Hello there GYPSIES LOVERS!!! Start shaking those egg shakers as an exciting announcement has been made today that Concord Theatricals has officially secured the rights to the Award winning smash hit Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812. This is your chance to build that Russian Salon in the comfort of your own local Theater and putting together a unique unforgettable night at THE OPERA. We are talking schools, community, and Regional Theaters everywhere!!!
For those who may not know, NATASHA, PIERRE, & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 is based off a 70-page portion from Leo Tolstory's epic and COMPLICATED RUSSIAN NOVEL itself WAR & PEACE. It centers on "Natasha" arriving in Moscow while waiting for her fiancé "Andrey" to come home from war. However, her world turns upside when she meets the handsome "Anatole" at the Opera. It's up to "Pierre" to help her restore her reputation. It features an original score and book by Dave Malloy. It features some of the notable songs including the PROLOUGE (that introduces all the main characters), NO ONE ELSE, THE OPERA, DUST & ASHES, CHARMING, SONYA ALONE, BALAGA, THE ABDUCTION, IN MY HOUSE, and the finale title song.
The musical had its world premiere in 2012 Off Broadway at Ars Nova. The show was an immersive production under the direction of Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin. With the overwhelming response, the team continued to work on the show a little more. A year later, the Off Broadway production was then performed in a Pop-Up Theater setting TWICE in both New York's Meatpacking District and later on in the Theater district. The Off Broadway engagements was led by….
Tony nominee Phillipa Soo as the YOUNG "Natasha",
Dave Malloy (later David Abeles) as the DEAR, BEWILDERED, & AWKWARD "Pierre",
Tony nominee Lucas Steele as the HOT "Anatole",
Brittain Ashford as the GOOD "Sonya",
Tony nominee Amber Gray as the sexy SLUT herself "Helene",
Amelia Workman (later Grace McLean) as the OLD SCHOOL "Marya",
Nick Choksi (later Ian Lassiter) as the FIERCE BUT NOT TOO IMPORTANT "Dolokhov",
Blake DeLong as the CRAZY "Old Prince Bolkonsky" and "Andrey Bolkonsky" who rarely ISN'T HERE,
Gelsey Bell (later Shaina Taub) as PLAIN "Mary",
and of course Paul Pinto (later Ashkon Davaran) as the FUN and showstopping cab driver "Balaga".
The original Off Broadway runs were well received by critics receiving several Awards and nominations including the Drama Desks, The Lucille Lortels, the Obie Award, and the Off-Broadway Alliance Awards.
With its triumphant Off Broadway following, the creative team went on to expand the production for a larger audience including plans for a Broadway run. Before heading to the Great White Way, the musical made its way to Cambridge, MA playing the American Repertory Theater in 2015. With Chavkin still on board, this cast featured….
Tony nominee and newcomer Denée Benton as "Natasha",
Scott Stangland as "Pierre",
Lucas Steele reprising the role of "Anatole",
Brittan Ashford reprising the role of "Sonya",
Tony nominee Lilli Cooper as "Helene",
Grace McLean reprising the role of "Marya",
Nick Choksi reprising the role of "Dolokhov",
Nicholas Belton in the dual roles of "Old Prince Bolkonsky" and "Andrey",
Gelsey Bell reprising the role of "Mary",
and Paul Pinto as "Balaga".
The Cambridge engagement was received by critics and audiences. It went on to win the 2016 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Musical Production by a Large Theatre.
With the Green Light on, THE GREAT COMET made its way back to New York City and officially hit Broadway. The musical opened at the Imperial Theatre in the Fall of 2016 where it ran for a whole year playing a complete total of 368 performances. With Chavkin and the team on board, the Broadway company featured….
Denée Benton reprising the role of"Natasha",
Tony and Grammy nominated superstar Josh Groban (later Okieriete Onaodowan and Dave Malloy) as "Pierre",
Lucas Steele reprising the role of "Anatole",
Brittan Ashford reprising (later Ingrid Michaelson) as "Sonya",
Amber Gray reprising the role of "Helene",
Grace McLean reprising the role of "Marya",
Nick Choksi reprising the role of "Dolokhov",
Nicholas Belton in the dual roles of "Old Prince Bolkonsky" and "Andrey",
Gelsey Bell reprising the role of "Mary",
and Paul Pinto as "Balaga".
The Broadway production was well received by critics and audiences everywhere. It was nominated in 2017 for the most Tony Awards…. 12 including Best Musical. However, it only took home 2 for Best Scenic Design of a Musical (for Mimi Lien) and Best Lightning Design of a Musical (for Bradley King).
During its run on Broadway, THE GREAT COMET experienced a controversial drama that ended causing the production to close and not recoup its $14 Million in ticket sales. When Okieriete Onaodowan (best known as the original "Hercules Mulligan" and "James Madison" in Hamilton) took over from Josh Groban, his performance was well received, but ticket sales began to go low financially. The show's producers began searching for a "bigger name" to get people filling the seats. On July 26th, 2017, the website Broadway Black broke the news (before the official announcement was supposed to be revealed the next day) that Award winning stage and screen star Mandy Patinkin was set to take over the role of "Pierre" for a 3 week stint. The reaction of Patinkin's casting caused an outroar by of fans and actors, as Patinkin was a white actor whose casting would have forced Onaodowan, a black actor to cut his run shorter. Fellow actor/activisit and friend of Onaodowan himself Rafael Casal launched a Twitter campaign with the hashtag #makeroomforoak and #boycotthegreatcomet. The controversy led to Patinkin dropping from the show two days later after his announcement was made. It caused the entire Broadway production to fail in ticket sales and close.
Following its life on Broadway, THE GREAT COMET went on to launch productions around the world including Quito, Brazil, and Tokyo. Plans for London and Korea are still in the works.
How excited are you to raise your glass to this timeless show now coming to a local Theater near you?!!
Concord Theatricals has announced that Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 is now available for licensing to professional theatres via its Samuel French imprint. Created by three-time Tony Award® nominee Dave Malloy, The Great Comet was the most Tony Award-nominated show of the 2016-17 Broadw…
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