Playbill of The Week: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

18/53

It's Tony time on the Broadway, my favourite time of year. Which means the fight for Best Musical begins. The first of the four nominated shows I've had the privilege of seeing is Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, yes that is the entire title of the show. A musical adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace with music and libretto by Dave Malloy. The show had an off-Broadway run in 2013 and audiences fell in love. An intricate, complicated, beautiful musical. Love, war, cheating, family and drama are packed into this 2 1/2 hour show. Your eyes won't know what to look at, and you're ears will be in overdrive. This was a beast of a musical in every aspect.

I have to honestly say, The Great Comet was not my favourite show. An absolute marvel for the eyes, this show uses the entire theatre as it's playground. In almost cabaret style seating, the actors climb, dance, jump and run to every level, housing the mezzanine the orchestra and the stage. Nowhere is safe from these mischievous actors. While it's extremely interesting to watch, it can be a bit overwhelming. In the Prologue the cast warns that you must pay attention or you'll get lost, a complicated Russian tale, where people have multiple names and titles. So you'd think they would want the audience focusing on the story at hand, but with all the movement from the actors, it's a bit difficult. I love immersive theatre, I think it's a really interesting decision when the audience and the ensemble interact and acknowledge that the other exists, but this show, in my opinion took it just a hair too far. There were definitely a few times I would get distracted by the troop of actors in my seating area and then be lost in the storyline. It's easy enough to find your way back, but in an already complicated show, I want to spend my time following along and not playing catch up.

With that said this show was masterfully performed by its cast. With a majority of the cast making their Broadway debut you can see the joy and excitement in their performances. Denee Benton plays Natasha, a young naive girl who is engaged to the missing Andrey. Denee is calm and beautiful in this role. Very serene and ethereal, she floats across the stage in her beautiful white gown, light beaming from her face. She brings such a beautiful innocence to Natasha, she's brave yet nervous, afraid and fearless at the same time. Denee does a wonderful job at making you feel for Natasha, and her voice draws you into its quiet, cooing sound. She holds her own in the chaos of the stage.

Lucas Steele as Anatole is a wild ride of a performance. A mix of a boy band and a Russian society member. He's extremely commanding on stage, you cannot look away from him once he's been introduced. He plays the most narcissistic character I think I've ever seen in a show, he's rude and childish and does an extremely believable performance at it. I think playing a character like Anatole would actually be a difficult feat. It's a fine line between it being a serious performance with a hint of needed comedy, and just a comedic performance. But Lucas Steele masters it. Anatole is that character you love to hate, and secretly want to see more of him. His voice is so haunting, it has this almost creepy quality to it, yet in the best way. It's very menacing and charming, and extremely unique. There's no one like him, which makes for a brilliant performance.

My favourite performance in the show came surprisingly from Josh Groban. Now it isn't surprising because it's Josh Groban, he's an absolutely brilliant performer. With his resume you'd expect nothing less, he plays Pierre heartbreakingly, and that's why I think he's my favourite. He's an almost pitiful character, going through a midlife crisis, drinking and reading and wasting away. His performance of Dust and Ashes is mesmerizing. Watching someone so bare on stage is always a beautiful treat. The emotion overcomes the audience and everything else disappears. Just the swelling music and a beast of a voice filling the theatre. It's a haunting song about life, and contemplating death. Dave Malloy's music and lyrics combined with Josh Groban's voice are a stunning mix. Also watching Josh Groban playing accordion, piano and percussion throughout the entire show was marvelous. Even though his character is a bit quiet in the first act we still get to watch him interact and play with the other cast. It's truthfully beautiful.

This show was unique and imaginative. It's a crazy, magical experience that is definitely not to miss. It may not be my favourite, but there are still marvelous performances. The use of the theatre is my favourite and least favourite part, it adds the theatre as a character to the show and overwhelms everyone's senses, but at times can be a bit chaotic. It's a beautiful show that is not to be attended lightly. And anytime a show wants to hand out a little dumpling is alright by me.