Interview: Lila Coogan Talks About Her Journey with ANASTASIA

Laden with intrigue, mystery and tumultuous historical events, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s musical, ANASTASIA, opens the Maine State Music Theatre season on June 4. It is tale which has fascinated and enchanted theatre-goers for decades. Perhaps the most dazzling and yet poignant incarnation is the musical version which premiered on Broadway in 2017. It tells the compelling story of the Romanov princess, Anastasia, who was said to have escaped assassination at the hands of the Bolsheviks in 1917, and resurfaced in Paris years later, seeking to be reunited with her grandmother, the Dowager Empress. Maine audiences will now have a chance to relive the drama and romance in a dazzling, lavish new co-production staged by MSMT, in collaboration with the Fulton Theatre.

The star of this production, Lila Coogan, is no stranger to the title role, having played Anya/Anastasia in the Broadway National Tour, and she comes to Maine having just recreated the role at the Fulton in April and May.  Coogan sat down with Broadway World to talk about her own personal journey with the character and how she believes that she, too, has grown as an artist in the process.  “It’s been five years since I last played Anya, and I feel this time around, I am more sure of myself.  I came into this production with so much information about the character, and it has been fun to find the ways my old Anya meets my new Anya.”  Coogan says Director Kenny Ingram has been instrumental in helping her find “a balance between what I [already] knew from the tour and what we were doing with this production.”

The role of Anya/Anastasia holds a special place in Coogan’s heart, as it was her first major contract after completing her training at Syracuse University. She tells how Steven Malone, who had been Assistant Music Director for the Broadway production of ANASTASIA,  “held on to my headshot and resume and made sure I got into the room for National Tour auditions. The tour was special. I was working with an amazing group of human beings who were like a family to me.  They were a rare and special group, and ANASTASIA is a rare and special show. I will be forever grateful that this was my first job out of college.” 

In many ways, being cast in the starring role was a culmination of years of acting for Coogan, who began performing as a child. Raised in Westchester County, NY, Coogan started in local youth theatre, later making her professional debut in AMERICAN GIRL REVIEW in the roles of Hallie and Laura. She followed that by making her Broadway debut as Jane Banks in MARY POPPINS. “That experience showed me that working as an actor was a real vocation.  I was blessed to work with great people who helped me to find who I was as a creative person.” Coogan went on to appear in numerous readings and workshop productions of new plays and musicals. “I find doing new work is most exciting! You get to put your own stamp on a character, and you get to be with the writers and creators of the show. I love being with people who literally create out of thin air; I love being able to figure it all out in the moment.”

Getting to reprise her role in ANASTASIA at the Fulton and now at MSMT has also been special for Coogan. She has enjoyed the rehearsal process with Director Kenny Ingram, whom she calls “a delight. He is always smiling, always so happy, supportive, and caring. The whole process has been a joy.” And she is enthusiastic about the visual production, as well, praising William James Mohney’s set design and Luis Garcia’s projections.  She also cites Jeff Hendry’s “beautiful costumes that help transform me from Anya to Anastasia. They give a nod to the original production and the movie, while offering a bit of a new spin.”

Preparing to undertake the part, Coogan recalls sitting down with a dramaturg to learn about the period. “The Russian Revolution was a pivotal moment in history.  Its impact on Anastasia was one of truly deep trauma.”  Coogan says  she loved the animated ANASTASIA as a child, but when she knew she was going to play the role “I made a conscious decision not to watch any of the other movies. I knew what I liked about the character, but I didn’t want to mess with what I felt I could bring to the table.”

She talks about the crucial scene between Anastasia and the Dowager Empress: “It’s one of the best written scenes ever. I find it interesting that the eleven o’clock number in our show is a scene and not a song.  Mary Ernster [who plays the Dowager in MSMT’s production] is such an incredible scene partner.”  She credits book writer Terrence McNalley for the impact of this famous confrontation. “Most of the women who have played this role have been legends to me; I have been able to watch and learn from them, just as Anya learns from the Dowager, who fills that room.  In real life, I am on that [same] journey.  The Dowager is in charge in that room, and I respond to what she is giving me.”

Besides a rekindling of a relationship with the Dowager, Anya/Anastasia’s journey includes strong relationships with both Dimitri, whom she eventually chooses to love, and Gleb who acts as the antagonist of the story. Of Dimitri and Anya, Coogan says, “When they first meet, they are constantly butting heads, but as Dimitri opens up about his father and loving St.Petersburg but having to leave the city, she starts to fall for him. Choosing Dmitri in the end shows her character. She turns away from money, fame, and a comfortable life to be with him because she knows life is not worth living if you cannot be with the person you love”.

As for Gleb, Coogan feels the character presents Anya/Anastasia with a critical choice. She does not return to Russia with him, not because she doesn’t love her country, but because “it is no longer safe for her to go there. She still loves her homeland and is proud of being Russian, and Gleb represents all that to her. Letting him go is hard for her because he represents the life she could have had, but one that is no longer right for her.”

Asked how she feels about the ending of the show, Coogan replies, “It is ambiguous and allows [for the audience members] to hope in whatever way they need.”  And it is that very hope that Coogan believes that accounts for the perennial appeal of the tale.  “Not only does the show offer beautiful costumes and gorgeous music, but it provides hope that someone can rise from the ashes and start again. Anya is persecuted for no reason, but she comes back as a symbol of hope.”

Lila Coogan is optimistic that MSMT audiences will take away this positive message. “I hope they leave the show with an overwhelming sense of courage and determination. Anya/Anastasia demonstrates that you can be a good person, take care of others, and still be a strong person.   Empathy and kindness are not weaknesses, but rather strengths.”

Photos courtesy MSMT

ANASTASIA runs at MSMT’s Pickard Theater on the Bowdoin College campus from June 4-21, 2025  www.msmt.org  207-725-8769