Okay. So I know I already talked about it, but I need to talk about it again. I'm just constantly reminded how much I obscenely adore Anastasia and to be fair I never told you about getting to see the musical live on Broadway, so this is post is going to be a little bit of that and a little bit of my fEELINGS. Because I have a lot of them.

You all know that Anastasia is my favorite movie of all time (do you? I think I said that in the last Anastasia post...), but did you know I love it so much that I spent over three hundred dollars on tickets to see it on Broadway in New York? No you don't because I never told you. Let's fix that.

When I first found out Anastasia was becoming a musical, I believe I was just minding my own business at school, you know – trying to survive. My friend Chelsea, who must follow EW's Twitter account religiously (I'm convinced she has her notifications turned on for them, which, yike, because they post fifty times a day), sent me a text message with a link to the musical's announcement that changed my life. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that Anastasia: The Musical was on the back of my mind every day leading up to the moment those tickets went on sale. Even when I wasn't actively thinking about it, it was there.

And as excited as I was, I was also terrified. What if they cast people who couldn't fill the animated characters' shoes? What if Anya's voice couldn't hold a candle to Liz Callaway's? What if they changed the characters too much or the scenes too much or left out some of my favorite songs? What if they took too many creative liberties?

But also what if it's as incredible as the movie was? What if I got to go see it, and if so, what if I cried during the opening number the same way I did when I saw CATS? What if all my favorite songs are even better somehow performed on a Broadway stage? What if it's even more magical?

Despite everything that worried me, I had the highest hopes for it. There really was no other way for me to go about anticipating this musical.

When the cast was announced, I don't think I was aware of it. Unlike Chelsea, I don't keep tabs on anything musical/Broadway-related, so when I first saw Anya and Dmitry (I know, I know, it's spelled different than the movie version) in character it was in a few promotional pictures I discovered on Tumblr after seeing a short little promo ad on YouTube. And believe me, when you're not expecting a promo ad for a musical you only thought was in-the-making, it can really take you by surprise. I think I choked on my spit. Naturally, straight to Tumblr I went.

And that's when I saw them. A picture of Dmitry sat atop a bench, looking out into the distance, and Anya on the other end of the bench, staring at him (with heart eyes, don't even argue with me about this). 

 A picture of Anya in the center of a Dmitry/Vlad sandwich. 

 I believe there was also a solo picture of Anya, but I don't remember what was happening in it (update: found it).

Listen. As a child, movie Dimitri was the most intense crush I'd ever experienced. The fact that he was animated apparently didn't matter to me, because wow. His character development, his sass, his weird crooked nose, that smoldering stare, the fringe. I mean, god. Who wouldn't crush on that?

So believe me when I say that I was not ready for Derek Klena. I was not. I truly convinced myself over the weeks or months since learning about the musical's existence that whoever wound up playing Dimitri/Dmitry wouldn't be able to do him justice in the looks department but whoever casted Derek Klena, they! did! that! Can you believe?!

Then there's Christy Altomare who is a teeny tiny CUTIE. Seriously, she's adorable, which gave a fun little twist to Anya's character. In the movie she was cute as well, obviously, but it's different in Christy's case. My first impression upon seeing her was immediate approval, which was a complete relief. The two characters I cared about most looked their parts.

Anyway, jump forward to sometime during the end of 2016 when tickets for the musical finally went on sale. I think I always knew that whether I could afford it or not, I was going to see this musical. I had to see this musical. I'd been paying it too much attention and caring too much and thinking about it too much to just not experience it myself, you know? So one night I just...paid for two tickets to see it during the opening weekend of the pre-shows. And suddenly my roommate and I were going to New York in March?

Luckily we didn't spend much more money after that. Her brother lives in the city, so we had free housing, and my aunt and uncle work for Southwest Airlines, so they were able to get us free standby tickets. This was going to happen – we were going to spend another weekend in New York, and we were going to witness the magic of Anastasia be brought to life on a Broadway stage. In what world honestly? I'm still reeling.

So let's jump right into it. March 25th.  The musical was amazing. It had every song from the movie except for Rasputin's "In the Dark of the Night," though the tune makes an appearance in an original song anyway. And even though they changed a few of the lyrics and/or added new ones in certain songs ("Rumor in St. Petersburg," "Learn to Do It," etc.) I couldn't be mad. The changes worked for the story being told this way.

