Well, We knew “Anastasia” was going to be a big costume show…..but we are still reeling by HOW big! Costumes from 1906 Russian royalty, the Russian revolution years, and ending in 1927 Paris. All very specific timelines, and all adding up to one hundred twenty-something costumes!

But our stalwart and heroic costume crew took it all on. They have spent every free hour (my gratitude to them, and to you, patient parents!) working to find and build believable costumes for our characters and eras. 

Our resources are very limited, but we are always up for the challenge of “making something from nothing”, We have unearthed many happy discoveries down in the labyrinth of our costume stock and fabric shelves!

Many of the costumes are found pieces, and a few rare surviving treasures are actual vintage garments and accessories from the 1920’s. 

Thanks to inspiration from our stack of 1920’s fashion books, and other favorite online sources, the costume crew faced the challenge of reworking some of our existing costumes. It’s tempting for our young crew to just put things together that look good, but I was a broken record with my mantra: “Go back to the research!”. The drop waistlines of the 1980’s mirrored some of the silhouettes from the 1920’s, so we repurposed looks where we could. 

Erte, a rather astonishing designer from the era, became a favorite inspirational muse of the costume crew—and we often looked at a plain dress and asked, “….what can we do to Erte this?”

And then, as this magical, talented, hilarious crew often does, they researched, built, constructed, measured and draped!  Their sewing skills resulted in the exquisite Russian royalty gowns, and many of the lovely velvet dresses in the second act. 

To say I am proud of these extraordinary young people is such an understatement! They are my absolute heroes.

My thanks, appreciation, and absolute awe to my dear friend and colleague Joel Smith, to Laura Lenczycki for her hard work and positivity with the technical crew, to Bennet Stucky for his talent and time, to Avery Rudman for pulling us together, to Sierra LaRue our wonderful choreographer, and to David Lonowski our music director.

Thank you also to our valued student assistants Laurie, and Lucia. You’re just amazing.

As always, much gratitude to my patient husband and family, who encourage and believe in me while I disappear into the depths of the costume basement for weeks at a time.

Please enjoy this beautiful show!

Kari Armstrong

Costume director

Wishlist:

Plastic storage bins all sizes

Art paint brushes, craft supplies, acrylic craft paints

Rit Dyes (powder & liquid, regular and synthetic)

Old Sheets/muslin

Black sharpie markers all sizes 

Glue guns/glue sticks

Buttons, notions, large snaps, thread, Velcro

Fabric Scissors

Fabric—velvet, drapery, brocades (1 yard or more)

Prom/bridesmaids gowns

Crinolines/petticoats

Vintage clothing (pre-1970) gloves, hats, shoes, jewelry, slips

Gift cards for: JoAnnes, Michaels, Life of the Party

Zippered Garment bags

Windex cleaning spray/spray cleaner/wipes

Ghiradelli 60% dark chocolate chips

Special Thanks from Kari Armstrong

Katie George

Lindsay Shipton

Sewing Guild of Northern Colorado 

Parent donations

As I reflect on this incredible journey from the past that Anastasia has been, I can’t help but think of how I felt at the start of this show. It was my first time as sole “supervising adult" for the technical side of the show (missed having you around Alec) and it made me question who I am, if I can really do this? Quickly I realized that I am never truly alone in this endeavor. The collaboration from Mr. Smith and Ms. Kari has been invaluable, so thank you. And my family, with their unwavering support of my doing crazy things in my little free time, thank you.

However, the real thanks of this production lies in our remarkable technical crew—a group of passionate individuals who infused our work with their creativity and tenacity. From our seasoned veterans who patiently taught the new recruits the ropes to those experiencing this world for the first time, every person was willing to dive in, try new things, and grapple with the challenges of redoing and refiguring it all. This is why we call it "performing arts." If I could hand them a blueprint or a detailed timeline with how-to videos, I would, but the reality is that there is an art form to what we do. The intricacies of painting, designing, and even the simple act of building a frame for the set require more than just instructions; they require heart and imagination. It is truly witnessing artists to see students do what they do at a crew call.

