Anastasia isn’t one of the most popular Disney princesses, and it’s probably because she wasn’t originally a Disney Princess. Even though the studio purchased the rights to the 1997 20th Century Fox animated film in 2015, there hasn’t been a whole lot of buzz around it over the years.
You never really hear about Princess Anastasia or see a lot of merchandise in stores. But, she’s always been one of my favorites. Maybe it’s because we have something in common.
My name is Stacy-Ann and it’s actually derived from the Greek name Anastasia. It means resurrection and became popular in Russia. I thought about other names for my daughter, but in my heart I always knew that I wanted to name her Anastasia.
I was super excited when the animated film hit theaters in 1997. So when I heard it was coming to Broadway this year, I was just as excited and decided to take my daughter to see the live re-make.
She also saw the film and loved it. But I wondered if she was old enough to sit through two and a half hours of a live performance.
The last time my husband and I took Anastasia and her little brother to see Disney Princesses on Ice she was ready to move on to the next activity within a half hour of the show. I was floored when she asked, “What are we gonna do next?”
“Focus on what’s going on right now. Be in the moment,” I said.
Even though that was two years ago, nothing much has changed. Needless to say, I had some reservations about taking her to the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City to see the show.
When is a Child Old Enough to See a Broadway Show?
When it comes to deciding if your child is old enough to see a Broadway musical, there are a lot of factors to consider.
Some Broadway shows have age restrictions. I originally wanted to make this a family experience, however, we found out that kids under five were now allowed at this particular musical.
It’s also important to take a child’s maturity level into account. If your little one can’t sit for an extended period of time, then you may want to wait until he or she is a bit older.
Content is another thing to think about. We originally thought about taking the kids to see The Lion King, but the larger than life jungle characters would probably scare our 3-year-old son.
So whenever someone asks whether or not a Broadway musical is age appropriate, I always suggest doing a little research to find out about age restrictions as well as making a decision based on the child’s personality.
How Anastasia Reacted to the Broadway Musical
Anastasia had no idea where we were going at first. Her curiosity turned to excitement when she realized she was attending her first Broadway musical. I thought we were off to great start, but we hit a bit of snag when she realized that popcorn wasn’t sold at this “movie,” as she called it.
But once it began, she forgot all about the popcorn.
Anastasia talked throughout the entire performance comparing the musical to the animated film. “Why is her hair white?” she asked. “It’s supposed to be brown,” she added.
Check out more of what Anastasia thought of her first Broadway experience. See what the guys did while we were gone. And for those of you who asked about what happened to her face, she talks about that too. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to WeatherAnchorMama on Youtube.
How is the Broadway Version of Anastasia Different From the Animated Film
The storyline “journey to the past” is a common theme in both works. The story is set in the early 1900s in St. Petersburg, Russia during the revolution and is based on real life events.
Young Anastasia Romanov loses her memory after her family’s execution. The Grand Duchess, as she’s referred to in the musical, is on a mission to reconnect with her past ten years later. With the help of Dimitri and Vladimir, she reconnects with her Grandmother in Paris.
The two had separated during their escape of Rasputin’s curse on the Romanov dynasty, as seen in the animation. But unlike the fantasy driven feature film, it appears that the Broadway producers wanted the musical to have a more mature storyline.
“None of us wanted to do the animated movie,” lyricist Lynn Ahrens told Vanity Fair. “We wanted to do something that was richer and deeper and more mature.”
Despite the differences, there is a common thread throughout each work. It’s a great story about love, determination, and being true to who you are. These are important lessons I teach my children everyday.
Would you take your kids to see Anastasia on Broadway? How did you know your child was old enough to attend a Broadway musical?
This post is sponsored by Anastasia on Broadway. All opinions are my own.