Brisbane marks the final stop for Anastasia, an Australian premiere musical that has captivated audiences across Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Adelaide. Among the stellar cast is Rhonda Burchmore, playing the glamorous and mischievous Countess Lily alongside Georgina Hopson in the title role and Nancye Hayes as the Dowager Empress.
For Burchmore, Anastasia is the latest chapter in an extraordinary career that has included some of Australia’s most significant musical theatre productions, from Mamma Mia! and Into the Woods, to Guys and Dolls and The Drowsy Chaperone.
Last Friday, The Scoop caught up with Burchmore ahead of opening night to talk all things Anastasia, including national tours, working alongside Hayes, and the roles still left on her bucket list – and why we might just need a Barbie musical. Read the full interview below.
We’re entering the final stretch of the Australian premiere season of Anastasia, which kicked off just after Christmas last year. I feel like I’ve been there the whole time because The Scoop has followed the show in every city. But for people like me, who haven’t seen the film or the musical yet, can you tell us a little bit about the show, and how your role fits into it?
The story is about Anastasia, whose family is destroyed with the Russian Revolution. The Bolsheviks come, but she escapes, and she is trying to find some link to her past, when the story takes her to Paris.
Her beloved grandma, played by Nancye Hayes, is also searching for – who she believes – is that one person who survived. She goes on to find love and hope and joy, and a grandma. And along the way, she meets lots of characters.
I play Nancye Hayes’ lady-in-waiting, Countess Lily, who had a wonderful life in Russia, and then escapes to Paris, where it’s not so flash. And she gets down and has a lot of fun with her expats from Russia at the Neva Club.
She’s a vodka-drinking fun girl, but there are lots of sides to Lily. It’s revealed that she’s had an affair with Vlad, played by Rodney Dobson, and that all gets rekindled in the second half of the show.
Looking back over the tour, can you share some of the highlights, whether that’s on stage, backstage, or at the stage door?
I think..when it all came together on the stage for the first time at the Regent Theatre. That whole old-world thing at the Regent suited the show so much. And to see it come to life with the orchestra and the costumes on opening night, that was thrilling.
We were wondering whether our audience was going to love it, wondering how they were going to react. And they loved it. Audiences throughout Australia have been phenomenal. It’s like the icing on the cake finishing here in Brisbane. The preview audiences have just been going crazy, which is fantastic.
They do say that Brisbane audiences are a bit special. We hear that at the media calls from producers, and I wasn’t really sure if it was true or not, but I think we’ve just got this genuine love for musical theatre.
It’s just phenomenal and makes me feel so welcome as an artist. A lot of them think that I am from Queensland. It’s just, it’s such a wonderful vibe, and it’s such a beautiful theatre to play.
If I can also say that the highlight for me has been becoming absolute besties with Nancye Hayes through this show. That, for me, is my biggest takeaway: getting to know this glorious woman and hearing so many stories about her life.
That’s beautiful. I just finished reading your autobiography, Legs 11 and I would love to take a moment to talk about some of the other Australian premiere productions you’ve been a part of. People don’t realise how many iconic Australian premieres you’ve done over the years.
I was in the original Mamma Mia! It came to Australia before it went to Broadway, and I had to audition for Benny and Bjorn from ABBA. Not many people can say that. They had absolute control over who was in the cast. Hot Shoe Shuffle was written for me with David Atkins. There’s been Into The Woods, Mame, Guys and Dolls, Urinetown, The Drowsy Chaperone.
And I believe Into the Woods was your first show with Georgina Hopson; she was Cinderella to your Witch?
Yes, that was one of her first shows. She was outstanding back then, and she’s phenomenal as Anastasia. But yeah, you look back and think, how many people have been doing it as long as I have? Which is about 45 years. There’s only a handful of us. There’s Nancye, who’s been doing this for 60-odd years, Caroline O’Connor, Marina Prior, a few of us who are still doing it and loving it.
I don’t think people quite realise how much stamina is needed to do eight shows a week, in back-to-back productions. What are your non-negotiables for staying healthy on tour?
I’m at a point now that if I travel, if I’m moving to a different city, I like nice things. I take my own pillow, and you know, they say one suitcase only, but I travel with about five. But the scariest thing for me is that you can’t control if you catch something. I mean, I had a record, I don’t think, of missing a show in my life. But life happens, and I’ll just try to take a Panadol and go on. You know, that work ethic.
Then you’ve got Nancye, who is the only one in our company of 250 shows or more that has not missed a show. She’s got the most amazing work ethic, and I try for that, but sometimes things intervene.
Even though I present as a bit of a party girl, I do go home if I know I’ve got matinees and try to get as much sleep as I can. Berocca thrown in with a Red Bull. All the bad things, but you know, whatever works. After all these years, I’m still here.
What’s left on Rhonda Burchmore’s bucket list?
There are things I would have loved to do, but because of my height and age, there was no way. When I was little, I wanted to play Maria in The Sound of Music, but I would have been more likely to play the mountain. (Laughs) I would have loved to play Christine in Phantom, but that’s a different voice. So you have to be realistic.
It feels like only yesterday when I began, and it goes so quickly. But I would have loved, and there’s still maybe a chance, to play Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. I’d like to play Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd. Those kinds of things. Hello, Dolly.
I thought of something that hasn’t happened yet. Why hasn’t anyone done a Barbie musical?
Well, that’s it. I could be Barbie.
We need to talk to Margot Robbie’s people.
Well, yeah, you’ve seen my Barbies.
I have.
I spent the last week cleaning. I’ve got 400 collector Barbies.
Amazing.
Yeah, whatever happened to Barbie? I don’t know.
But we can put it out there, I’m planting a seed.
Barbie the Musical.
It’s the start of the school holidays in Brisbane, which is great timing because Anastasia is a musical that appeals to the whole family. What would you say to anyone sitting on the fence, wondering whether to bring the kids?
Get off the fence and off your Netflix lounge. There is nothing more perfect for mums and dads than to tell the kids to put down their phones and come and witness live theatre at its best here at QPAC.
There’s a live orchestra, magnificent costumes, wonderful acting. For two hours, they can be absorbed by the magnificence of live theatre. Some people will say it’s so expensive, but it’s money well spent as an education and an experience for the kids.
Rhonda Burchmore appears in Anastasia the Musical which is playing to 18 October at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC.
Tickets: https://anastasiathemusical.com.au/tickets/brisbane/
Website: https://anastasiathemusical.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/anastasiathemusicalau/ and https://www.instagram.com/rhondaburchmore/
Photo credits: Jeff Busby
