Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
The Great Comet
Music	Dave Malloy
Lyrics	Dave Malloy
Book	Dave Malloy
Basis	War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Productions	2012 Off-Broadway 2014 Quito 2015 Cambridge 2016 Broadway
Awards	Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theater

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 is a sung-through musical adaptation of a segment of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace written by composer/lyricist Dave Malloy and directed by Rachel Chavkin. It is based on Volume 2, Part 5 of Tolstoy's novel, focusing on Natasha's affair with Anatole and Pierre's search for meaning in his life.^[1]

After its original run at the Ars Nova in 2012, a staging in both the Meatpacking District and the Theater District of Manhattan in 2013, a 2014 Spanish-language staging in Quito, Ecuador, and a remounting at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2015, the musical premiered on Broadway in November 2016 at the Imperial Theatre.

The musical received positive reviews, particularly for Phillipa Soo, Denée Benton, and Josh Groban's leading performances, as well as for the production's score and direction. The show was nominated for 12 awards—the highest number of nominations in the 2016–2017 season—for the 2017 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical for Benton, Best Actor in a Musical for Groban, and Best Direction of a Musical for Chavkin. It won two awards: Best Scenic Design and Best Lighting Design in a Musical. The last show will be held on September 3, 2017.

Synopsis

Act 1

The story is set in Moscow, 1812, just before Napoleon’s invasion of Russia and the burning of the city. As the story begins (“Prologue”), Pierre, a wealthy aristocrat, is having an existential crisis, living a slothful life of wine, philosophy, and inaction ("Pierre"). He is best friends with Prince Andrey, who has left to go to war. Andrey has recently become engaged to the young, beautiful countess Natasha Rostova. Natasha and her cousin Sonya arrive in Moscow to stay the winter with Natasha's godmother, Marya D., while Natasha waits for Andrey to return from the war. Marya D. is an old friend of Pierre's ("Moscow"). Marya D. advises Natasha that she must visit her future in-laws, the demented, miserly old Prince Bolkonsky and his spinster daughter Mary (“The Private and Intimate Life of the House”), to win their affection in advance of the marriage, which is critical to the status and fortune of the Rostov family. However, Natasha's visit with Mary and Bolkonsky ends in disaster (“Natasha & Bolkonskys”), as Mary finds Natasha vain, Natasha finds Mary cold, and Bolkonsky behaves bizarrely. Natasha leaves their home missing Andrey more than ever (“No One Else”).

The next night Natasha is introduced to decadent Moscow society after an extravagant performance at "The Opera". There she meets Prince Anatole, a young and handsome man and, it turns out, a notorious rogue (“Natasha & Anatole”); their interaction leaves Natasha feeling confused.

Anatole, his friend Dolokhov, and Pierre go out drinking; they are met by Pierre's unpleasant wife, Hélène (Anatole's sister), who taunts Pierre and flirts with Dolokhov. Anatole declares his intention to have the young woman he just met, although he is already married (Pierre is not aware to whom Anatole is referring). Pierre finds his wife's familiarity with Dolokhov offensive and drunkenly challenges him to a duel, almost getting himself killed ("The Duel"). Fortunately, Pierre wounds Dolokhov, and Dolokhov misses Pierre; no one dies. Afterwards, Pierre reflects on his life ("Dust and Ashes"). Natasha and her family go to church ("Sunday Morning"). Hélène finds it amusing to encourage her brother Anatole's conquest of the young countess Natasha, which she knows would lead to Natasha's ruin. Hélène seduces Natasha and invites her to the ball that night ("Charming"), where Anatole seduces Natasha, and she persuades herself that she loves him ("The Ball").

