Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 – REVIEW
Image: From the celebrated and award-winning composer Dave Malloy comes Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, "both the most innovative and the best new musical to open on Broadway since Hamilton!" - The New York Times.
Set in 1812, the astronomic musical follows the young and spontaneous Natasha who awaits the return of her beloved Andrey - the fiancé on the front lines. One night at the Opera, in a city exploding with hedonism and opulent excess, Natasha falls passionately in love with the dashing, roguish, (and already married) Anatole. To solve her love conundrum she turns to the lonely Pierre - a friend in the middle of an existential crisis who makes it his mission to extricate her from risk of ruin and in doing so, renew his own soul.
Following a critically exalted premiere at Ars Nova in New York City, a subsequent Off-Broadway transfer, and an acclaimed run on Broadway, this award-winning musical makes its Australian premiere at Darlinghurst Theatre Company directed by Dean Drieberg (Hamilton, Resident Director), musical direction by Claire Healy (SIX, Musical Director) and choreographed by Brendan Yeates (Hamilton, Resident Dance Supervisor). It draws on an eclectic mix of musical styles including folk, indie-rock, electro-pop and techno, making it one of the most unique and form-defying musicals ever seen on Broadway.
Nominated for 12 Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score.
Cast:
Natasha—Grace Driscoll
Pierre—Zoy Frangos
Anatole—Jules Pendrith
Sonya—Kala Gare
Helene—Marissa Saroca
Marya—Jillian O’Dowd
Mary—Lillian Hearne
Andrey/Bolkonsky—P. Tucker Worley
Balaga—Anton Berezin
Dolokhov—Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward
Swings—Tom New, Skye Beker
Creative Team
Director—Dean Drieberg
Musical Director—Claire Healy
Choreographer—Brendan Yeates
Set Designer—Tyler Hawkins
Lighting Designer—Veronique Benett
Sound Designer—Dylan Robinson
Photo by Robert Catto, on Thursday 6 July, 2023. Please credit & ta
Despite a late start and a welcome to country that was far too long, all was forgotten when the cast of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 hit the stage for the “Prologue” that sets up the characters and the drama about to unfold.
Being loosely based on a 70 page cut from part 8 of Tolstoy’s War and Peace and with a long list of characters that often have more than one name, it pays to be attentive at this early stage.
David Malloy’s multi-award winning musical has been around since 2012 and is making its Australian debut at the Eternity Playhouse for the Darlinghurst Theatre Company.
The musical is about two wars, one between the Russians and the French outside Moscow, and the other with the cast inside the theatre, all played out against the portents of the appearance of the Great Comet of 1812.
The narrative concerns the ingenue Natasha, who is betrothed to the good, but largely absent Andrey; her suitor, the very unsuitable but dashing Anatole; and the much older dipsomaniac Pierre, who is in the middle, while the strict grande dame Marya and all of the other characters do what they can to interfere.
The intimate stage by Tyler Hawkins, constructed to enable the audience to be seated on all sides, is focused by a raised circular platform and perimeter where most of the action unfolds.
This is an energetic cast that is in constant motion, moving from dance to athletic expression, duels to romantic scenes and near death experiences highlighted with scenes of rejection and distrust.
The other extraordinary thing about this cast is that they all play instruments, often while mingling with the audience or in frenetic dance routines on stage.
With a cast that is surprisingly evenly matched across all artistic demands, Zoy Frangos’ strength of voice and dissipation stands out; so too do Grace Driscoll’s vocals and looks in the central role of Natasha.
Jillian O’Dowd is a highly expressive Marya, whose character arc, along with that of Pierre’s, probably travels the furtherest in this production.
Captivating for his energy, musicianship and striking androgynous looks is Jules Pendrith as the already married Anatole, whose hedonism and careless desires, including those for Natasha, create the pivot for the plot.
P Tucker Worley plays both Andrey Bolkonsky, Natasha’s promised, and the older and infirm Prince Bolkonsky, who has a great comedic moment while trying to chastise his daughter Mary.
The character of Balaga, a crack troika driver played by Anton Berezin, give us one of the great dance moments in the show.
This is a show where the music is unfamiliar to most, but that is of little concern as the score is made up of intelligent and catchy numbers done in Russian folk, rock, techno and electro pop styles.
Of Particular note is the show stopping number, “Alone”, sung by Kala Gare as Sonya.
Pierre and ensemble come together one last time for the poignant “The Great Comet of 1812” that offers a future and closes the show.
Watching over all of these musical moments is musical director Claire Healy, whose enthusiasm and musical precision keeps everything tight.
With many of the technical crew coming out of recent productions of Hamilton and Six it is not surprising that the sound (Dylan Robonson), lighting (Veronique Benett) and choreography (Brendan Yates) is of the highest standard.
A shout out must go to director Dean Drieberg, whose tight rein on all aspects allows this production powers along without missing beat.
