'Anastasia' stage musical to open at the Hartford Stage in May

HARTFORD, Conn., April 16 (UPI) -- A musical based on the 1997 animated movie Anastasia is to play at Connecticut's Hartford Stage May 12 through June 19.

Featuring a book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, the show is being directed by Darko Tresnjak, the 2014 Tony Award winner for Best Director of a Musical for A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.

"From the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, the new musical Anastasia is the romantic and rousing story of a brave young woman attempting to discover the mystery of her past while finding a place for herself in the rapidly changing world of a new century," the theater's website said.

Starring as the title character -- the long-lost daughter of the murdered Tsar Nicholas of Imperial Russia -- will be Christy Altomare, while her love interest Dmitry will be played by Derek Klena and her grandmother, the Dowager Empress, will be portrayed by Mary Beth Peil.

The movie version featured Meg Ryan, John Cusack and Angela Lansbury in the roles respectively.