THE MUSICAL — CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS Anya/Grand

ANASTASIA: THE MUSICAL — CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS

Anya/Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov

● Playing age: 26

● Lead role. Star Vehicle.

● Range: G3-F5, Belt to D5. Disney-esque Soprano or Mezzo

● Dance Requirement: Some movement

● Anya is brave, fiery, witty, and above all determined. With no memory of her life before age 17

and having lived through the horrors of the Russian Revolution, Anya jumps at the sound of

gunshots and is distrustful of strangers, but there is steel hiding just beneath the surface. Anya

is strong-willed and compassionate. Her mantra, “Home, love, family” is her goal. All she knows

is her family is in Paris and she will find them however she can.

Dmitry Sudayev

● Playing age: 28

● Lead role

● Range: A2-G4. “Baritenor”

● Dance Requirement: Some Movement

● Dmitry is a scoundrel with a heart of gold. A street rat who grew into a conman, Dima does all

he does to get out of poverty and is not above lying, cheating, and stealing to do so–that is until

he meets Anya. What starts as just another scheme (albeit much bigger than anything he’s tried

to pull off before) turns into the adventure of a lifetime that requires Dimitry to look inward and

figure out how to put the one he loves before himself.

Vladimir “Vlad” Popov

● Playing age: Mid 40s-Early 50s (No age really specified)

● Supporting Lead role

● Range: A2-F4. Comic Baritone

● Dance Requirement: Strong mover

● Vlad is Dmitry’s partner in crime (literally) and surrogate father. Before the revolution he

scammed his way through society pretending to be a count. Vlad is dramatic, crafty, and a big

softie at heart. While he, like Dmitry, is not above lying, cheating, and stealing, he cares greatly

for his loved ones and is generally affable, though he can be calculating when he needs to be.

Deputy Commissioner Gleb Vaganov

● Playing age: Mid 30s

● Supporting Lead role

● Range: A2-Gb4. Baritone with a strong upper extension.

● Dance Requirement: None.

● Gleb is the villain of the show, though not a bad person. He fully believes in the Communist

ideals he follows. Loyal, honest, and hard working, Gleb almost has the potential to be a hero

(he’s very much the hero of his own story). A deeply conflicted person, Gleb’s infatuation (and

borderline obsession) with Anya leads to his battle with the idea of doing one’s duty vs. doing

what is right.

Countess Lily Malevsky-Malevitch

● Playing age: ~40 (She’s based on Lili Dehn- a real life Russian countess who was a family friend

of the Romanovs- so I based her age around how old Dehn would’ve been in 1927/28)

● Supporting role

● Range: G3-C5 (Briefly sings a B5 at the end of Land of Yesterday, but the rest of the role is very

Mezzo) Jazzy Mezzo with an upper extension.

● Dance Requirement: Dancer (Ideally a strong dancer)

● Lily is the lady in waiting to the Dowager Empress. She has been by the Dowager’s side since

before the revolution. Lily is clever, dutiful, and above all fun (when not working for the

Dowager). She deals with her exile from Russia with a sort of resigned dark humor…and a LOT

of vodka. She and Vlad were once an item (unbeknownst to her oblivious husband) and rekindle

their romance upon re-uniting.

Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna Romanov

● Playing age: 80

● Supporting role

● Range: F3-Bb4. A regal Mezzo

● Dance Requirement: None

● The Dowager Empress has lost everything she once held dear and must now put up with

imposter upon imposter never allowing her to grieve in peace. She is icy, proud, and regal (not to

mention intimidating) to all but her family. Though, she does have a very shrap wit. She is

especially warm with Anastasia both when a child and after it’s revealed that Anya really is the

princess. She commands authority and attention the minute she enters a room.

Young Anastasia/Alexei (Doubles in Ensemble as well)

● Playing age: ~5 for Young Anastasia, (cast with an older child, normally between 9 and 14), 13

for Alexei

● Featured role

● Range: C4-C5, a sweet child soprano

● Dance Requirement: Very little.

● Young Anastasia is the willful, brave, proud, and precocious youngest daughter of the Tsar. She

has a special bond with her grandmother (whom she calls Nana). Alexei was the Tsarevich (Heir

to the throne) and only boy of the Romanov siblings. He suffered from debilitating hemophelia

that often left him bed-ridden. Anya mentions that he was her best friend.

Ensemble

● The Ensemble has a TON to do in this show and plays a vast array of featured characters

(Tracks listed below). I will not be suggesting songs for most of these as any of the above

would be appropriate.

● All of the Ensemble plays Townsfolk, Royal Servants, Bolshevik Officers and Soldiers, Parisians,

Reporters, and Aristocrats

● Featured Character Tracks:

○ Olga, Tatiana, Mariya (the other Romanov Sisters)/ Paulina, Dunya, Marfa (three

prostitutes who audition for the Fake-Anastasia scheme)/Odette and Swans (Dancers in

the ballet)

■ These tracks require dancing en pointe

■ Olga track also dances Odette and requires strong ballet ability

○ Teen Anya

■ A featured dance role in the opening sequence

■ May also be one of the prostitutes and ballet dancers (I’m not 100% sure with

this track)

■ Understudies Anya/Anastasia

○ Commissioner Gorlinsky/Count Leopold/Drunkard 4

■ Understudies Vlad

○ Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna/Female Reporter/Countess Gregory

■ Understudies Lily, but sings high soprano in Ensemble numbers

○ Tsar Nicholas II Romanov/Count Ipolitov/Drunkard 3

■ Understudies Gleb

○ Siegfriend (in Swan Lake sequence)/ Drunkard 1/Sergei the Doorman (?)

■ Understudies Dmitry

○ Von Rothbart (in Swan Lake sequence)/Drunkard 2/Sergei the Doorman (?)

Resource Guide:

https://anastasiathemusical.com/AnastasiaStudyGuide.pdf