When Nancye Hayes had a theatre named after her there was some confusion. The Hayes Theatre in Sydney honours the celebrated Australian musical theatre legend, actress, dancer, director and choreographer.
Nice to have a theatre named in one’s honour while one is still alive, yes?
“But when they were advertising the opening of the theatre someone said – don’t tell me Nancye Hayes is dead,” Hayes tells me with some amusement.
We are chatting ahead of the 83-year-old star’s return to the stage at QPAC in mid-September. She is playing the Dowager Empress in ANASTASIA – The Broadway Musical.
The Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna (born Princess Dagmar of Denmark) was the paternal grandmother of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia. She was the mother of Tsar Nicholas II, Anastasia’s father.
For a role like that you need a star, someone with gravitas who is, admittedly, no spring chicken. Enter Nancye Hayes, again, who confesses that when she finishes the Brisbane season of this intriguing musical she will be celebrating 65 years in the business.
“I first went to Brisbane in 1961 with the original company of My Fair Lady,” Hayes recalls. “I was a dancer then. There were the dancers, chorus and principals. Singers didn’t dance but things changed. I’ve had a fortunate career, although I never dreamed it would go on for this long. I’ve always been lucky to have been in the right place at the right time.”
And when you need a Dowager Empress, well, here’s one we prepared earlier.
The cast for this charming modern fairytale and much-loved musical includes Toowoomba gal Georgina Hopson as Anya (Anastasia), Robert Tripolino as the charismatic con artist Dmitry, Joshua Robson in the role of antagonist Gleb, Rodney Dobson as Vlad, the universally adored Rhonda Burchmore as Countess Lily and theatre icon Hayes as the Dowager Empress.
Inspired by the mysterious tale of Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov’s rumoured escape in the dawning days of the Russian Revolution, as well as the 1997 Oscar-nominated animated film of the same name, ANASTASIA has been brought to life on stage by the Tony Award-winning creative team of Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens.
ANASTASIA – The Broadway Musical is a lavish show for all ages, transporting audiences from the twilight years of the Imperial Russian rule to the euphoria and exuberance of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman named Anya sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by an army officer determined to silence her, she enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat.
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Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love and family.
Directed by Tony Award-winning director Darko Tresnjak, ANASTASIA premiered on Broadway in March 2017. It received a Tony Award nomination for Best Costume Design in a Musical and won more than 15 major international awards including best musical awards in Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.
The book for ANASTASIA was written by the late five-time Tony Award-winning writer Terrence McNally, whose credits include Love! Valour! Compassion!; Master Class; Kiss of the Spider Woman; and Ragtime.
Music and lyrics are by the renowned writing team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, who have been referred to as among the greatest songwriting teams in Broadway history.
Critics have praised Hayes for her commanding stage presence, noting that her voice carries age without frailty and that she brings powerful gravitas and emotional depth to the sorely tested matriarch role.
‘this is based on the animated film, and it is actually very hopeful, and it has a happy ending’
“I’m very grand,” Hayes says of her character. “Very, very grand. It was lovely when they rang and asked if I’d be interested in this role. They had to check with the American creatives, of course. I had to be seen by them, but I didn’t have to be seen by the Australians because they know me.”
The story of the Romanov dynasty is a tragic one. The former Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra and their five children were executed by a Bolshevik firing squad in 1918, in the basement of a house in Yekaterinburg, Russia, during the early days of the Russian Revolution.
“It is very sad,” Hayes agrees. “But this is based on the animated film, and it is actually very hopeful, and it has a happy ending. The costumes are terrific, the scenic aspects are outstanding and it has a great score. A lot of the younger generation may not know the story, but it might inspire people to read more about it.”
ANASTASIA – The Broadway Musical plays the Lyric Theatre, QPAC, September 16 to October 18.
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