Bella's Broadway Blog

Anastasia is one of my all-time favorite shows, and for good reason. Based on but certainly not limited to the plot of the children’s movie from the late 90’s, Anastasia has hosted big-name musical theatre celebrities like Christy Altomare, Max von Essen, Caroline O’Connor, and Ramin Karimloo, to name a few. I could go on and on about this show, but I’m just going to talk about a few of the best parts, hence the title you readers saw to get here.

The love story in this musical between Anya and Dmitry is such a pure and innocent one, unlike many of the modern showmances on Broadway. I just love how they both remember each other from when they were young kids (In a Crowd of Thousands.) He describes Anya as “proud and serene,” which is something one wouldn’t typically remember unless special feelings were present. The second thing I love about the romance is that she is led to remember that she really is the princess Anastasia Romanov because of him, which is really just perfect. I guess I’m a sucker for memories.

One of the stars of the show, Derek Klena, has maybe the best voice to play Dmitry. I know it’s cliche to say someone was born to play their role, but sometimes it’s the right thing to say, as in this case. Many people are fascinated with Cody Simpson’s Dmitry, but I like Klena’s so much more. His rendition of “My Petersburg” just never gets old. The same goes for my QUEEN Christy Altomare, whose voice has an almost chidlike quality to it, which is spot on for hopeful Anya. You can almost imagine the wide-eyed expression on her face as she sings the introductory ballad “In My Dreams.” Her ability to sound both eager and distressed in the same song and her talent to hold out the money notes as long as she does in her solos are some other parts of her performance that make it extraordinary.

There are so many other things I love about Anastasia, like the orchestral and visual aspects, especially costuming, but I don’t want to go on forever. What do you like most about any musical? Let me know!

For this post I’m doing something new! I made a list of Broadway-related questions that I’m going to ask, and both me and my sister Maddie will answer them!

What is your favorite musical? Maddie: It’s a tie between Dear Evan Hansen and Anastasia for me, but Anastasia has probably the best music. Me: It changes literally all the time, but I’ve been loving Waitress, Rent, and Bandstand lately.

Favorite movie musical? Maddie: Probably The Greatest Showman. Me: Again, changes often, but The Greatest Showman. Yeah.

Favorite song from a musical? Maddie: WHAT?!?! I refuse to answer. Me: It changes all the time. (Am I a broken record yet?)

Best actor? Maddie: Ben Platt? Me: Andrew Rannells, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, and a lot of others.

Best actress? Maddie: Sara Bareilles in Waitress. Me: Jessie Mueller, Stephanie J. Block, and Idina, off the top of my head.

Best strong female lead? Maddie: Jenna in Waitress. Me: Winnie in Tuck Everlasting, Julia in Bandstand, Anya in Anastasia, etc.

Best character couple? Maddie: Carlyle and Anne Wheeler in Greatest Showman, but “Tightrope” is better than “Rewrite the Stars.” Me: Guy and Girl in Once, Anya and Dmitry in Anastasia, Evan and Zoe in DEH, and Collins and Angel in Rent.

Saddest deaths? Maddie: Kim in Miss Saigon was shockingly sad. Me: Angel in Rent, Philip Hamilton, Gavroche in Les Mis…..

Saddest song? Maddie: Words Fail. Me: She Used to Be Mine, Words Fail, For Good, Alabanza, A Little Fall of Rain, and a whole bunch more I can’t think of right now.

Everyone thank my sister for helping me in the comments and add your own answers! ❤

The Most Beautiful Songs in Broadway:

• Falling Slowly- Once
• Alabanza- In the Heights
• She Used to be Mine- Waitress
• In A Crowd of Thousands- Anastasia
• The I Love You Song- Spelling Bee
• Welcome Home (Finale)-Bandstand
• What I Did For Love- A Chorus Line
• Prayer- Come From Away
• Unlikely Lovers- Falsettos
• So Big/ So Small- Dear Evan Hansen
• When Your Feet Don’t Touch the Ground- Finding Neverland
• Dear Theodosia- Hamilton
• No One Is Alone- Into the Woods
• For Good- Wicked
• Slipping Through My Fingers- Mamma Mia!
• I Still Believe, The Movie in My Mind- Miss Saigon
• All of Great Comet it’s such a musically brilliant show
• Light- Next to Normal
• Music of the Night- Phantom
• Bring Him Home- Les Mis
• Without You, Finale B- Rent
• Climb Ev’ry Mountain- The Sound of Music
• Time, The Wheel- Tuck Everlasting
• One Hand, One Heart, Somewhere- West Side Story
• Sunrise, Sunset- Fiddler on the Roof

Add your own in the comments! I’m 100% positive I missed some, so feel free to tell me which ones!

Question: What’s your favorite opening number from a musical?

