Theatre Review of Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

Just a couple weeks before it closed, I was able to see the gem of a musical, Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812 at the Imperial Theatre in New York City. The show is based on a 70-page excerpt of War and Peace, and takes place in Moscow (Russia) in 1812. The show is kind of difficult to understand for someone who has never read the book or listened to the music. Fortunately, I had completed the latter. However, my brother and dad had not, and they did not enjoy the show as much as I did. Well, that's an understatement. The plot is a little too complicated and long for me to explain right now, so I suggest those of you who are interested to look it up! And listen to the music!

When I saw the show over the summer, the stars were Okieriete Onaodowan (everyone calls him Oak), famous for playing Hercules Mulligan/James Madison in Hamilton playing Pierre, and Ingrid Michaelson, a famous multi-platinum singer-songwriter, playing Natasha's cousin Sonya, and newcomer Denée Benton, who played Natasha and was nominated for a Tony for the role, among many others. The theatre was redone to replicate a nineteenth-century Russian clubhouse, so the audience was part of the stage. Actors would be on the aisles constantly, and there was lots of seating on-stage. I couldn't help myself from silently singing the words of every song, and even got some nods of approval and surprise from cast members that such a young kid would know every single lyric to every single song. I even got a wink from Oak himself!!!

My final verdict: this is an experience like no other, for an audience member. You are part of the story, and the cast constantly interacts with you, no matter where you are seated. However, the story can be a little confusing for people who are unfamiliar with the music or plot before seeing it. So before the national tour starts next year, you should go listen to the music while reading the synopsis (the one on Wikipedia is extensive but accurate), or just read War and Peace. But you should definitely go see it when the tour stops nearby!