Character guide
Dmitry
from Anastasia
Dmitry is the streetwise con man who trains Anya to pose as royalty in Anastasia, the 2017 musical by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens.
- Show
- Anastasia
- Broadway premiere
- 2017
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Stephen Flaherty
Dmitry: from the film to Broadway
Broadway compared with the 1997 animated film
Derek Klena originated Dmitry on Broadway in 2017. In the 1997 animated film the character is spelled Dimitri and was voiced by John Cusack, with Jonathan Dokuchitz singing. The con man plot is the same, but the musical deepens his backstory as an orphan who had to take care of himself, and adds a memory of bowing to Anastasia at a parade as a young boy, which he and Anya share in the new duet In a Crowd of Thousands.
He also gets new solo numbers, My Petersburg and Everything to Win, while keeping the film's Learn to Do It.
Who is Dmitry?
Dmitry grew up on the streets of St. Petersburg and now schemes to profit from the desperate hope that Grand Duchess Anastasia might still be alive, coaching Anya to convincingly play the part for a reward from the exiled Dowager Empress. What starts as a purely mercenary plan gradually gives way to genuine feelings as he comes to know and respect Anya.
Dmitry's arc is defined by a growing conflict between ambition and conscience, as he has to decide whether to go through with a deception that could hurt someone he has come to love, or to risk everything by telling the truth.
Dmitry's role in Anastasia
Dmitry is a lead role built on charisma and a scrappy, self made confidence, requiring strong vocals for numbers that trace his shift from cynical schemer to genuine romantic lead. His chemistry with Anya is central to the show's emotional stakes.
Derek Klena originated the role on Broadway, praised for grounding Dmitry's transformation in believable, gradual change rather than a sudden reversal. Audiences remember Dmitry as a classic rags to redemption love interest, whose growing honesty mirrors Anya's own search for identity.
Dmitry: frequently asked questions
What show is Dmitry from?
Dmitry is a lead character in Anastasia, which opened on Broadway in 2017.
Is Dmitry a lead or supporting role?
Dmitry is a lead role as Anya's love interest and reluctant coconspirator.
Who wrote the music for Anastasia?
Stephen Flaherty composed the music, with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.
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