Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812
4 out of 5 stars
That the world is a stage is well demonstrated in this exhilarating production of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. The Imperial Theater has been transformed for this show in a way that brings the performers into the audience and the audience onto the stage. There is a continuum flowing between the orchestra, stage, and mezzanine. The fourth wall is not broken, it is removed entirely.
You will be informed early, first by the ushers and then by the performers, that this is “a complicated Russian novel” and are encouraged to continually consult your program (The Playbill) to keep track of the cast of characters. Tolstoy’s War and Peace is the foundation from which this opera is skillfully extracted by Dave Malloy (music, lyrics, book and orchestrations). Do not be frightened, in actuality, the story isn’t complicated at all. Lovers separated by war, loveless marriages, wise godmothers, scheming friends, high society seduction, and oh, the Comet – all the classic components of the Broadway musical.
The actors provide constant assistance in leading us through the story. The opening prologue introduces all the characters and their significant traits. This number unfolds like a Matryoshka (pronounced mott-ree-yo-shka) or Russian nesting doll (that’s all the Russian I’ll be speaking). Although I do not usually advise listening to musical soundtracks prior to the show, I advise becoming familiar with this one tune. The CliffsNotes version is in the last stanza (click here to listen):
"Balaga is fun
Bolkonsky is crazy
Mary is plain
Dolokhov is fierce
Hélène is a slut
Anatole is hot
Marya is old-school
Sonya is good
Natasha is young
and Andrey isn’t here
And what about Pierre?"
Josh Grobin. There I said it. I entered with no prior knowledge of him (despite his 35 million in record sales). For me he was born for the role of Pierre, the wealthy aristocrat in existential crisis who provides the nucleus both literally and physically for the revolving cast of characters. He sings and plays various instruments with great Broadway authority. He deserves the commanding position he inhabits. Click here to hear him sing Dust and Ashes from this production.
Natasha is played by Denée Benton. She is an ingénue making her Broadway debut bringing angelic grace to her role. Lucas Steele as Anatole is a commanding stage presence. He impresses with his hauteur, singing, and ability to play the violin. Brittain Ashford is lovely as Sonya. Her singing is haunting and memorable.
The Comet of 1812 is new and different. The New York Times review compared it favorably to (dare I say) Hamilton. Although I would stop short of this comparison, I did find Comet to be thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. Like Hamilton it is completely, refreshingly new and exciting and, for me, a relief from some of the recycled classics. For those ”theater, but not musical” fans, stay away. This is a super musical. I do not believe there are any spoken words --- my plan is to see it again.
We attended the musical with friends Linda and Toby.
Why we went: Rave reviews and festive holiday theater.
JMG
Side notes: We met friends Toby and Linda at Resette (located at 7 West 45th Street) for a delightful pre-theater Italian meal. We enjoyed good food and good service in a more casual setting (think upscale pizzeria) and the prices were not as eye-popping as other restaurants can be in the Theater District.
