Music: Lynn Ahrens/Stephen Flaherty
The Neva flows, a new wind blows and soon it will be spring.
We hear you comrades. The revolution hears you.
Together we will forge a new Russia, that will be the envy of all the world.
The Tsar’s St Petersburg is now the people’s Leningrad.
They can call it Leningrad, but it’ll always be Petersburg.
New name same empty stomachs.
They tell us times are better
Well I say they're not
Can’t cook an empty promise
In an empty pot
A brighter day is dawning
It’s almost at hand
The skies are grey, the walls have ears and he who argues disappears.
Hail our great new land
St. Petersburg is gloomy, a city on the rise.
It’s really very friendly
If you don’t mind spies.
We stand behind our leaders
And stand in line for bread
We’re good and loyal comrades
And our favorite color’s red
Now everyone is equal
Professors push the brooms
Two dozen total strangers
Live in two small rooms
You hold a revolution
And here’s the price you pay
Thank goodness for the gossip
Thank goodness for the gossip
That gets us through the day
Have you heard
Hey!
There’s a rumor in St Petersburg
Have you heard
What they’re saying on the street?
Although the Tsar did not survive
One daughter may be still alive
The Princess Anastasia
But please do not repeat
It’s a rumor
A legend
A mystery
Something whispered in an alleyway
Or through a crack
It’s a rumor
That’s part of our history
They say her royal grandmamma
Will pay a royal sum
To someone who can bring the princess back
Dmitry! They’ve closed another border!
We should have gotten out of Russia while we still could.
St Petersburg was lovely when royalty was in.
I called myself a count as though I’d always been.
I hobnobbed with the royals, but then a change of luck.
The tsar was dead.
The royals fled and comrade now we’re stuck!
Vlad! I’ve been thinking about the princess Anastasia.
Oh not you too, Dmitry!
It’s the rumor
The legend
The mystery
It’s the Princess Anastasia
Who will help us fly
You and I friend
Will go down
In history
We’ll find a girl to play the part
And teach her what to say
Dress her up and take her to Paris
Imagine the reward
Her dear old grandmamma would pay
Who else could pull it off
But you and me
No!
It was a truck backfiring comrade, That’s all it was.
Those days are over.Neighbor against neighbor.
There’s nothing to be afraid of anymore.
You’re shaking.
There’s a tea shop just steps from here, let me…
Thank you.
What’s your hurry.
I can’t lose this job. They’re not easy to come by. But Thank you.
I’m here everyday
A ruble for this painting
It’s Romanov I swear
Count Yusopov’s pajamas
Comrade buy the pair
I found this in the palace
Initialed with an “A”
It could be Anastasia’s
Now what will someone pay
We need something of hers to show the old lady.
How much is that music box?
Ah. The music box. It’s genuine Romanov. I could never part with it.
Two cans of beans, comrade?
Done.
Do you believe in fairy tales, Vlad?
Once upon a time I did.
We’re going to create a fairy tale the whole world will believe.
Now it’s risky but not more then usual.
We’ll need papers, we’ll need tickets, we’ll need nerves of steel.
Yes it’s risky, a lot more then usual.
We’ll try to cross the border with our princess and our plot.
Hopefully disaster won’t ensue.
With luck it’ll all go smoothly
And with luck we won't be shot
Who else could pull it off
But me and you
We’ll be rich
We’ll be rich
We’ll be out
We’ll be out
And St Petersburg will have some more
To talk about
I heard it from a person
I heard it from a person
Who was assured me that it was absolutely true
Shh!
Have you heard
There’s a rumor in St. Petersburg
Have you heard
Comrade what do you suppose?
A fascinating mystery
The biggest con in history
The Princess Anastasia
Alive or dead
Who knows
Shh!