Helias premieres ‘Anastasia’ for the first time in JC area

Helias premieres ‘Anastasia’ for the first time in JC area

GMM - Helias Spring Musical: "Anastasia"
GMM - Helias Spring Musical: "Anastasia"

Join Helias Catholic High School this weekend for a groundbreaking journey to the past.

Helias presents its spring musical, "Anastasia," at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. All audiences are welcome.

The production, originally on Broadway, follows a young Anastasia in 1907, the brink of Russia's revolution. When Dowager Empress Maria Fyodorovna Romanov receives news her family has been put to death, she believes they are all lost. Then in 1927, news surfaces that one Romanov daughter may have survived. Two Russian con artists, Dmitry and Vlad, find Anya, a young woman who has amnesia, and try to pass off her as granddaughter to Dowager Empress to earn a reward. As the similarities between Anastasia and Anya begin to surface, it changes the course of all their lives, and legends are proven true.

This will be the first production of "Anastasia" in the Jefferson City area, as production rights for school performances were released in 2020, according to theater magazine Playbill. The cast and crew are excited about getting to pioneer a show, some for their last high school production.

"It's interesting because we don't have anything to go off of (other than the Broadway production)," said Eliza Pierce, who is a senior and plays The Dowager Empress. "We just decided to be the first show."

The big production gets to combine many talents from the cast and crew to create a glittery performance -- period costumes and all, thanks to the design skills of Missy Newberry.

Production manager Ron Vossen said their ability to make this a big performance is thanks a smaller show last year because of the pandemic.

After their performance of the spring 2020 musical, "The Little Mermaid," stay-at-home orders went into place in Missouri, so there was little time to celebrate their successes. And for the spring 2021 musical, "Back to the 80's: The Totally Awesome Musical," it required fewer resources than other plays. Both motivated them to go all out this year -- detailed costumes, a larger cast and a production that's just like Broadway.

"It really is a unique play. The music is beautiful, and we have so much talent," Vossen said. "Being able to do a high school play at this caliber is all thanks to the support (of parents and staff)."

Choreographers had their work cut out for them, as the main source of material for the dance-heavy play is YouTube videos of the Broadway production.

A favorite number for Helias choreographer and alumna Gabrielle Kampeter is "Quartet at the Ballet" -- all of the characters are facing plot arcs as they watch a production of the ballet "Swan Lake" in the middle.

"It's a big accomplishment when you see it all together, knowing how it came together," Kampeter said.

Senior Addison Schroer, who helped choreograph a duet piece, is excited for audiences to see "Paris Holds the Key" and "Land of Yesterday." She connected the second song to her own experience of nearing graduation -- the characters remember the good times in Russia, choosing to "live in a time of yesterday."

As with every spring musical, the Helias seniors will have the chance to do their own reflecting.

Before opening night, the cast will do a group prayer in the auditorium, and the seniors will have the chance to give advice to the younger classes. Schroer's advice will be to not be sad when the show is over but to use that experience to make it even better next year.

"I feel like a lot of musicals we've done have been super fun to be in, but this one is almost cooler because we did this first," Schroer said. "We're kind of setting the bar because we did this before everyone else."

Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased by calling the Helias business office at 573-635-6139.

  photo  GMM - Helias Spring Musical: "Anastasia" Shaun Zimmerman / News Tribune
 
 
  photo  GMM - Helias Spring Musical: "Anastasia" Shaun Zimmerman / News Tribune
 
 
  photo  GMM - Helias Spring Musical: "Anastasia"
 
 
  photo  GMM - Helias Spring Musical: "Anastasia"
 
 
  photo  GMM - Helias Spring Musical: "Anastasia"
 
 
  photo  GMM - Helias Spring Musical: "Anastasia" Shaun Zimmerman / News Tribune