Anastasia: Music From The Motion Picture (1997 Version)

Description

Anastasia ~ SoundtrackOne of the more successful attempts by another studio (here Fox) to make a quality animated film on par with Disney was Anastasia. The music by David Newman and songs by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (the Broadway team that won a Tony for Ragtime) give the movie a sturdy backbone. From the Zhivago-gone-Broadway opening number "A Rumor in St. Petersburg" to the Oscar-nominated get-up-and-sing "Journey to the Past," the CD is filled with bright numbers, including low-key pop versions of several of the songs. The vocal talent is exceptional, especially Liz Callaway (Grizabella in Broadway s Cats) as Anastasia (Meg Ryan supplied the speaking voice). Bernadette Peters and Jim Cummings (doing a mean Christopher Lloyd impersonation as the speaking voice of the movie s heavy, Rasputin) offer solid support, with kudos to Kelsey Grammer as Vlad, the portly sidekick. The album s (and film s) star is "Once Upon a December," simply one of the most beautiful songs ever from an animated film. Using a waltz motif that is heard throughout the film, the song--with sparse lyrics--builds into a sweeping and memorable number. It will have your dancing princesses asking for repeats. The CD s liner notes include complete lyrics. --Doug Thomas