As the theater darkened, I thought – I can’t wait to be swept up in a romantic, dramatic, grand scale period piece. And then Anna Karenina began with lighthearted hustle and bustle both on and behind a theater stage. The underlying music had comedic tones, the whole thing was choreographed as if it were the opening to a high stepping, rousing musical theater piece.  WTF!  What does any of this have to do with what I’ve known of Leo Tolstoy’s immortal classic “Anna Karenina”? Tom Stoppard’s screenplay holds no poetry. It’s deliberately streamlined. Certainly not written for anyone looking to get caught up in romantic, elegant dialogue or narration.  Director…