Act 2

Anatole and Natasha make plans to elope (she still does not know that he is married), and Natasha tearfully breaks off her engagement with Andrey (“Letters”). Sonya finds out about the plan and realizes it will mean Natasha's ruin (“Sonya & Natasha”); Sonya determines to stop the elopement at any cost even if it means they may not stay friends (“Sonya Alone”). That evening Anatole and Dolokhov plan for the elopement (“Preparations”), and Dolokhov tries to change Anatole's mind but with little success. Their trusted famous troika driver ("Balaga"), soon arrives to take them to Natasha's house. However, they are thwarted at the last moment by Marya D. ("The Abduction"). Marya D. scolds Natasha but then tries to comfort her with Sonya's help. Natasha screams at them to go away and waits for Anatole to come back for her all night ("In My House").

Marya D. sends out a letter to Pierre ("A Call to Pierre") asking him to come and help handle the crisis. Pierre finally learns that the object of Anatole's conquest is Natasha. Marya D. finds out that Anatole is married and tells a grief-stricken Natasha. Pierre, outraged, searches for Anatole ("Find Anatole"). When Pierre finds Anatole, he gives him money and orders him to leave Moscow (”Pierre & Anatole”). Natasha poisons herself with arsenic (“Natasha Very Ill”) but lives. The next day Andrey returns. Pierre explains the scandal to him and asks him to be compassionate, but Andrey is unable to forgive Natasha and will not ask for her hand in marriage again (“Pierre & Andrey”). Finally, Pierre visits Natasha (“Pierre & Natasha”). After their meeting, Pierre experiences a moment of enlightenment himself while seeing The Great Comet of 1812 in the night sky.^[2]

Music

Malloy's original score (orchestrated by the composer) merges Russian folk and classical music with indie rock and EDM influences. The piece is described by the composer as an "electropop opera" and is through-composed, with just one line of spoken dialogue, in Pierre and Natasha's only scene together.^[3] On stage, nearly all of the actors play musical instruments augmenting the show's orchestra. Groban plays the accordion briefly, and plays large sections of the score on the orchestra's piano.^[4]

The libretto contains many passages taken word-for-word from Aylmer and Louise Maude’s 1922 translation of Tolstoy's novel.^[5]

Musical numbers

**An aria for Natasha, "Natasha Lost", was cut from the Broadway production but is included on the original cast recording between number 8 ("Natasha & Anatole") and number 9 ("The Duel"). In addition, "Dust and Ashes" was added for the Broadway production.

Productions

Off-Broadway

Ars Nova

The musical premiered on October 16, 2012, at Ars Nova; directed by Rachel Chavkin^[6] the show was staged as an immersive production, with action happening around and among the audience. The set designed by Mimi Lien and lights by Bradley King transformed Ars Nova into a Russian supper club. The creative team was completed by Paloma Young as costume designer, Matt Hubbs as sound designer, and Dave Malloy as musical director. The cast included Malloy as Pierre, Phillipa Soo as Natasha, Lucas Steele as Anatole, Amber Gray as Hélène, Brittain Ashford as Sonya, Nick Choksi as Dolokhov, Shaina Taub as Mary, Blake DeLong as Andrey/Prince Bolkonsky, Amelia Workman as Marya D. and Paul Pinto (who also served as associate music director) as Balaga. The show was the first production of Ars Nova to ever transfer to Broadway.

Kazino

In May 16, 2013, the show opened in the Meatpacking District at Kazino,^[7] a temporary structure designed as an opulent Russian club, where the immersive production was staged, again by the same creative team. The cast reprised their roles, except Choksi, now replaced by Ian Lassiter, and Workman, replaced by Grace McLean. David Abeles took over the role of Pierre on July 9, 2013. The show closed on September 1, 2013.

The show opened for a 14-week limited engagement in September 2013 at the Kazino and moved to the Theater District, with the final cast of the previous production. On December 10, 2013, the two-disc cast recording was released. The show was extended and ran until March 2, 2014.

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.)

The team behind the original production remounted the show at the American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T.) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with performances beginning December 1, 2015 to January 2016. Now expanded to a proscenium stage, the set put audience onstage, with unique seating options, with banquette and dining tables added. Scott Stangland took over the role of Pierre, Denée Benton starred as Natasha, Lilli Cooper as Hélène, Nicholas Belton as Andrey/Prince Bolkonsky and the rest of the cast reprised their roles.

