just saw the new italian non-replica anastasiaaaaaa so here's some notes, the usual drill, ignore me. when i'll relisten i'll probably write some more thoughts on the new translations
at the end of the prologue the several chandeliers hanging from the ceiling of the winter palace fall on the nobles (very phantom-y), who are trying to hold the door closed while snowy wind slams it open
the abandoned palace was dark and dusty, closer to what it looks like in the cartoon, and i loved it
at the end of in my dreams the curtain hanging behind anya, dmitry and vlad briefly becomes transparent and we see the ghosts of the romanovs
one stanza of once upon a december is sung by young anastasia, as the older one is surrounded by the ghosts
her father is the last one to disappear, after kissing her on the forehead she almost chases him offstage
the effects for the train were lovely, they had the lights and smoke of the locomotive, and then a velarium styled like train car windows the characters could look out of came down. very very effective
while anya sings journey to the past, dmitry and vlad are seen through a velarium behind her, bickering until vlad looks actually hurt and looks down, a little sad. when she reaches the "family" part, dmitry gives him a little hug to cheer him up, and vlad gives him something to drink :')
when she repeats the verse and mentions "love", her and dmitry are both kneeling, on opposite sides of the velarium, and they turn towards each other, though not really seeing one another :')
in a crowd of thousands is sang while anya is getting dressed for the theater behind a screen, leaning out to deliver her parts, and dmitry is waiting for her. so when she realises she remembered seeing him she walks out in the blue dress, and that's when he drops to his knees
they removed most of the swan lake waltz from quartet at the ballet and i'm not super sure i liked that, but it does sound more haunting, ending with the once upon a december melody as the ballerina fouettes in the background
the whole romanov family slowly walked in when anya played the music box for her grandmother, and when she finally called out "anastasia", it was little anya who ran to hug her :')
they cut everything to win :((((
and the press conference :(
anya doesn't step on the suitcase to kiss dmitry at the end, he's still holding it and then drops it loudly when their lips collide. super cute
(separate and numerous gleb notes incoming because they really made him extremely unwell and unhinged. also brian boccuni has a wonderful voice)
gleb meets anya for the first time at the police station! their earlier meeting in the street is cut, as is the bit about her eyes. he turns, sees her for the first time and immediately goes deer in the headlights, and it's definitely meant to be read as him being immediately conflicted: both starstruck AND beginning to confusedly recognise her
when speaking about his father's death, he starts to properly cry (and calls him "papà", so "dad", a little more affectionate than "father"). then, at the mention of the tsar, he smashes a teacup to the ground (which made the little boy next to me jump in fear)
still is staged. well. with him taking his shirt off and whipping himself. very hellfire of him
at the beginning of neva flows reprise anya tries to run past him, so he throws her to the ground, grabs her and delivers the first verses right in her face. he comes veeery close to kissing her
and then, after "i think you are anastasia", he points the gun to his head. anya screams "no" and jumps to stop him. slowly, she makes him lower it, takes it from him and leaves it on the ground
she's the one who says "good luck, comrade" before leaving to get dmitry, leaving him to turn towards the door behind which the journalists are chanting anastasia's name
jbbartram-illu
origamiaround
ellievsbear
romaincrisis
areudirty
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