Derek Klena on Playing Dmitry in ANASTASIA at La Mirada Theatre

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Klena talks about taking on the role his brother originated on Broadway, growing up in a theater family, and finding his own voice as Dmitry.

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Dillon Klena has some big shoes to fill.

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Luckily, he's more than ready. The 27-year-old Southern California native is stepping into the role of Dmitry in Anastasia at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, where the musical runs June 5-28.

It's a particularly meaningful role for Klena, whose older brother, Derek Klena (Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Wicked, Jagged Little Pill), originated the role on Broadway.

But it's not the first time Dillon has taken on a role closely associated with his brother. From 2022 to 2024, he played Nick in the national tour of Jagged Little Pill—the same role Derek originated on Broadway and one that earned him a Tony Award nomination.

Despite their similar career paths, Dillon insists there's no sibling rivalry between them. During a break from rehearsals, he spoke with BroadwayWorld about playing Dmitry in Anastasia, growing up in a theater family, and forging his own path as a performer.

You moved to New York about a year ago. Are you coming back to L.A. just for this show?

Yeah, it's been kind of fun. The last time I performed in California was two years ago, at Musical Theatre West doing Newsies . So coming back home, it's been kind of a whirlwind. This is the longest I've been home since I moved, so it's definitely fun to just be home. My family's treating this like a family reunion-type show. Everybody's coming to see it just because I'm in the city, so it's definitely special.

What part of L.A. did you grow up in?

I grew up in West Covina. If you know the show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, that whole show takes place in West Covina, so it's kind of crazy to put our city on the map. We were just an industrial rural town, and now we're known somewhat in the Broadway community, so it's kind of cool.

How long have you been back in town rehearsing for this production?

We just started rehearsals two weeks ago. We're about to approach tech on Sunday, and so yeah, it's been super quick, super fast. But luckily, some of the actors in the show have played these roles before. It's been in my family for years, so it's definitely a fast process, but because of the familiarity of it all, it's been great to kind of dip my toes into it.

Is this your first time performing in Anastasia?

Yeah. This is the first time I've tackled a new show for myself. Although it's been in my family and stuff, I've never tackled a new show like this, especially with this role that's more mature. I'm the youngest of three, so I've always been the baby. For me, on stage, kind of discovering my maturity through this role. I'm 27, so I'm kind of trying to find my place as an actor. I'm leaving an age group and I'm joining another age group, kind of in a way. So it's been fun to discover who I am through playing this role and in this new phase of my life.

Why is this role particularly meaningful for you?

I played one of my brother's parts before on tour with Jagged Little Pill, so I kind of understood all the things that come with that—people comparing me and all that stuff. My brother and I are seven years apart. The way we approach roles is going to be different, naturally, just because we're from different generations.

So that's been really cool, to kind of pay homage to what he has done and look at it through a new lens. It's refreshing and rewarding, too, especially for my family, because this is such a huge part of my brother's career and his life.

What was your reaction when you found out you got the role?

When the cast was released, it was a wild day. Everyone was reaching out. The post itself of the cast was sent around a lot. The engagement from the post was just crazy. For me, I was like, "Oh my gosh, this is awesome. People are going to come see the show." But at the same time I was like, "Dang, man, I have my work cut out for me."

I always like to put my best forward, but with this show specifically, because of my brother's career—people know him as Dmitry. So because of that, there is this little added pressure to playing this role. But it's exciting, and it's a challenge for me because I've never played a role that sings this much, especially with this style of music. It’s definitely a learning opportunity and a growth opportunity. I'm just taking it day by day, doing my best and pushing forward.

What's it been like working at La Mirada?

I have to pinch myself every day because everyone is just so good. I feel so grateful and thankful for this opportunity because, in the present day of theater and all that, you just never know when your next job is going to be. So because of that, I hold on to every single experience.

Just to be on a stage again is rewarding in itself because it's such a struggle to even get there in the first place. So to get to do a show that's so ingrained in my life, just as who I am, it's been a great experience.

What's the difference between working on a national tour and doing a regional production like this?

I mean, to be honest, it's not that much different. My character on tour was what we like to call a “princess track,” which means I do important things throughout the show, but I'm not on stage a lot. The difference between that and this is Dmitry's on stage a lot. Because of that, I have to take care of myself more, just vocally and health-wise, to make sure that I'm able to sustain this for days at a time.

