Review: ‘Anastasia the Musical’ at South Puget Sound Community College
Originally published on The JOLT News on May 26, 2026
About a year ago, I wrote a random status on Facebook saying that I hoped someone in Thurston County would put on a production of “Anastasia the Musical” soon.
A couple months later, the South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) Theater Collaborative answered my sort of prayer with their 2025-26 season lineup. Goosebumps lined my arms when I read that — you just never know what will happen in this beloved corner of the world.
Director Lauren Love’s vision for this production does not disappoint and it truly honors the animated classic. The overall impact is stunning.
“Anastasia the Musical” closes this weekend. Tickets are a $15 suggested donation at the door. Make it a priority to attend one of these showings at the Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts:
May 29 at 7:30 p.m.
May 30 at 7:30 p.m.
May 31 at 2 p.m.
Praises for production team
A show of this caliber would be nearly impossible without remarkable talent surrounding it. Music Director John Guarente’s musical genius came out as each song had an awe-inspiring, professional quality as shown in the chorus, orchestra, and soloists. Choreographer Nicholas Main really brought a sense of intentionality to each step the cast took.
Set Designer Adam Michard, Projection Designer L.M. Attea, Scenic Artist Jordanna Averett and Lighting Designer Elijah Belis worked together to create a set that felt very elaborate and elegant. The cleverness of this team was proven with the efficient ways they coordinated with one another and created a magic that felt very advanced for a community college production.
Charlotte Darling provided the creme de la creme, the cherry on top of this production’s aesthetics by creating costumes that elevated the already glamorous environment into something cinematic. The gowns she created for the royalty took my breath away; I have never seen dresses this fancy in real life!
Darling if you are reading this, I hope you will consider designing a wedding gown for me one day — it might be a while as I still need to find Prince Charming!
Applause for the cast
The cast was filled with many sparkling diamonds, and watching them all shine on stage was a privilege to witness.
Sophie Bustetter brought emotional complexity and empowered feminist energy to her depiction of Anastasia. Bustetter wove layers of historical and socioeconomic context into her character arc and made her happily ever after more satisfying than a typical fairytale.
Zachary Clark’s Dmitry maintained the appropriate balance between charm and heart, all while acing the vocals. During our time in the audience, my sister and I witnessed a group of young girls swoon and fangirl over Clark’s rugged “prince” attributes. What won me over though was the way he let love lead the transformation of his character from a boy to a man.
Mike Gregory’s Vlad and Nadine Bozeman’s Countess Lily were just perfectly lovable and fun. Gregory’s humor paired with Bozeman’s insane vocal capabilities helped them balance each other out, making them irresistibly cute.
Jesse Morrow played a variety of roles, including the Tzarina. Having seen Morrow in multiple productions, she will always stand out to me. During this show, Morrow’s vocals, facial expressions and dance moves really showed me just how passionate she is about her craft. Morrow was also a good team player, proving just how well rounded, matured, disciplined and talented she is.
Personal note
This show does dabble with historical and political themes, and contexts that enhanced my appreciation for this real life myth and left me thinking for days after. This was especially prevalent when the cast sang a song about leaving their home country in pursuit of a better life. The idea of the refugee, the immigrant, the lower classes and a fear of the police has been a recurring theme in history.
We’ve had so much time to learn from our mistakes as a society, why haven’t we done it? How is it that we can write stories about hope, but never find a way to make a happy ever after accessible to all?
We need art, musicals, anything that our hearts can connect to during times of sorrow and to help us endure and keep fighting in the midst of our societal or personal trials.
Anastasia is a musical that has played a big role in my personal life, bringing me comfort when a health diagnosis rocked my world.
If you find yourself in need of this special kind of affirmation, I invite you to listen to and read the lyrics of “Journey to the Past.”