Family, identity, love and truth will all take center stage when Donegal Performing Arts presents the musical "Anastasia." The show will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 8. There will also be a free preview for people age 65 and up at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 5.

Based on the 1997 animated film of the same name, the musical focuses on a young woman with a mysterious past.

Loosely based on historical events, the show adapts the legend of Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, who was rumored to have escaped when the rest of her Russian imperial family, the Romanovs, were executed by Bolshevik revolutionaries during the Russian Revolution. Years later, a woman named Anya, who has amnesia, begins searching for details of her past.

"She befriends two guys who are conmen, and they have a plan to convince her to pretend she's Anastasia, a long-lost princess, so they can get a monetary reward," explained Lily Grosh, a senior who portrays Anya/Anastasia. "In the process of trying to figure out more about this princess, she realizes she's the princess."

As Grosh explained, the show contains some deep themes.

"It's a story about identity, self-discovery and family ties," she said. "It has a happy ending, but it's not the most expected ending, which is nice because it's not predictable. I think the way the show ends is very good, and it will also have audiences wanting more."

Senior Aurora Amato portrays the Dowager Empress, who is the grandmother of Anastasia.

"For my character, she's a mix between being really happy and adoring her family to experiencing the tragic grief of losing her entire family, especially her favorite granddaughter," Amato said.

As the dowager searches for the truth, she experiences a lot of ups and downs.

"This show is an emotional roller coaster," Amato said. "Some parts of the show are very intense and have a lot of tension in them, and then other times can be heartbreaking. ... There's sad moments, but there's also fun moments and some scarier, more intense moments."

Madison Finnley Mutterspaugh is a senior who plays Dmitry, a man who befriends Anya.

"Dmitry is a street rat. He doesn't have a lot of decorum, and he's used to fighting and defending himself," said Mutterspaugh. "He comes up with a plan to essentially con the dowager into believing Anya is the princess so they can get rich."

Although his motivation might be questionable, Dmitry is essentially a good guy, Mutterspaugh shared, adding, "He's willing to do bad things for a good cause."

While Anya is trying to discover her past, the authorities in Russia are still looking for the possible survivor from the executions, and that's where senior Ryan Miller's character comes in. He portrays Gleb Vaganov, a Bolshevik officer who witnessed the executions as a young child when his father was one of the executioners.

"He's in love with/obsessed with the main girl, who he does not realize is a Romanov," Miller said. "That's where his main conflict comes from."

He said he's excited to present "Anastasia," because he considers it to be the best show of his high school career.

" 'Anastasia' is a fluid show, with music through and through," he said. "The story is told through the music. There are spoken lines, but a good portion of the storytelling comes from the songs."

Mutterspaugh agreed, adding, "All of the music is beautiful. It's not your typical music for a musical, which you might think of as really campy, poppy songs. This show is very orchestral, and it's nice to listen to just the orchestra play. If you don't like singing and dancing, the music's really good."

The cast members also emphasized the quality of the costumes and the set in the show, as well as the extensive dance numbers.

"There's pretty ballroom dancing, as well as some ballet," said Grosh. "There's a whole scene where we're doing 'Swan Lake,' and we have some really talented ballerinas in the cast. There are some really colorful, fun dance numbers in Act Two that are really fun to watch."

She said she's proud to be part of a show that presents a fairy tale-type story in a new way.

"It's a really sweet story, and it's not the expected trajectory of a princess story," she said. "There's a lot of drama, a lot of really intense moments that are balanced with humor, so there is something for everyone. And the music is fantastic."

"Anastasia" will be performed in the auditorium at Donegal High School, 1025 Koser Road, Mount Joy. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.dpa.donegalsd.org.