Being on tour was really helpful because that was my first experience dealing with an eight-show week, dealing with different climates around the country, having to deal with allergies in certain places that you never thought you would have to deal with before. It made me become a more self-aware actor and know how I can work and what I can do to better myself and take care of myself.

I kind of grew up, in a sense, on the road in my early 20s. Those are definitive years where you learn so much about yourself. I take that now through every experience, just the positive things that I've learned. Touring is no joke. Touring is not an easy feat.

Doing Anastasia is also not easy.

When people hear that your brother originated the role, they might assume there's pressure or sibling rivalry. Do you feel that?

No. I mean, like I said before, I feel like we're just different generations.

So you don't feel like you have to live up to him?

No, I don't. And that's the beauty of being seven years younger. I was in eighth grade when my brother moved to New York.

My brother's the firstborn of our family, and I feel like I kind of took on some characteristics of a firstborn. I understand certain parts of my brother and how he runs his career and his life. I look up to that. But I don't think it's a competition. I don't think it's competitive because we're different. And that's the beauty of it. I think that's the beauty of me getting to play his roles: It's different, and I look at it differently . . . But I don't feel any competitiveness with my brother. He's a star, and he's crushing it. He's doing his own stuff right now. He's honestly playing the game.

Just watching his career and what he's done, I'm in awe of what he's accomplished.

Looking at your bio, it seems like you've never really known a life without theater. Tell me a little about growing up in a theater family.

Oh yeah. My brother started performing when he was seven and my sister was five. During that time, my mom was pregnant with me, so I was basically born into performing. I did my first show when I was three.

What was your first show?

So we have this children's theater by my house called MET2. It's the Metropolitan Educational Theatre Network. It was either I was a trash can boy in Grease, so the only number that I did was "Greased Lightnin'." Which, I mean, think of a three-year-old doing Greased Lightning.

That’s so cute!

I know! We have pictures of me doing it, with my slicked-back hair, and it's just so funny.

Or I was a straw hat boy in Big River, which I don't remember what that means. That could have been what I did.

You know, my parents are so supportive with the arts. Both my parents, they don't really come from a performing background. My mom did a couple of shows in middle school and high school, and my dad was primarily into sports. No one really did theater. When my mom saw this children's theater, she was like, "Oh, I'm just going to have my kids be enriched in the arts.’

We found out that my brother was pretty good at it. My sister was very good at it. And then it kind of just stuck in my family.

Did your sister continue performing as well?

Yeah. We grew up as “The Klena kids of West Covina.” That means we performed in all these talent shows everywhere. We were known as the Klena kids. We made a Christmas album. If you were on our Christmas card list that year, you got a CD in the mail.

But yeah—she still sings and still does all that, but she doesn't really perform as much anymore.

Of all the roles you've played, is there one that has really stayed with you?

Oh my goodness. I think honestly, it's Jack Kelly . I've been Jack Kelly four times in my life, at different times in my life. I've done it at different times in my life where I think I particularly needed it.

Dmitry is not that far off from Jack Kelly . There are a lot of characteristics in Dmitry that Jack bestows. Because of that, Dmitry is somewhat familiar, but also a new landscape and a new place where I get to just play around and have fun and find the difference between Jack, who's a boy, and Dmitry, who's a man. Finding the nuance within myself from transitioning from boy to man—I honestly feel like that's where I'm at right now.

What made you decide to pursue theater professionally?

I was severely bullied growing up in middle school. Middle school was my crazy years. But then when I got into high school, my freshman year, there was a school talent show and I won the talent show by singing. The next day, I got to perform in front of the whole student body. . . . Showing people in the audience who bullied me in the past what I can do—from that point on, I wasn't bullied. People saw what I could do. In my head, I'm like, okay, if the arts can change people's minds, that's what I want to do.

To bring it back to Anastasia, what's your favorite moment in the show? Or what do you hope audiences take away from it?

Honestly, I feel like the show really delves into hope. If you have something that you want to achieve and you're scared about doing it, don't be afraid to do it. The least you can do is try. If you fail, you fail. But at the same time, we grow from when we fail. That's the whole thing. That's what I've learned from this whole process.

That's great advice.

Thank you.

Anastasia will play at the La Mirada Center for the Performing Arts June 5-28. Tickets are available at https://lamiradatheatre.com .

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/Interview-Dillon-Klena-of-ANASTASIA-at-La-Mirada-Theatre-For-The-Performing-Arts-20260602)._