APRIL 28 • 2022 | 43

came as soon as I said that line, 
and it was so loud and sustained 
[that] we had to stop and freeze 
the moment until the applause 
died down. I will never forget 
that.
”
Weagraff wanted to be part of 
this musical since seeing it on 
Broadway with a pre-pandemic 
version that featured her son’s 
fiancee. The book is by Terrence 

McNally, and the score is by 
Stephen Flaherty (music) and 
Lynn Ahrens (lyrics).
“I love the fact that it is such 
a gorgeous show, costume-wise 
and set-wise,
” Weagraff said. 
“Characters are compelling and 
likeable, and there is something 
for everyone — romance, mys-
tery, adventure.
“It appeals to all ages. The 

little ones will love watching 
a story about a princess who 
doesn’t know she’s a princess. 
Some of the young adults will 
remember the 1997 animated 
film Anastasia that they fell in 
love with and will fall in love 
with the musical as well. History 
buffs will be interested in the 
historical aspect of the produc-
tion.”
Weagraff, 64, who is at the 
center of two musical numbers, 
is realizing a lifelong dream 
as she and her husband, Paul 
Weagraff, navigate the empty 
nester phase. Although the 
sometime-actress appeared 
in community theater before 
and during her work as a radio 
newscaster and public relations 
specialist, professional aspira-
tions remained. 

THE IMPORTANCE 
OF FIDDLER
“My mother’s father was in 
Yiddish theater, and my parents 
were both in community the-
ater,
” said Weagraff, who lives 
in Delaware after growing up 
in Pennsylvania with the begin-
nings of performance experienc-
es. “I appeared in Detroit with a 
2010 production of Fiddler on the 

Roof at the Fox Theatre.
”
Fiddler productions have been 
important throughout her life. 
Besides the professional tour, she 
has joined her parents, husband 
and children in staging commu-
nity versions.
Weagraff met her husband, 
retired from being both a his-
tory teacher and director of the 
Delaware Division of the Arts, 
during a 1986 Fiddler production. 
As she played Tzeitel and he 
played Motel, her mother had the 
role of Yente (the matchmaker). 
“When our youngest child 
went off to college, I saw a notice 
for the national tour of Fiddler,
” 
she recalled. “I never would have 
thought about a tour before that, 
and it was only on a whim that I 
auditioned not even thinking it 
was going to lead to anything.
“I got cast in 2010 when I was 
in my mid-50s, and my husband 
said I had to go do it. I toured 
for two years. I was Shandel the 
first year and Golde during the 
second year.
”
Casting in regional theater 
continued after that, and her 
many roles included Grandma 
Rosie in The Wedding Singer at 
the Surflight Theatre in New 
Jersey, Dorothy Cleves in Any 
Wednesday at the Montgomery 
Theater in Pennsylvania, Ethel 
McCormack in Footloose at the 
Fireside Theatre in Wisconsin 
and Miss Hannigan in Annie 
at the Candlelight Theatre in 
Delaware.
In her current part, Weagraff 
gets to project a range of moods, 
from first act scenes where she is 
depicted as loving and caring to 
a later act scene where she comes 
across as cold-hearted. Her two 
songs reflect these different 
expressions.
“Once Upon a December” 
is a recurring motif that has to 
do with the relationship shared 
by the Dowager Empress and 
Anastasia. “Close the Door” has 
to do with reaching a point of 
not wanting to talk to any more 
imposters. 

LEFT: Marley Sophia 
(Little Anastasia) 
and Gerri Weagraff 
(Dowager Empress) in 
the North American 
Tour of Anastasia 
RIGHT: Gerri Weagraff 
(Dowager Empress) 
and Kyla Stone (Anya) 
in the North American 
Tour of Anastasia 

Gerri Weagraff

PHOTOS BY JEREMY DANIEL

“I LOVE THE FACT THAT IT IS SUCH A GORGEOUS 

SHOW, COSTUME-WISE AND SET-WISE.”

— GERRI WEAGRAFF