Good Evening and Welcome to Edmond Memorial High School
It has been 104 years since the Romanov Dynasty was executed during the Bolshevik revolution, but the allure of Anastasia's survival remains one of the world's greatest fairy tales.
As a child, Anastasia was one of the first animated movie musicals that I remember watching until I wore out the VHS tape. The larger than life characters, epic story, and soaring music have always stayed with me, even into adulthood. Since I first learned that Anastasia would be made into a stage musical, I knew that I wanted the opportunity to tackle it. It has proven to be a wonderful, memorable, and incredible experience.
Anastasia premiered on Broadway in 2017 and became an instant hit with its audiences, specifically young people. The simple message of "Home, Love, and Family" is universal and timeless. Our need to know where we come from and how we find ourselves in the place we are today is a basic human need that will never go away.
It is rare that a high school drama department could tackle such a large undertaking like Anastasia; however, I knew that if there was one school that had the talent, work ethic, and capability to pull it off, it was Edmond Memorial. As a graduate of this school and this department, I can truly say that the Memorial Performing Arts Department is a special and unique place. I count my blessings every day that I have been given the opportunity to work with such talented faculty and students.
I want to personally thank PACE for creating such wonderful memories for our students and for supporting these productions each and every year. I also want to thank my wonderful colleagues: Wes, Mary Beth, David, Jeff, and Anthony for making my job an absolute joy each and every day.
It has been my absolute honor to work with this talented and hardworking team of cast and crew members. Their bravery and passion for their craft was an inspiration to me each and every day. Thank you so much for your support of Edmond Memorial Performing Arts! Enjoy the show!
Patrick Towne
Director of Theatre Arts
