Anastasia Barzee: Mrs. Wilkinson - Ogunquit

[ERinVA]

According to the Ogunquit site here, Anastasia Barzee will fill the role of Mrs. Wilkinson.

[kport]

I have seen eight Mrs Wilkinsons over the past 3 and a half years, and Anastasia ranks right at the top. It absolutely baffles me how any one could grasp the nuances of the role without having at least understudied it, but every ounce of her performance is spot on, even though she is new to it. She really throws emotion into the role - her farewell scene is bathed in pathos. You know she knows her luck will end with Billy's departure from her life.

To top if off, she has one fantastic singing voice!

[kport]

An interesting article about love matches 'made on Broadway' - even if it confuses Ogunquit with Boston!

"I think the biggest thing is they [your Broadway partner] understand the business," said Anastasia Barzee, a Broadway veteran who was in Boston for the summer playing Mrs. Wilkinson in the musical "Billy Elliot." "They understand how crazy it can be, what it means to be at each other's show, the auditioning, the highs and lows."

Barzee is married to Andrew Asnes, a producer for the Off-Broadway production of "50 Shades! The Musical," a parody of E.L. James' S&M romance novel, "50 Shades of Grey."

While he no longer performs, Asnes was still working on Broadway when he met Barzee at a 2006 show. They are now based on the Upper West Side and have two young sons.

"I can be empathic and supporting from a position of knowing what is going on," said Asnes. This means running through script lines late at night or supporting Barzee when she heads to Houston, Texas later this year for a production of "Victor, Victoria."

This summer, the family lived in Boston and their 5-year-old son performed on stage with Barzee. Asnes travels to New York periodically for his current job.

Barzee wasn't always married to someone who understood a performer's life — Asnes is her second husband.

She said her work was too much for her former husband, who was not in the industry. Jealousy and time apart during a breakthrough role for her in London's West End got the better of their union, she said.

"Being with Andrew, it is very nice to know somebody who is going to be OK if I work with a leading man who I once dated, or if the cast gets drinks after the show he is not going to be hiding in the car," she said.

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/2014082 ... -backstage

[kport]

Anastasia is currently starring in Victor/Victoria! at the Hobby Center in Houston:

https://www.thehobbycenter.org/index.php?q=node/1313

http://www.tuts.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jqip0K5 ... vGiIzcCFfA

She is amazing!

[kport]

Anastasia in currently appearing in Kiss Me Kate at The Old Globe Theatre, in San Diego, until August 2nd:

http://www.broadwayworld.com/san-diego/ ... d-20150630

Ogunquit's and the Tour's Joel Blum is also in the same show.

[kport]

Anastasia has been cast in the World Premiere of Mr Holland's Opus at the Ogunquit Playhouse, Aug, 13 - Sept. 12. She will play Mr Holland's wife, Lisa.

https://backstagepasswithliachang.wordp ... ands-opus/