More than with the lyrics, the biggest change between the movie in the musical lies in the musical's decision to tell Anastasia's story in a slightly more historically accurate way. Rasputin doesn't make an appearance, and unfortunately that means neither does Bartok. I know, I was a little bummed about that too, but don't worry, it's not as bad as you think.

Pooka also isn't there. Let's be real, Anya traveling from Russia to Paris with a stray puppy is a little improbable.

My favorite change – which surprises me, as I'll explain in a second – lies in Dmitry's role in Anya's early life. In the movie, he's a kitchen boy who worked in the palace and helped Anastasia and her grandmother escape through the servants' quarters. In the musical, he grew up in the streets mostly alone, his parents having died when he was relatively young.

Toward the beginning of the musical, when I found out this was a change they'd made, I was actually pretty upset. One of my favorite things about the movie is thinking about how Dimitri must have had a crush on Anastasia when they were younger, and that when he finally found her again his feelings were even stronger and just. How romantic, you know? To have feelings for someone as kids, think you've lost them forever, and then have them return to you? I live for that.

The change in Dmitry's back story in the musical wound up being the biggest blessing though, because it led to the original song, "In a Crowd of Thousands." I won't give anything away, but it was SO SATISFYING after being upset the way I was. You guys are going to love it. But don't cheat and just listen to the song right now. Watch the entire musical (there's a bootleg floating around Tumblr somewhere) (I mean I also have a link to it if you really want it) so that you get the entire story; makes the song much more effective.

Okay okay I know I'm talking a lot in a super vague way but I really want you all to actually watch the musical, so I'm trying not to give too much away. I just loved it so much. I never wanted it to end. Shockingly, the biggest surprise of the night was that I didn't cry, because I'm a baby when it comes to nostalgia. CATS had me nearly bawling during its first song.

But I finally figured out why I didn't cry that night. Fast forward to literally two nights ago (from the time I post this). I decide, as I do occasionally, to search Anastasia: The Musical on Tumblr to see how other people are reacting to it. Turns out that everyone loves Derek Klena as much as I do. Who'd'a thunk?

Okay but also, someone had made a gifset of moments from the musical with the caption containing some familiar lyrics and a link.

I don't know if I mentioned this the last time I ranted about how much I love this movie, but my legitimate all-time favorite song is actually the credit song. It's called "At the Beginning" by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis, and it's really got-dang cute and is perfect for #Danya's relationship. When watching the musical, I never noticed that "At the Beginning" didn't make it to the stage – it was only the credit song after all. When the musical tracklist was released, I was maybe a tiny bit surprised it didn't make it onto there, but fine. I guess that was fine.

BUT GUYS. DEREK KLENA AND CHRISTY ALTOMARE SANG IT ANYWAYS.

That's right, the familiar lyrics at the bottom of that gifset I saw were "At the Beginning" lyrics, and the link led to a video of the two of them singing it at some Broadway Princess Ball thing, I don't even know. It was three in the morning and I was in my bed and my closest headphones were those crappy ones that come with your iPhone, but there I was, weeping.

https://youtu.be/0Y86buJDVbk

So it turns out all it would have taken for the musical to make me cry was to see these two adorable humans singing my favorite song from the movie in character. It was everything I could have ever wanted, and they did it amazingly. It suited their voices so well. All I really want to do right now is explode all over my keyboard because I still have no words. ASsoghslihglskdhglkasl;lhgksjhdlgkjlksdghjkdhglksliehvlkxh.

Anyway, that was my Anastasia: The Musical experience. You know what I desperately need in my life, like, yesterday? A Larry AU based on Anastasia. I just need more Anastasia in my life at all times always, and I think throwing Larry into the mix would be the cherry on top. Am I wrong? Just imagine Louis as Dmitry. You're welcome.

I'm going to go to bed now that it's two in the morning here. Oh, I forgot to mention that the entire time I've been writing this I've been listening to the musical's soundtrack and "In a Crowd of Thousands" is playing right this moment and I have chills, because I always get them during the exact same part. UGH.

Hope you all have a wonderful week, and if you want to watch any films I'd suggest Anastasia, you know, just off the top of my head. x