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Behind the Scenes of Broadway’s ‘Anastasia’: Interviews with Christy Altomare and Costume Designer Linda Cho

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While many of us might assume that Altomare has been cruising the Broadway scene successfully for years, her success with “Anastasia” came just in the nick of time, as she had been pounding the pavements for few years with no luck…until she learned to love herself regardless of her situation.

“Ultimately, I think what snapped for me was realizing that loving myself matters more than anything, to look to the things you have and you’re grateful for and within that space lies infinite possibilities. When I fully tapped into that realization that just loving myself was enough, that’s when things started to click in my life. That’s when the ‘Anastasia’ call happened. From then on, just getting that understanding of that fundamental truth, that has taken me through to now — from not having a job, to having a job, to being on Broadway. I always come back to that same thing. If I love myself and I realize I’m enough, anything is possible. It’s been so weird, because the word ‘Anastasia’ means ‘resurrection’.”

At the time of the interview in October, Altomare had performed the role of Anya a few hundred times. As she dove deeper into the text over time, she adjusted her performance ever so slightly.

“When I had first tackled the role, I played her more vulnerable. As time has progressed, I’ve given her a slightly thicker skin, which is fun to play because it’s not where I sit as a human being. I’m usually a ball of mush in real life, a left-handed creative soul. It’s really fun to step into Anya night after night now. She still has a vulnerability to her, if anything maybe even more so, because don’t we all sometimes put on a mask for protection? She’s had to survive a very long time before she meets Dmitry and Vlad.”

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Christy Altomare as ANYA performing “Once Upon a December”

When you sit through the live show, you can feel the happiness and passion radiating from every actor on stage. Chemistry is hard to fake, and this entire cast is thrilled to be there.

“Darko [Tresnjak], who’s our director, did an incredible job at casting this show. And Derek and I had worked together previously in ‘Carrie’ so we had already played love interests in that show and had this bond as friends. There’s something about doing a show like that when you’re young and first starting out; it really connected us. Having him along for the ride has been the cherry on the top, and on top of that, having someone like John Bolton [who plays Vlad], there’s just this serendipitous connection. We all get along so well, which is very rare. It’s fun to come to work. We just love each other.”

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Derek Klena as DMITRY and Chisty Altomare as ANYA

Linda Cho wholeheartedly agreed.

“From the office and the actors to the production and the artisans, it was a really wonderful, kind group of people and we all got along really well. We were all on the same page, with great enthusiasm, and we knew we had something special.”

With a show like “Anastasia”, it truly takes a village to create such a masterpiece. Cho mentioned there were 40-plus vendors building the costumes for “Anastasia” including milliners, jewelry makers, tailors, and more creating and shipping items from all over the world. The finished product, from the score and the costumes, to the characters and the set design, are all remarkable, making it a must-see show this year. And the fact that Anya is portrayed by the kind, compelling, and dazzling Christy Altomare, makes it hard not to fall in love with Broadway’s “Anastasia.”

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We hope you decide to treat yourself to tickets to this incredible and unforgettable Broadway show once upon a December. You can buy tickets here.

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Broadhurst Theatre in New York City

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