The cast and crew of Anastasia kicked off their rehearsal process with a read through Monday, January 31. Scripts and vocal books were passed out, and the cast could not wait to get things underway.

“Everyone was excited to be together for the first time, and we even included all of the crew in this first rehearsal.  The read through went great as everyone is already starting to get into character,” Mrs. Findley said. 

While doing the read through of the musical, they also listen to the Broadway recorded music to help get people familiar with the songs. 

“An unexpected amazing thing occurred as well—the cast started singing their hearts out with the Broadway actors. It was awesome how incredible they sounded. We ended the read through with a half hour left, an we were able to briefly sing through several of the ensemble songs as a cast. After just this first rehearsal, I know we are going to have an amazing show,” Mrs. Findley said.

Our seniors are beyond excited to be able to perform in their last St. Dominic production ever. 

“I have made so many incredible memories through the performing arts program here at St. Dominic, and I definitely want to go out with a bang!” senior Max Williams said. 

Although several cast members have many shows under their belt, for some students, this is just the beginning of their musical career. 

“I found what I love here. I love to perform and I love to tell a story. The stories that you get to tell when you do theatre are amazing. They help people get out of their heads for a while and just enjoy. That is where I get most of my joy. I love being able to take someone out of their life and into another world. I am hoping that I can have that opportunity for the rest of my life. I am so grateful for this program because it has helped me find my passion and I hope to continue that in college and beyond!” senior Lydia Melton said. 

The lead actors and actresses of Anastasia have been working extremely hard to get into character and prepare for the show. 

Senior Jacob Moore, playing the role of Gleb, has been doing research on the Russian revolution and has watched extensive videos about what happened in history. 

“I would say there’s two ways to look at this. Gleb’s vocal parts demand a strong, powerful voice with extensive range and vocal stamina/breath support. But also, his character work requires that he isn’t as simple as an everyday villain. He needs to have layers, and I will need to convey that to the audience in such a way to build suspense and intensity.” Moore said. 

Anya, played by Junior Gia Danhoff, is excited to bring her fairytale dreams to life by playing a princess on stage!

“The most exciting part about performing my role is taking the stage. There are several times where I really get to take the stage and feel like a princess, which is the most rewarding feeling,” Danhoff said.

Cody Peters, a junior, is cast as the role of Demitri. Peters is most excited for getting to potentially perform on the Fabulous Fox stage. 

“The most exciting thing about this role is the possibility of going to a huge competition for my role and performing on the Fox stage. This show may live up to the hype that we’ve been giving it all year,” Peters said. 

Mrs. Findley is also excited for her last ever production, as she is retiring after this year, and is looking forward to her last St. Louis High School Musical Theatre awards. Findley is going for every award possible, as well as the six roles that are eligible for the nomination. Since there was not an award ceremony last year, she is working hard to get everyone excited and back where they were!

This increíble production is one you won’t want to miss! Be sure to get tickets to come see the musical Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2 at 7pm and Sunday, April 3 at 3pm.