BWW Exclusive: Welcome to Moscow! Charting GREAT COMET's Journey from 87 Seats to The Great White Way
By: Linnae Medeiros Jun. 11, 2017
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Tonight, the original Broadway production of Dave Malloy's NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET of 1812 is nominated for 12 Tony Awards. The unbelievable journey that this musical has taken from avant-garde cabaret show to Broadway's most-nominated show has been long and winding, but ultimately one of the most fascinating parts of his wide-ranging success.
THE GREAT COMET received its first production in 2012 at the 87-seat Ars Nova theatre Off-Broadway. The show's composer, lyricist, book writer, and orchestrator Dave Malloy initially thought of the idea while reading Tolstoy's "War and Peace" during his time as a pianist on a cruise ship.
When he originally pitched the idea of transforming the space into a lavish Russian supper club, and performing an electro-pop opera based off of the novel, Malloy did not necessarily expect the overwhelming enthusiasm that he ended up receiving.
Ars Nova's artistic director embraced the idea and helped bring director Rachel Chavkin on board to bring the project to life. The show was incredibly well-received, and its company included both Malloy himself and several cast members who would eventually originate their respective roles on Broadway, including Brittain Ashford, Gelsey Bell, and 2017 Tony nominee Lucas Steele.
KAZINO
From Ars Nova, THE GREAT COMET transferred to Kazino, a 199-seat tent built specifically for the production in the meatpacking district. The opulence of the show's Russian setting was expanded, and the content was tweaked, as this incarnation was the first inclusion of Natasha's act one ballad "No One Else."
The new version of the show then quickly moved uptown at the end of 2013, setting up the tent right next to its future Broadway home, the Imperial Theatre. The buzz on the show quickly drew in various special guests, including its eventual Broadway Pierre, Josh Groban.
After coming to the show without a clue of what to expect, he left feeling enthralled by the experience and eager to be a part of the show's magic, leading him to ask the creative team to consider a spot for him if the show eventually transferred to Broadway.
A.R.T.
The comrades of THE GREAT COMET experienced a whole new kind of Moscow when the production transferred to The American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts in December of 2015, as the cast performed the show in a proscenium theatre for the first time in the the piece's history.
Scenic designer Mimi Lien reconfigured several elements of the show's design to fit the space and transformed the traditional 503-seat house in a way that kept the intimate nature of the piece in tact, with the company surrounding audience members from every angle to the extent that it felt as if there was no singular stage.
It is also at A.R.T. where 2017 Tony nominee Deneé Benton was first brought onto the project as the charming young girl, Natasha, starring opposite current Pierre standby Scott Stangland. Benton replaced Phillipa Soo in the role, as she was originating the role of Eliza in HAMILTON.
BROADWAY
Upon taking residency on Broadway in October 2016, the team behind THE GREAT COMET needed to again revamp its new space to represent both the show's most intimate and lush elements.
A Cold War style bunker setting guides audiences through the theatre's lobby, complete with florescent lighting, before leading to the lavish world of Moscow where the story will be told. Cast members are given even more room to play and, with this, are constantly running all throughout both levels of the theatre and clocking in thousands of steps per performance.
The show's Broadway opening also led to debuts for eighteen of its cast members, including Pierre himself, Josh Groban. The singer/songwriter worked extensively prior to the show's first rehearsal, playing Malloy's score on both piano and accordion while on the road for his concert tour. That hard work definitely paid off, as Groban received a Tony nomination for the role, one of the production's 12 nominations overall.
The entire team behind THE GREAT COMET has been on quite the winding path. While none of them went into the initial creation of the piece thinking that it would eventually be on Broadway and competing for Tonys, they certainly have taken the theatrical world by storm, pushing boundaries in nearly every way imaginable.
We'll raise a glass to everyone over at the Imperial Theatre for turning a complicated Russian novel into the innovative opera that's showing audiences a whole new side of Moscow, egg shakers and all.
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