Great Comet - Shotgun Players (Berkeley)

[SFCowboy]

Posted: 8/18/22 at 1:46pm

(I know there was a thread started a year ago, but I can't seem to access it through the Search function.) Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812 has its west coast premiere with the Shotgun Players in Berkeley in November and December. I know next-to-nothing about the Shotgun Players, but what an ambitious project!

They released some images of the set design today, and wow -- this is impressive. (I hope the image attaches -- I'm still new at this.) From the seating chart it looks like the on-stage seating extends up the steps to the back of the stage. It's such a small theater to begin with, and I think the intimacy is going to add a lot to the experience. I saw this on Broadway from the mezzanine, and from where I was sitting I had a hard time understanding the words, so I ended up not fully appreciating the show. 

I see that this will be live-streamed on November 17 and December 1, in case anyone is interested in that.

[Kitsune]

Posted: 8/18/22 at 1:53pm

I feel very fortunate that we have gotten *two* Dave Malloy shows in the East Bay this year! I'm always super jealous of those of you who live in New York, but occasionally I luck out and something exciting is playing in Berkeley.

I saw Shotgun's production of Passing Strange earlier this year, and it was excellent. 

My husband and I saw Great Comet on its closing weekend back in 2017. I enjoyed it, but I actually prefer Dave Malloy's smaller, more intimate works (Ghost Quartet, Octet). I like a spectacle as much as the next person, but I'm excited for a smaller, more intimate production of Comet.

[SFCowboy]

Posted: 8/18/22 at 1:55pm

Trying again to post an image.

[Kitsune]

Posted: 8/18/22 at 2:01pm

Here's a link to Shotgun's Facebook post, which includes some images: https://www.facebook.com/ShotgunPlayers/posts/pfbid0tYJHNaqmcprphwGFAKZSybo9e7uq6XCSb67S7huPt4GJQjSJhK6ccQYMgmKXgRZQl

The actor playing Pierre is Albert Hodge, who recently played the Narrator in Shotgun's production of Passing Strange.

[willep]

Posted: 8/18/22 at 2:48pm

I don’t see any onstage seating in those images, what are they considering onstage? 
 

I’m a big Great Comet fan, and agree that it’s better in more intimate space, so I’m jealous of all who get to see it here! Seeing it at the Kazino will forever be one of my favorite theatre going experiences.

[Fan123]

Posted: 8/18/22 at 5:12pm

According to https://overture.plus/patron/The-Shotgun-Players, the live streams can only be viewed from within California.

[SFCowboy]

Posted: 8/18/22 at 6:09pm

The seating chart calls the seats surrounding the circular platform with the donut hole "onstage" seating. Then there are another dozen or so onstage seats further back. It's not clear exactly where these are, but I'm going to guess they are on the small platforms you can see on either side of the steps going up the back of the stage – but that's just a guess.

[willep]

Posted: 8/18/22 at 6:09pm

Ah, that’s a bummer, I was thinking about getting a ticket for the livestream.

(Also I was curious and went to the site and found the onstage seats on the seating chart).

[blaxx]

Posted: 8/18/22 at 7:59pm

willep said: "I don’t see any onstage seating in those images, what are they considering onstage?


I’m a big Great Comet fan, and agree that it’s better in more intimate space, so I’m jealous of all who get to see it here! Seeing it at the Kazino will forever be one of my favorite theatre going experiences."

I wish it could still be restaged by others as when it was tiny. It was so much better at that size.

[bear88]

Posted: 9/19/22 at 11:24pm

Got tickets to the second preview on Sunday, Nov. 6. I haven’t been to see a Shotgun Players show before at the Ashby Stage. My daughter vetoed stage seating so we will be in Row E. (I moved our seats three rows closer after those seats became available. The box office is very accommodating.) No idea if Row E will be better than Row H. It’s a small theater either way.

