Book & Blanket Players stages "Anastasia: The Musical" July 11, 12

KEENE VALLEY | The Book & Blanket Players, a program of East Branch Friends of the Arts (EBFA), has been producing youth musical-in-a-week summer theatre for 16 years in Keene Valley. This year, the theatrical adventure continues with a musical that touches on some historically dramatic themes surrounding the Russian Revolution as seen through the lens of Anastasia, the youngest of Tsar Nicholas II's daughters. With a book by Terrence McNally, "Anastasia: The Musical" is inspired by the Twentieth-Century Fox animated feature that was released in 1997. But the villains in the animation--a supernatural Rasputin and his bat--are replaced by members of the Bolshevik Army. It still plays out in fairy-tale fashion with beautiful music by Stephen Flaherty and compelling lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. There is even an excerpt of "Swan Lake," complete with a mini ballet performance on stage. The performers range in age from 8 to 18 and hail from the Champlain Valley to the High Peaks region in and around Lake Placid. It's a big musical with especially large dance segments, and producer-director Kathleen Recchia believes that the student performers are up to the challenge. She is confident that choreographers Maddy Runyon and assistant Artie Ticknor are devising lovely movement to showcase the ballet portion as well as some big dance ensemble numbers. But it all does have to be managed in a week because that's the format of this intense theatre workshop. Kathleen Recchia and co-director Annie Scavo have been doing this for 15 years, so they know that it works. Recchia explained, "It's always a bit of a rollercoaster ride. Part-way through the week we tend to ask ourselves, 'can we really pull this off?' But it always comes together by week's end. And, despite the pressure, the students love it. They come back year after year and even join our team to help after they graduate. This year, we have Em Glass back as stage manager and Cooper Halloran back to help with tech." Rehearsals began July 5 with a full performance at Keene Central School planned for Saturday, July 11, at 6 p.m. and Sunday, July 12, at 3 p.m. The Book & Blanket production team includes vocal coach/master-class teacher Alisa Endsley, who is known in the Broadway community. As a leading actress, Ms. Endsley has worked with some of the biggest names on Broadway, including composer Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, director Trevor Nunn and Tony award-winning actors Patti Lupone, George Hearn and Betty Buckley. Her talents have also taken Alisa on many national tours and led her to perform leading roles in London's West End. Other members of the creative team are co-directors Annie Scavo and Kathleen Recchia; choreographers Maddy Runyon and Artie Ticknor, costumer Lia Loomis; and musical accompanist/music director Grace Martin. The Book & Blanket Players began their musical-in-a-week format with the musical "Mirette," followed by the first incarnation of the original musical "Road to Dannemora." Other productions have included "1776," "Lend Me a Tenor: The Musical," and the original theatrical/film "Piano Portal," the original musical of Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice," "Little Women," an original adaptation of "Treasure Island," the entirely original "Everyone Loves Camping" and last year's "Meet Me in St. Louis." "Anastasia: The musical" is a full-length musical with a running time of approximately two hours. The show is free with donations accepted at the door. To learn more, please call 518-487-0041. EBFA and the Book & Blanket Players are grateful to be a recipient of Stewart's Holiday Match grant to help fund this workshop and production. This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts.

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Book & Blanket Players stages "Anastasia: The Musical" July 11, 12

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