Anastasia

If animated films of the past 30 years have taught us anything, it's that everybody loves plucky princess in a pretty dress. And if we've learned anything from the success of screen to stage musical adaptations that have dominated Broadway for the past two decades, it's that audiences love a known quantity.

Barely three minutes into the performance of "Anastasia" that I caught, Alexandra Feodorovna, the last Tsarina of Russia, glides on stage in a stunning white beaded and bejeweled ball gown. The entrance applause it received (yes, the dress got applause) from the twenty-something women and twinks in the audience proved that this "new" musical arrived a hit before the downbeat.

The show's built-in familiarity comes from its previous incarnation as an odd two-decade old musical animated film adapted from the 1956 Ingrid Bergman historical drama of the same name. Dumbed down with the unnecessary addition of a villainous subplot involving an historically inaccurate Rasputin and his pet talking albino bat Bartok, 1997's "Anastasia" was a groaner of a cartoon for adults, but a hit with kids -- all grown up now clapping for a dress.

The show arrives on Broadway with most of the 1956 version's plot and the best of the 1997 version intact. Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty have nearly doubled the song count from their Oscar nominated score. And book writer Terrence McNally has wisely jettisoned a talking bat in favor of a singing Bolshevik for the evening's now plausible (yet still unnecessary) villainous subplot. And even though it may not be as flawless as the silk and Swarovski crystals on the aforementioned ball gown that drew applause, "Anastasia" flows and sparkles nonetheless.

Like the films that inspired it, "Anastasia" tells the story of an Anya, an amnesiac girl in early Soviet Russia, who is picked up by Vlad and Dmitry, a pair of con men who need her to impersonate the Grand Duchess Anastasia for the reward money offered by the Dowager Empress living in exile in Paris. Sparks fly between Anya and Dmitry. As "memories" flood back to Anya and she becomes more and more Anastasia, the story becomes an "is she, or isn't she" romance.

Director Darko Tresnjak has a lot on his hands here incorporating intricacies of the 1956 film version's character subtext into the action-heavy plot familiar to audiences from the animated movie. And although the mystery from the Bergman film as to whether or not Anya is Anastasia is gone (spoiler alert -- she is), the title character's "rags to Romonov" journey of self-discovery unfolds skillfully.

While she's not the star that this audience member wished she could be; as Anastasia, Christy Altomare does a yeoman's job in breathing life into a character that is more influenced by its animated rather than live-action predecessor. And although the love story falls flat (there's little chemistry between her and the charming but bland Derek Klena's Dmitry), she's able to keep the audience rooting for her until the end as she earns recognition from the Dowager Empress (the always wonderful Mary Beth Piel) as the real Anastasia.

The secondary comedic characters fare best in "Anastasia," which makes sense given the material's roots in animation. As the conniving co-conspirator Vlad and the lusty lady in waiting Countess Lilly, John Bolton and Caroline O'Connor deliver first rate musical comedy goods. Similarly, (although his role is an unnecessary plot device) golden-voiced Ramin Karimloo hits all the right notes as vendetta-driven villain Gleb.

Ultimately, "Anastasia" is an enjoyable evening, although there isn't much new to it. Like its title character, musical theater savvy audiences will find themselves experiencing d�j� vu as the show borrows heavily from numerous well-known musicals ("My Fair Lady," "Les Miserables" and "Silk Stockings," to name three). And even with the absence of Bartok the talking bat, solid familiarity remains for those who grew up loving the cartoon. As an original musical, "Anastasia" succeeds more at being Russian dressing rather than revolutionary.

"Anastasia" runs through January 7, 2018 at the Broadhurst Theater, 235 West 44th Street in New York City. For tickets and information, call 212-239-6200 or visit www.anastasiabroadway.com

This story is part of our special report: "Tony-Nominated Shows". Want to read more? Here's the full list.