Broadway

The Broadway production at the Imperial Theatre began previews on October 18, 2016 and opened on November 14, 2016, starring Josh Groban as Pierre and Denée Benton as Natasha, both making their Broadway debuts, with choreography by Sam Pinkleton, sets by Mimi Lien, costumes by Paloma Young, lights by Bradley King, sound by Nicholas Pope and music direction by Or Matias.^[8][9] With sets similar to the A.R.T. remounting, the production took the proscenium stage, but removed almost 200 seats from the audience to accommodate the design. Again, the options of stage seats, in banquettes or dining tables is available.

Following Groban's departure on July 2, 2017, Dave Malloy assumed the role of Pierre from July 03 to 09, 2017. Okieriete Onaodowan and Ingrid Michaelson assumed the roles of Pierre and Sonya on July 11 through August 13; Onaodowan was originally supposed to begin performances on July 03.^[10] Mandy Patinkin was set to replace Onaodowan as Pierre on August 15 through September 03, 2017, yet has since withdrawn after casting backlash.^[11][12]

The Broadway production will play its final performance on September 03, 2017, having played 32 previews and 336 performances.^[13]

International productions

In September 2014, the show had its South American premiere, at Teatro Parapluie in Quito, Ecuador, in a Spanish language production.

Characters

(Lines in quotations are lyrics from the opening song, "Prologue," which introduces the characters)^[17]

Original principal casts

Notable cast replacements

• Composer Dave Malloy temporarily replaced Josh Groban as Pierre on several performances from May 4 to June 27, 2017. Malloy temporarily took over the role after Groban's departure from July 3 until July 9, 2017.^[10] He is set to return to the role from August 22 to September 03, 2017 (the show's final performance on Broadway).^[13]
• Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson temporarily replaced Brittain Ashford as Sonya on July 3 through August 13, 2017. Ashford is scheduled to return to the role on August 15.^[18][19]
• Okieriete Onaodowan, best known for originating the roles of James Madison and Hercules Mulligan in the 2015 musical Hamilton, took over the role of Pierre from Dave Malloy on July 11 through August 13, 2017.^[10][11][20]
• Scott Stangland will replace Okieriete Onaodowan as Pierre on August 15 through 22, 2017.^[13]

Critical response

The piece was very well-received by the New York press; Charles Isherwood in the New York Times called it “a vibrant, transporting new musical," and both Times theater critics included the show on their Best of the Year lists.^[21] The Times' classical critic, Anthony Tommasini, called it "a breathless, roughish and ravishing quasi-opera. This is a pastiche score of a cavalier sort. Mr. Malloy lifts styles with such abandon, making willful shifts — from punk riffs to agitated Broadway ballads, mock-pompous recitative to gritty Russian folk songs or drinking choruses with klezmer clarinets — that you lose track of what is being appropriated and really don’t care."^[22] Time Out New York gave the piece five out of five stars, and also included it on both critics' Best of lists, stating "this is theater like no other in New York. It grounds you and transports you at once, and leaves you beaming with pleasure.”^[23]

Awards and nominations

Original Off-Broadway production

Sources: TheaterMania^[24] Internet Off-Broadway Database^[25]Village Voice^[26]

Original Cambridge production

Original Broadway production

Recordings

In December 10, 2013 Ghostlight Records released a two-disc original cast album of the entire score.^[43]

The original Broadway cast recording was released on May 19th, 2017.

Book

On November 22, 2016 the book Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812: The Journey of a New Musical to Broadway was released. The book, edited and compiled by Steven Suskin, includes interviews with many of the original cast members, as well as the annotated script and photos of both the Kazino and Broadway casts. The book also includes a CD with five songs from the show: three from the original cast recording, and two featuring Josh Groban and a 25 piece orchestra.

References

External links

• Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Internet Broadway Database