“Johnny made it home, most of him at least
Had three operations but the pain has not decreased.” Upon coming back from the war, Johnny had three back operations, and brain damage, and memory loss.

“Nick learned to survive, means you never trust
Once you see the worst in man, then how do you adjust?” Nick was a prisoner of war. His emotional damage leads him to usually be angry and untrustworthy towards the other band members.

“Davy cracks a joke, claims to be alright
Drinks a fifth of vodka in his kitchen every night” Davy has seen what concentration camps are like. He uses humor to hide his true feelings, and is a constant alcoholic.

“And I stand here trying
Like mother Mary
With my private burden of grief to carry” At the time, women had to always try to be perfect and romanticized. Julia pretends as though she has nothing upon her shoulders to make way for the men. Every single person has something about them that makes them different. Everyone has something that has happened that has left an emotional scar.

Welcome home my boys, Welcome home my sons, Welcome home my husband, Welcome home my love, Welcome home. Welcome home. Welcome home.

“Wayne is never free, schedules out his day
Filling every minute just to keep the ghosts away
He could never get back the life he had
Faced with raising kids who did not recognize their dad.” Wayne has major PTSD and OCD, which cause him to have flashbacks, constant schedules, and tics, and he is not typically suited to be a father. Because of this, his wife kicks him out and separates him from his children, which worsens his health.

“Jimmy made it back to town four months ago
Lives to tell the things no one could bear to know
Keeps his guard up now a lot goes undiscussed
Focuses on fighting what he finds unjust.” Jimmy was on a boat that exploded and watched all his friends die, but he survived. He never lets his guard down, and never wants to be defenseless. He is gay, and his boyfriend was killed on the boat, which was revealed in a cut scene.

“Welcome home my boys, Welcome home my sons, Welcome home my husband, Welcome home my love. Welcome home. Welcome home. Welcome home”

“Donny does his best, trying to pretend
What he doesn’t talk about won’t matter in the end
Donny made it home but thinks it wasn’t fair
How he made it out but left his buddy there
Donny doesn’t sleep because the nightmares come
Donny wants an answer, Donny looks for absolution
And I’d give up anything if I could give him some” Donny is in constant guilt, thinking he was the cause of Michael’s death. He is always a moent away from a nervous breakdown. Donny is an insomniac, and has to face his emotions when Julia joins the band, and she wants to help him.

“And I stand here helpless
With my arms extended
Knowing full well, darling, your war’s not ended” Julia speaks to the band members directly, offering the only thing she can give- her love, support, and acceptance of all these different things. She thinks she can’t help them, but really, what she’s already done has helped immensely.

The true beauty of this song is the raw truth. Many people put on a facade of wellness to mask their trauma and issues. I love the way this song shatters that facade, all while sounding ever so beautiful. Everyone has a story to tell. You don’t have to hide it💛

Sorry this isn’t my best work, i didn’t know what to post….

Michael Mell is literally the most loyal and supportive friend any character in a musical has ever had: Change My Mind.

I think we all either have or want to have that one friend who we know will be at our side until the end of time. Even when we make that horrible mistake and can’t fix it alone. And guess who that is? Michael Mell. Let’s start with “More Than Survive,” when he approaches Jeremy and helps him by giving advice about Christine, the unrequited love, and signing up for the play. Good friends are both supportive and honest at the same time, which applies to Michael all the way.

Next, in “Two-Player Game,” he dedicated an entire song to telling Jeremy that he’s cool and doesn’t need to impress anybody else. Jeremy and Michael have been friends for the longest time, and they know exactly to help one another out. Michael is extremely supportive, up until the point where Jeremy calls him a “loser,” and uses Optic Nerve Blocking to hide him from his vision.

During “Michael in the Bathroom,” it is revealed just how much Michael cares about Jeremy. He is shown having a nervous breakdown, panic attack, and sensory overload during this song, and all of this was caused by Jeremy. These things would only happen to someone who they care about more than they care about themselves. He still wants to help Jeremy, shown in “The Pants Song,” when he gives advice to Mr. Heere to be a stronger father to Jeremy. We also see this in “The Play,” when Christine needs Mountain Dew Red to deactivate her SQUIP, and he has a small amount left, which he donates to Jeremy despite what has happened. Forgiveness in this moment is the true symbol of ultimate loyalty.

I think every single one of us can relate to Michael in one way or another. Most of us have fought with someone we love unconditionally and been so distraught over it that we break down, at one point or another. If not, you can relate to trying to support the people you love to the best of your abilities and help them however you can. So I’m here to say that Michael Mell is the perfect friend and that we should all try to be more like him. (With the exception of the drugs and stuff…) And that’s my little rant about how great of a character he is.

Who is your favorite character in a Broadway musical? Let me know!!!!