VIDEO: ANCESTRY Teams with ANASTASIA Cast, Finds Russian DNA Connections

The new Broadway musical Anastasia has teamed with the global leader in family history and consumer genomics: ANCESTRY. Every night, the title character in the new Broadway musical Anastasia, goes on a journey to discover her past and connect to the family and history she once had. For the launch of the collaboration, Anastasia & ANCESTRY completed AncestryDNA and family research history on the musical's authors, leading actors and producers. Watch the video for a sneak peek at the results!

According to the results, an interesting number of the Anastasia artists have a high percentage of Northwest Russian heritage. Some additional Anastasia family discoveries include Irish immigrants of The Great Famine, ancestral artists and musicians, and surprising surname origins. The results are fascinating and will be revealed throughout spring & summer 2017 on Ancestry's and Anastasia's social channels.

Ancestry is a science and technology company with a very human mission: helping everyone discover the story of what led to them. The company's sophisticated engineering and technology harnesses family history documents and consumer genetics, combining billions of rich historical records, millions of family trees, and more than 3 million people in the AncestryDNA network to provide people with deeply meaningful insights about who they are and where they came from.

"This collaboration is truly exciting for everyone at Anastasia," noted producers Bill Taylor & Tom Kirdahy. "Every night we watch our audiences rapt with intrigue as they experience Anya's journey of discovery. The work that our Ancestry friends do on a daily basis brings the same kind of joy and discovery to people around the world. We can't wait to learn more about our personal stories and also watch our artists and fans experience their 'journey to the past.'"

"The concept of a 'Journey to the Past' became very real for Anastasia's cast and creative team," said Lisa Elzey, Family Historian with Ancestry. "Connecting them to their family history through AncestryDNA and historical documents, they discovered new stories of their ancestors and even some Russian roots. It was moving to see life imitating art."

ANASTASIA opened on Broadway on April 24, 2017 at the Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street). The company is led by Christy Altomare, Derek Klena, John Bolton, Ramin Karimloo, Caroline O'Connor, and Mary Beth Peil.

From the Tony Award-winning creators of the Broadway musical RAGTIME, this dazzling show transports us from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920's, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing con man and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love and family.

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