Speaking of "Once Upon a December"'s translation to the stage, choreographer Sarah Kawahara said, "you enter into a kind of fantasy, magical quality, rather than thinking back on a time of terror...I was able to take [the film's] fantasy elements and make then come true".[1] Noting the suitability of Anastasia for an ice show, she noted that "every main character has a song. Plus, there are great pieces written for musical moments that push the story along".[1]
The Sun Sentinel deemed it "lavish",[1] while Daily News wrote it a "colorful adventure story".[3] Harfort Courant suggested the audience would "revel in the lively explosions and menacing squadron of bats that spice the production".[4] Meanwhile, St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that the historical story's brutality made it a strange fit for a children's ice show.[5]
