giotopoulos Moore, Todd Goddard, Matthew Jenson, Stephanie Kurlow, Bella Minniti, Simon Plant, Nathan Stafford, Alexis Van Maanen, Patrick Volpe, Annie Wilson, Deone Zanotto and Andrea Zappacosta with the Swings team featuring Manon Gunderson-Briggs, Iosefa Laga’aia, Nathan Pinnell and Emma Russell.

Inspired by the mysterious tale of Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov’s rumoured escape in the dawning days of the Russian Revolution, and the 1997 Oscar nominated animated film of the same name, ANASTASIA has been brought to life on the stage by the Tony Award-winning creative team of Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens.

ANASTASIA is a lavish musical for all ages, transporting audiences from the twilight years of the Imperial rule to the euphoria and exuberance of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman named Anya sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by an army officer determined to silence her, she enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family.

Directed by Tony Award winning director Darko Tresnjak, ANASTASIA premiered on Broadway in March 2017. It received a Tony Award nomination for Best Costume Design in a Musical and won more than 15 major international awards including Best Musical awards in Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.

The book for ANASTASIA was written by the late five-time Tony Award winning writer Terrence McNally, whose credits include Love! Valour! Compassion!, Master Class, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Ragtime.

Music and lyrics for ANASTASIA were written by the renowned writing team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens who have been referred to as “one of the greatest songwriting teams in Broadway history.” (Chicago Tribune).

“Fantastical, intelligent, well-crafted, and exhilarating, ANASTASIA deserves a coronation!” – The Wall Street Journal

“Captivating, beautifully staged and emotionally vital. ANASTASIA hits the sweet spot!” – The Hollywood Reporter

“One of the most gorgeous shows in years! Luscious, lavish, and a joy that leaves you cheering. This is a grandiloquent feast for the senses you won’t soon forget.” – The New York Observer

Lyric Theatre QPAC, Brisbane from 16 September to 18 October 2026

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

The Perfect Mother’s Day Gift- New Tickets On Sale For Anastasia!

Feature-ANASTASIA

Just in time for Mother’s Day, new seats for the much-loved hit Broadway musical ANASTASIA, which premieres in Brisbane in September, go on sale this week. Tickets for performances from 7 – 18 October can be purchased by those who have signed up to the waitlist through the ANASTASIA website today (Tuesday 5 May) and to the general public on Friday 8 May from 10am. The Sydney Morning Herald declared that ”the Australian incarnation of this international phenomenon is hard to fault” and that it is “Frozen, Les Mis and Ragtime, all in one” while the Sunday Telegraph declared it “lavish, theatrical and dropping in old-world glamour” and The Plus Ones said that ANASTASIA is “lavish musical theatre at its finest: rich, romantic and gloriously performed”.

The cast for this charming modern fairytale and much-loved musical includes Georgina Hopson as Anya, Robert Tripolino as the charismatic con artist Dmitry, Joshua Robson in the role of antagonist Gleb, Rodney Dobson as Vlad, the universally adored Rhonda Burchmore as Countess Lily and theatre icon Nancye Hayes AM in the role of the Dowager Empress.

The ensemble cast includes Sophia Bae, Elliot Baker, Nicholas Cunningham, Davis Giotopoulos Moore, Todd Goddard, Stephanie Kurlow, Keian Langdon, Bella Minniti, Nathan Stafford, Alexis Van Maanen, Patrick Volpe, Annie Wilson, Deone Zanotto and Andrea Zappacosta with the Swings team featuring Manon Gunderson-Briggs, Iosefa Laga’aia, Nathan Pinnell and Emma Russell.

Inspired by the mysterious tale of Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov’s rumoured escape in the dawning days of the Russian Revolution, and the 1997 Oscar nominated animated film of the same name, ANASTASIA has been brought to life on the stage by the Tony Award-winning creative team of Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens.

ANASTASIA is a lavish musical for all ages, transporting audiences from the twilight years of the Imperial rule to the euphoria and exuberance of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman named Anya sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by an army officer determined to silence her, she enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family.

Directed by Tony Award winning director Darko Tresnjak, ANASTASIA premiered on Broadway in March 2017. It received a Tony Award nomination for Best Costume Design in a Musical and won more than 15 major international awards including Best Musical awards in Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.

The book for ANASTASIA was written by the late five time Tony Award winning writer Terrence McNally, whose credits include Love! Valour! Compassion!, Master Class, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Ragtime.

Music and lyrics for ANASTASIA were written by the renowned writing team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens who have been referred to as “one of the greatest songwriting teams in Broadway history.” (Chicago Tribune).

“Fantastical, intelligent, well-crafted, and exhilarating, ANASTASIA deserves a coronation!” – The Wall Street Journal
“Captivating, beautifully staged and emotionally vital. ANASTASIA hits the sweet spot!” – The Hollywood Reporter
“One of the most gorgeous shows in years! Luscious, lavish, and a joy that leaves you cheering. This is a grandiloquent feast for the senses you won’t soon forget.” – The New York Observer

ANASTASIA – THE BROADWAY MUSICAL
Produced by John Frost for Crossroads Live and Opera Australia in special collaboration with Stage Entertainment Productions, Tom Kirdahy, Hunter Arnold and Dan Hinde

Lyric Theatre QPAC, Brisbane from September 2026

Visit www.anastasiathemusical.com.au

Australian production images by Jeff Busby

 

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Subscribe to What's The Show

Reviews, show news and what is on, straight to your inbox.