I am immensely proud of the hard work our students have put in, tirelessly absorbing my feedback and transforming it into something beautiful. Their creativity shone through the art nouveau style accents and the Russian influences we incorporated, all of which came together under the guiding Gen-Z-esk motto of this show: "is it giving bridge?" Each individual truly bridged the gap from tech selection back in September to the performance you will witness tonight. They are “giving bridge” with all their hearts.

Most of all, heartfelt thank you goes out to the heads of the various technical areas and our student technical director, Sara. Your experience and collaborative spirit during our crew calls have been invaluable. You brought not only your skills but also an incredible attitude of figuring it out alongside me, engaging in the creative process and conversation rather than simply following a map. This production carries your artistic fingerprints, from the design and styling choices to the mood that envelops the stage. It is this collaboration that has made the show extraordinary, because you are extraordinary people. Thank you for your dedication and for making the magic of theatre all the more magical. In the words of the Dowger Empress, you're secretly my favorite.

And thank you audience for coming to see this incredible production of Anastasia, I hope you enjoy the show as much as we enjoyed bringing it to life.

~Laura Lenczycki, Technical Director

I remember sailing from Florida to Louisiana with my father. We sailed west along the Intracoastal Waterway, following a string of buoys laid there by the Army Corps of Engineers a century before. The red buoys are spaced such that once you pass one, you sail blind for a mile or two until you can spot the next one on the horizon, with only your compass and your eyes to guide you in the right direction. In that mile, you have to trust your tools, your skills, and yourself. Did that trip come off without a hitch? Of course not: you have to screw it up a few times if you want good stories to tell later. We had to get towed off a sandbar in Mobile Bay and there was a scary, last-minute, feet-to-meters conversion that still says we should have run the top of the mast right into the Lake Pontratrain bridge (my failure with the metric system may have saved that ship that day). Point is, at some point you have to replace your fear with trust, and your comfort with wonder, and your safety with adventure. You have to set out to sea, replace the old world with the new. That to me is the story of Anastasia.

We’ve been talking a lot on this show about bridging the gap between fear and love. That’s really hard to do, especially right now. But like it or not, we are going to wake up in the next few days, weeks, months, in a new world. Like Anya, we have to find our own way, and trust that we are going in the right direction. Maybe there are buoys out there to keep us on the path, to keep us off the bars and reefs, but we aren’t always going to be able to see them. The students in this company jumped aboard seven weeks ago; they were scared and excited and didn’t really know where they were going to end up. They weren’t sure if they had the skills to navigate it. Their journey has been one of growing and learning and listening and trusting each other. It has been about stepping off and confronting that part that doesn’t trust. It has been about choosing love over fear, even when fear is so much louder and love is hard to see off, in the distance. And, wow, how they have sailed!

It has been such a privilege to cruise along with them. I want to thank the seniors who have led the way and steered the ship. They have taught the underclassmen more than they know. It has been an honor to work with them for these last few years and I will be sad when they head off on their next adventures, but proud. A huge thank you to the cast and crew for trusting, learning, and building this amazing production. Everything wonderful and magical in this production is because of them (if there is anything you don’t like, that’s the part I did).

You cannot sail without a capable crew, and as always, I am so indebted to the wonderful professionals and artists I get to work and play with. Thank you to Bennett, David, and Brandon for sharing your songs. Thank you to Sierra and Avery for showing this old dog new and wonderful tricks. As always, thank you to Kari Armstrong for inspiration, friendship, encouragement, and sock-monkey torture. And thank you to Laura for building a shop of imagination and trust, even when trusting me seems a risky bet, at best. Happy Birthday, Gramma!

My wife Melanie and my children, Jackson and Taryn, keep me on an even keel (the boating metaphor has gotten pretty old by now). Anyway, I love you. My father is on a different voyage right now, and there are no channel markers. I know you don’t remember it now, but thank you for that sailing trip, Dad. That adventure, and this production, will both be in my heart forever.

JS

October 2024