One of the biggest changes in Anastasia the Musical from the 1997 animated feature film is that the main antagonist is no more! Grigori Rasputin, the over-the-top villainous sorcerer who curses the Romanov family and tries to kill Anya using a host of demonic entities, has been replaced with General Gleb Vaganov.
Gleb is a dedicated member of the Bolshevik Army, who rule post-Tsar Russia with an iron fist. He comes with a complicated backstory and a zealot’s belief in his cause. Actor Joe Caskey, who plays Gleb in Tuacahn’s production of the musical, says, “I always try to find the humanity of every character I play. With Gleb, it became clear to me that he’s a young man. He’s very impressionable and indoctrinated in his world. He hasn’t ever had the choice of wanting anything else. Throughout the show he’s hit with moral conundrums that send him into a darker and darker place until it all shatters around him.”
Looking the part
At 6-foot-3, with dark features and an impressive build, Joe is the embodiment of tall, dark, and handsome. He also has a great deal of experience playing the villain. His past roles include Billy Bigelow, the wife-beater in Carousel, Quartermaster Robert Hitchens, the man who refuses to row his lifeboat back to save others in Titantic the Musical, as well as the Beast in Beauty and the Beast and Danny Zuko in Grease—bad boys who turn good in the end.
When asked why he’s repeatedly selected to play the villain, he laughs and says, “I know my stature and features tend to give off an unapproachable, somewhat intimidating vibe, but I’d like to think it’s more than how I look.”
For those who love the story of Anastasia, but haven’t yet seen the musical, the addition of a brand-new main character is a huge change. It’s an opportunity that comes with a lot of pressure to successfully pull it off.
Learning the part
Joe is well prepared, however, both with his experience and with thorough research, which he brings to the forefront of playing this new antagonist and channeling his villainous energy. The research, in particular, has helped Joe to see Gleb as a real person with a backstory that has shaped his world perceptions and made him who he is.
“I’ve listened to historical podcasts and read exposés on the Bolshevik revolution,” Joe says, in regard to how he’s prepared for the role. “The abuse that took place in the Red Army is shocking with beatings, forced eating, and all kinds of horrible situations. No one was treated like a human being. Gleb faced all of these things and came up through the ranks. Since his father was one of the first Bolsheviks to take a stand against the Romanovs, Gleb was a bit more coddled, perhaps, but I see him as one of the junior officers in the first Bolshevik revolution, where he was originally a part of the Winter Palace and everything that went on there.
“Gleb was one of those that focused on battle analysis and was more behind-the scenes. He rose up the ranks quite quickly because he didn’t cause problems and didn’t lose any battles. He is this grounded, analytical figure with a capacity for violence that he doesn’t necessarily know how to deal with because he’s so young. He develops an attraction to Anya, but then there’s this duty to try to kill her. He’s stuck between a rock and a hard place, and he wants out. He has two doors he can walk through—either a horrible decision or he can turn his back on everything he’s ever known. The stakes are very high!”
Broadway tickets for Anastasia on sale now!
Come experience the epic adventure of Anastasia the Musical at the Tuacahn Amphitheatre! The show begins this weekend—May 17 and runs through October 18. Right now, you can save up to 45% with tickets to any of the four Preview Performances May 17, 18, 20, or 22!
Get your tickets today and fall in love with the story of Anastasia all over again!
