Anastasia the Musical: Inaccuracies

[GDSophie]

It may not be a film or TV show but it's not a book either so I have no idea where to put this.

From the small snippets it looks beautiful and much better then the movies they are based off (Both of Fox's Anastasia) and although I am hoping to see it when it comes to the UK in the future so I can give my honest opinion, I noticed some inaccuracies-historical and some a little nit picky-especially in Part 1 during the Ball scene.

1) Olga, Tatiana and Maria-of age during this part-have their hair down instead of up.
2) Although the whole family are the most whitest people you can ever find during that time, they pick a black woman to play Olga. I know it's because of her acting capabilities but people who I know who saw it thought that, because they try to be accurate as possible, Olga was actually either adopted or did not have the same father as her siblings and they try to hint at that in the musical. I told them otherwise. Even other people thought it was strange they placed her in that role considering the other girls are white.
3) It's never made clear how this adaption of Anastasia survived. She gets separated from her family during the siege of the Palace and you think that's how she survived but then you find out from a character who was there that he heard them all be shot in the Ipatiev House so...?
4) It's actually not made clear to the audience the years it's set in. The first scene is set in 1907 (so she's 6) and the next is set in 1917 however people think they're both set in 1907 like (??) Anastasia can grow from an six year old to a sixteen year old in a year.
5) Nicholas doesn't have his classy moustache and beard like (??) that's what made him Nicholas and they took it from him.
6) Anastasia calls Marie 'Nana' instead of 'Amama' which the real Anastasia called her.
7) Aw...Anastasia and her dog Tobi. Oh, Jimmy? I'm sorry, I thought that was the name of Anastasia's dog considering the musical wanted to be historically accurate yet they can't be bothered to search for one simple name. For a dog. Who is on Anastasia's WIKIPEDIA page.

[Akira Takahashi]

Which musical is this?  The broadway one?  I've listened to some of the songs, but I haven't gotten through the whole soundtrack yet.

[GDSophie]

Which musical is this?  The broadway one?  I've listened to some of the songs, but I haven't gotten through the whole soundtrack yet.

Broadway, yes.

[Kalafrana]

I'm tempted to say that you cannot expect a musical to be accurate; in fact, it might be more realistic to look for accuracies rather than inaccuracies.

However, the general inaccuracy and silliness of musicals is a reason why I don't like them. However, there's a double standard here, as I happily suspend disbelief when I go to the opera!

Ann

[GDSophie]

I'm tempted to say that you cannot expect a musical to be accurate; in fact, it might be more realistic to look for accuracies rather than inaccuracies.

However, the general inaccuracy and silliness of musicals is a reason why I don't like them. However, there's a double standard here, as I happily suspend disbelief when I go to the opera!

Ann

It was based on the animated movie, so Nicholas' abdication and their brief stay in Tobolsk is not mentioned at all but if you're going to mention Jimmy, they might as well have gotten her name right.

[Akira Takahashi]

I watched the animated film when I was a kid, and my class was so into it that my teacher dedicated a week to teaching us about the Imperial family and the Bolshevik Revolution, which instilled in me a love of Russian history.  Happily learning Russian now, largely thanks to that musical.  It's a lot different from Japanese, and while it's not as close to English as Norwegian, it's close enough to make comparisons.  They're both Indo-European, after all!

Anyway, back on topic, I'd love to see the stage adaptation despite the inaccuracies.  I think the worst Anastasia film was that weird one with the talking instruments, and I know it can't be that bad!  I listened to most of the soundtrack on YouTube and think it sounds pretty good, even without "In the Dark of the Night."

[GDSophie]

I watched the animated film when I was a kid, and my class was so into it that my teacher dedicated a week to teaching us about the Imperial family and the Bolshevik Revolution, which instilled in me a love of Russian history.  Happily learning Russian now, largely thanks to that musical.  It's a lot different from Japanese, and while it's not as close to English as Norwegian, it's close enough to make comparisons.  They're both Indo-European, after all!

Anyway, back on topic, I'd love to see the stage adaptation despite the inaccuracies.  I think the worst Anastasia film was that weird one with the talking instruments, and I know it can't be that bad!  I listened to most of the soundtrack on YouTube and think it sounds pretty good, even without "In the Dark of the Night."

The music is catchy but the one thing about the musical that is starting to bother me is the romanticising of Gleb, a Bolshevik general. Even if he is fictional, it is still-forgive my French-shitting on the real Romanovs memory and adding fuel to the already tarnished memory of Anastasia.

[TimM]

None of these things would want any of us in the audience.  We'd nitpick it to death!

[GDSophie]

And be highly offended of the fans, most who ship Gleb and Anastasia together-the same person who tried to kill her throughout the entire musical and even points a gun at her at one point. It doesn't help that the writers imply that Gleb loves her, even though nothing comes of it and the musical pretty much ends the same in the movie (he doesn't change the musical at all, especially his new found love for Anastasia; unnecessary, literally unnecessary).

But it's okay because Gleb is hot, and fetishing him is the best thing a fan can do. Forgot the millions who died, they mean absolutely nothing anymore (all sarcasm from me I assure you). What happened to Anastasia and her con man; better him then a Bolshevik who is related to someone who murdered her entire family right in front of her.

Like I say; it's like shipping Anne Frank with a Nazi. If that ever happened there would be so much backlash against the media that showed it that it would be cancelled or shut down in a span of a day.

But because Anastasia's story isn't as well known as the legend, no one has a problem with it.

[edubs31]

Great disdainful review there GDSophia in you’re typical witty biting sarcasm :-)

It is interested that by extension of the myth & fairytale versions of Anastasia we’ve been subjected to
through the years that there seems to be an acceptance of painting the entire revolution a Romanov regicide as something cartoonish.

And you’re right. It would be hard to get away with this if talking about a subject like Anne Frank and Naziism.

[TimM]

And be highly offended of the fans, most who ship Gleb and Anastasia together-the same person who tried to kill her throughout the entire musical and even points a gun at her at one point. It doesn't help that the writers imply that Gleb loves her, even though nothing comes of it and the musical pretty much ends the same in the movie (he doesn't change the musical at all, especially his new found love for Anastasia; unnecessary, literally unnecessary).

Gleb?

[GDSophie]

He's a fictional Bolshevik created for the musical; his full name is Gleb Vaganov (his patronymic is unknown because his father's name isn't known). You know he's fictional because his father was one of the officers that killed the Romanovs in the basement (and we know one of them wasn't called Vaganov). Also according to the musical, Gleb had gotten close enough to make note of Anastasia's eye colour. Which to me is amusing, because out of all the children in Yekaterinburg who could have even gotten close enough (like Leonid Sednev) it had to be the future Bolshevik that loves her; it's romanticizing him a lot, I think.

[TimM]

What rubbish!