This past weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to go to New York City to see "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" (shortened by fans to "The Great Comet"). For those of you who have never heard of this musical, I will let you in on a brief synopsis. "The Great Comet" is based on eighty pages of Tolstoy's "War and Peace," telling the story of Natasha, Pierre, and their friends and family. All of this is set in a rock opera, which means no dialogue and a modern take on this type of musical.
I knew all of this information, but I was still nervous about going. Would it really live up to my expectations? Could it make me feel the same way I did last year watching "Hamilton"?
The answer is YES.
"The Great Comet" took my breath away. The stage winds its way around the entirety of the theater. For those of you who do not frequent musicals, this never happens, which made this a unique experience. It allowed those of us who sat in the rear mezzanine to feel as if they were a part of the show, rather than someone straining to see what was happening on the stage.
However, the stage was not the only positive aspect of this musical. The cast members constantly break the fourth wall, or simply that they interact with the audience. I mean, I was given a dumpling to eat right before the show, and for free! And because the stage is throughout the theater, there are audience members sitting on the stage who got the opportunity to mix and mingle with the leads. I have never been in a situation like this before, where the music surrounds me and makes me feel like a part of the opera, rather than just a spectator. "The Great Comet" in this aspect is showing just how interactive Broadway musicals can be if they take the time to think about involving the audience.
And do not get me started on the leads. I had the opportunity to see Okieriete Onaodowan in his second to last night as Pierre. If that name sounds familiar, he was the original Hercules Mulligan/James Madison in "Hamilton." He was simply beautiful. The way that he projected the sorrow and angst of Pierre drew me close to tears, especially in the ballad "Dust and Ashes."
Two other bright stars were Denée Benton and Lucas Steele, who played Natasha and Anatole respectively. They were beautiful acting out their affair on stage, especially at the end of Act One. Plus, all of these actors and actresses are gorgeous, making it easy to watch them for almost three hours. I cannot wait to see them again play a character as well as they did in "The Great Comet," because I know that this is just the beginning for all of them.
I only have one downside to this musical.
Unfortunately, "The Great Comet" is closing September 3rd, signifying that I will not get the chance to see it again because I cannot save up the money. I wish I could though, but making money is a thing in the Broadway world. The show is simply ahead of its time. A concept of a rock opera talking about nineteenth-century Russia? That is not what people think of when they think of a Broadway show. "The Great Comet" needed people who were willing to see where the future of Broadway is going; while they had some, not enough showed up. I wished they had because this is definitely a show that everyone needs to see.
So, when Broadway finally catches up to the idea of rock operas, moving stages, and constantly breaking the fourth wall, I just know "The Great Comet" will be back. And you can bet that I will be the first one to buy tickets to the revival.
