Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 at PTC

I love Russian literature and musical theatre so I have wanted to see Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 for a very long time. I finally had the chance last night at PTC and it was even better than I was anticipating!  It is an adaptation of a 70-page section of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy and, like most Russian novels, it contains a large cast of characters (with titles, given names, patronyms, and nicknames) that can be hard to remember. However, the "Prologue" introduces them by telling the audience that Andrey (Bennet Chew) isn't here, Natasha (Ali Ewoldt) is young, Sonya (Melanie Fernandez) is good, Marya (Mary Fanning Driggs) is old-school, Anatole (Aleks Pevec) is hot, Helene (Ginger Bess) is a slut, Dolokhov (Justin Luciano) is fierce, Mary (Lucy Anders) is plain, Bolkonsky (Edward Juvier) is crazy, Balaga (Edward Juvier) is just for fun, and Pierre (Kevin Earley) is bewildered, awkward, rich, and unhappily married. If audiences still need help with the story (most Russian novels have complicated plots that usually involve a letter and a duel), the "Prologue" also suggests reading the program to learn about Natasha's scandalous romance with Anatole while her betrothed Prince Andrey is fighting in the Napoleonic wars and about Pierre's existential crisis. The innovative score, which is performed on stage by various cast members who augment the orchestra in the pit, is a combination of pop and Russian folk and classical music and I loved every single song but my favorites were "Natasha & Anatole" and "Charming" because the percussion is so much fun. The staging of this show is absolutely brilliant because a row of seats has been removed to allow some of the action to take place in the middle of the audience and many of the entrances and exits also happen from the audience. I particularly loved the staging for "The Opera," because the opera is sung very dramatically while the characters are shown watching it and then it is pantomimed when the characters sing about it, "The Duel," because the Russian dancing during the boisterous drinking scene happens in the audience, and "Balaga," because the troika is so clever (I loved the horse puppets) and is eventually driven through the audience. The multi-level set is incredibly opulent with an elaborate gold leaf pattern on the red walls, multiple chandeliers, gilded frames filled with art, and lots of interesting openings to facilitate the comings and goings of characters to and from various locations. Having Pierre's desk (with him sitting at it most of the time) on stage during the whole show is very effective because it implies that he is just an observer in all of the drama until he is called upon to intervene. The entire cast is outstanding but I especially loved Ewoldt and Earley because they both have moments that gave me goosebumps, "No One Else" for Ewoldt and "Dust and Ashes" for Earley, and I also enjoyed Pevec because he is hilarious. PTC always closes the season with a big production but they have outdone themselves this year and I cannot recommend this show enough! It was worth the wait to finally be able to see it because I loved it so much! It runs through May 25 (go here for tickets).

Note: Be sure to go early for Pierre's Parlor in the lobby. This includes pop-up shops with appetizers, desserts, and themed mocktails for purchase one hour before the show!