Former West Chester Resident Part Of 'Anastasia' Cast In Philly

WEST CHESTER, PA —When the national touring company of the musical "Anastasia" comes to Philadelphia's Merriam Theater later this month, a former Chester County resident will be part of the cast.

Madeline Raube, from West Chester, is playing the role of Countess Lily in the show inspired by several "Anastasia" films, including the 1997 animated film in which the title character is voiced by Meg Ryan.

Raube, who now is based in New York City, is making her national tour debut in the musical, which will be playing in Bloomington, Indiana, Evansville, Indiana, Little Rock, Arkansas and Jackson, Mississippi, before coming to Philadelphia for eight performances from Nov. 23 to Nov. 28.

According to her biography, Raube attended Oberlin Conservatory, where she earned bachelor's degree in classical voice. She then earned a master's degree in musical theatre performance at New York University.

Raube's recent theater credits include: the lead role of Nina Volkova in "Life of the Party" at New York City's Provincetown Playhouse and the lead role of Lily Craven in the "The Secret Garden" at NYU's Frederick Loewe Theatre in New York City.

"Anastasia," a 2016 musical from the Tony Award-winning team behind the Broadway classic Ragtime —including a book by playwright Terrence McNally —transports the audience from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past.

According to NBC-TV: "With its opulent settings, dazzling costumes and a soaring score, including the song favorites from the hit animated film, 'Journey to the Past' and 'Once Upon a December,' 'Anastasia' is the spectacular musical about discovering who you are and defining who you're meant to be."

Tickets for the Philadelphia performances are still available online at the Kimmel Cultural Campus website.

For performances at the Merriam Theater and all Kimmel Cultural Center venues, all guests 12 years age or older are required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination. Children under 12 will be required to show a negative test result of a PCR test taken within 72 hours of the event.