Perth Schoolgirls Realise Dream as Little Anastasia in Crown Theatre Musical
Four talented Perth schoolgirls are currently sharing the spotlight with some of Australian theatre's most celebrated stars in the spectacular musical Anastasia, which premiered at Crown Theatre on Thursday evening. Ruby Cowin, Isla Graham, Lacey McCormack, and Olive Murray were chosen from a competitive field of forty aspiring young performers to collectively portray the coveted role of Little Anastasia in this dazzling theatrical production.
A Dream Realised for Devoted Fans
For each of these girls, all dedicated admirers of the cherished 1997 animated film, this opportunity represents the fulfilment of a cherished ambition. Ten-year-old Olive Murray received the life-changing news while travelling at altitude. "I was on an airplane to Sydney when we found out," she recounted. "I was excited but I couldn't scream, so I screamed when we got off the plane."
Olive reflected on her childhood experiences watching performances at Crown Theatre, never imagining she would soon grace that very stage herself. "I thought when I was older like maybe in my thirties but not this young," she admitted. Her father, Wayne Murray, attributed this achievement to years of quiet determination. "She's worked really hard," Mr Murray emphasised. "She started doing ballet and dance at the young age of about four. She's picked up music theatre and singing over the last few years as well. So it's a lot of hard work for her, and we are just stoked that she's getting this opportunity."
The Production and Its Young Stars
Inspired by the enduring legend of Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov and the Oscar-nominated animated feature, the musical has been brilliantly adapted for the stage by Tony Award-winning creatives Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty, and Lynn Ahrens. The narrative transports audiences from the opulent palaces of Imperial Russia to the sophisticated glamour of 1920s Paris, following the journey of a young woman named Anya as she unravels the mysteries of her past.
The production opens with the poignant ballad Once Upon a December, performed by Little Anastasia. For ten-year-old Isla Graham, Crown Theatre has already become a familiar and welcoming environment. "I like being on the stage because lots of people get to see me and I get really excited to perform for people, I feel like this is where I belong," she expressed. "I want to be a professional dancer singer or actor, or maybe all three."
Finding Passion and Family Support
Lacey McCormack, also aged ten, had explored numerous activities before discovering her true calling in theatre. Her mother Lisa explained that this was the singular pursuit that genuinely captured her daughter's heart. "Lacey has done lots of things," Ms McCormack noted. "She's done Taekwondo and scouts and basketball and all these different things to try and find her passion, but this was the one thing that she never complained about going to rehearsals or anything, and she just really loved it."
For Lacey, this performance represents the opening of her personal castle of dreams. "She's just been doing some amateur theatre shows locally around Pinjarra but this is an amazing, amazing opportunity for her," Ms McCormack added. As Lacey progressed through multiple audition rounds, her family became increasingly captivated by her emerging talent.
"She got through round one, and she did round two, and I thought, this is amazing and then we got the call saying she got to the final call backs and we were just pinching ourselves that she even got that far," Ms McCormack recalled. "We'd said to her, we were so proud of her for getting that far, and we said, you're already a winner for getting this far and being so brave and putting yourself out there so the fact that she got the part, we were just beside ourselves with excitement."
Fighting back tears of pride, Ms McCormack continued: "It will be a bit surreal seeing her on that stage where I've seen shows here and it'll be a bit surreal seeing my actual daughter on that stage with all these professionals. I'm quite emotional when I think about it. I'm very, very proud of her."
Selection Process and Professional Recognition
Ruby Cowin described the anticipation surrounding the casting decision. "My mum kinda thought they would have told us by now so we sort of got over it and then mum got a call from a number she didn't know, she answered it and we were shocked," Ruby revealed. "It was a dream come true."
Dwan Delker, supervising producer at Opera Australia, assisted in selecting the young talent during the audition process. "We were very impressed with the talent in Perth overall," she remarked. "Every little girl was really, extraordinarily confident and that's really quite unusual to find in young people of that age."
However, Ms Delker noted that Ruby, Isla, Lacey, and Olive distinguished themselves from an already impressive group. "The four that we selected were very, very sparkly, just enchanting," she observed. "They were so well prepared. Super confident. They sang well and they did the scene well. I'm so excited to see what they bring to the piece."
The four young performers will share the stage with established theatre professionals including Georgina Hopson as Anya, Robert Tripolino as Dmitry, Joshua Robson as Gleb, Rodney Dobson as Vlad, and the beloved Rhonda Burchmore as Countess Lily, creating an unforgettable theatrical experience for Perth audiences.
