Few mysteries continue to fascinate the world like that of the Grand Duchess Anastasia, the last surviving daughter of the Russian Imperial family murdered during the Russian Revolution (witness the recent animated hit film “Anastasia”). Now the Anastasia story sings again in this chamber musical featuring the lush melodies of famed Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, courtesy of “Kismet’s” masters of musical adaptation, Robert Wright and George Forrest.
In 1926, a former Cossack general finds Anna Nielsen, a mental patient who claims to be Anastasia. With some co-conspirators, he coaches her so he can pass her off as the real princess – and make a tidy sum. But as Anna's memory returns, his accomplices begin to wonder if she isn't indeed the actual princess.
With a magnificent two-piano accompaniment and a cast of richly dramatic roles (including the challenging Anna and her steely grandmother, the aged Dowager Empress), “Anastasia Affaire” is a romantic trip back to a time filled with intrigue, love and self-sacrifice.
