On September 3, 2017, Broadway musical "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" took its final bow. The musical was an immersive Broadway experience that required immense talent to perform and will forever hold a special place in my heart as the first Broadway musical I ever had the privilege to view.
But I am not sad to see it close.
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" is based on a segment of Leo Tolstoy’s "War and Peace," which follows a love affair in 19th century Russia. Natasha is engaged to Andrey, but decides in an evening that she is in love with already married Anatole and seeks out the council of his friend Pierre who is married to Anatole’s sister and friends with Andrey. It is an interconnected web to create a story that revolves entirely around lustful love. And that is where my distaste for it comes.
I disagree with the belief that all great work comes down to love and death and, subsequently, have a great distaste for work that revolves entirely around this idea of spur of the moment romantic “love.” The scenario in "The Great Comet" is not love so much as it lust. They see each other and, in a matter of hours, decide that they are hopelessly infatuated with one another. So much so that Natasha is willing to forsake her engagement with a man at war to elope with a man she barely knows. There is more to a person than appearances and an evening does not expose you to more than their exterior. She falls in love with his physicality and is willing to sacrifice a great deal for him without knowing anything about his intellect, morals, or genuine personality.
The plotline of "The Great Comet" also parades the trope that a woman’s primary goal in life should be to find romance, but there is more to existence than this ideal. People can live perfectly content lives without romantic relationships. While they can be pleasant, they should not be someone’s primary goal or entire purpose for existing. There is more to life than romance, romantic relationships are not the most important relationships you will establish in life.
I thoroughly enjoyed "The Great Comet" and do not write this with the attempt to undermine it or ignore its successes. It is an immersive and truly unique experience unlike anything else that has or ever will be on Broadway. Every actor displayed immense talent as they sang, danced, and played instruments. Every technical crew member displayed incredible ability with the flawless integration of lights, sound, and set to transport the audience to nineteenth century Russia. The musical took what many view as a dry book and transformed it into a musical experience. It simply did not challenge my intellect or morals as much as I had hoped. All great shows must end and I am hopeful that what takes its place will have the same measurable talent as "The Great Comet" and a more universal message.