Great Comet is one of my favorite musicals, but I know how much people liked the earlier, more intimate incarnations of the show. It will be an interesting experience and I like checking out new theaters.

The show gave you the option of paying as little as $8 a seat during previews, but I paid the ‘maximum’ of $40 per ticket. Like several other Bay Area theaters, Shotgun Players is sticking with a mask and vaccination requirement. This seems especially wise given the nature of the show, but I mention it so people know.

Updated On: 9/30/22 at 11:24 PM

[bear88]

Posted: 10/25/22 at 1:10am

An update: Shotgun Players has dropped the mask mandate for all but two performances [the Sunday after Thanksgiving and Sunday, Dec. 18]. I personally wish they hadn’t changed that policy but it may please others. I decided not to try to switch tickets to one of those dates. The Sunday after Thanksgiving doesn’t work and Dec. 18 is a long time from now. The vaccine requirement is still in place. I will give them credit for giving people an option. Other theaters should do the same. 

The first five performances are sold out, as are several others.

Updated On: 10/25/22 at 01:10 AM

[schubox]

Posted: 10/27/22 at 6:05pm

Anxious to see reviews for this. I'm seeing it twice in December

[Kitsune]

Posted: 10/27/22 at 7:26pm

My husband and I have tickets to the first preview, and will be back a few times after that. We've had a lot of fun re-listening to the cast album.

I noticed that Roeen Nooran, who is in the ensemble, was one of the covers during the Berkeley Rep run of Octet. 

[Kitsune]

Posted: 11/6/22 at 1:38am

Just came back from the first preview. There are a few tweaks to work out, but the show is in excellent shape and we had a grand time.

My husband and I saw the Broadway production during its final weekend in 2017. While the Ashby Stage is tiny and Shotgun is a small, non-equity theater company, the production felt very true to the spirit of the show we saw we saw on Broadway. I never saw it at Ars Nova, but I imagine it's a similar experience.

A few production notes:

-You can see a layout of the staging on the website here. My husband and I ended up in the chairs to the right of the thrust walkway (I know there's a more technical term, but it's late and I chose to have shots during The Abduction). Lots of actors running up and down the stairs during songs, and sometimes passing right behind us as they climbed back onto the stage.

-The actress who played Sonya also played acoustic guitar. This was largely just in numbers where she acted in the ensemble, but also during the first few verses of Sonya Alone and it was quite moving.

-The actors playing Sonya and Dolokhov handed out pierogis before the show started

Looking forward to going back again.

ETA: Natasha Alone was added back in to Act I.

Updated On: 11/6/22 at 01:38 AM

[bear88]

Posted: 11/7/22 at 3:45am

My review is pretty straightforward: You folks with tickets are in for a treat.

I saw the second preview Sunday evening and will say upfront that Great Comet was one of my favorite Broadway shows when I saw it more than five years ago, so I like the musical and am a little biased. That said, this is a terrific production in a welcoming and fun environment with multiple standout performances. After reading for years about how much better the musical is in an intimate environment, I finally understood what everyone's talking about. My wife, who liked the Broadway production, said she felt more involved in this one.

I had only seen a Shotgun Players show once before, on video at the outset of the pandemic. It was also a Dave Malloy musical, Beardo, but this was a very impressive performance by the non-equity Berkeley company. There's nothing quite like sitting next to Pierre, and on occasion Anatole, for much of the show, or having various cast members rush up and down your row during Act 2. (Pay attention if you're in Row E.)

Jacqueline Dennis makes for a wonderful Natasha, with a lovely voice. Albert Hodge doesn't play any instruments as Pierre but he nails his solos and acts the part wonderfully. He spent part of the first act reading War and Peace, which was rather amusing. Nick Rodrigues is terrific as Anatole. Yes, it's a fun part, but he made you feel both his amusing cockiness and occasional moments of desperation. Angel Adekokun is wonderfully cast, with a soulful growl, as Helene. The whole cast has some terrific moments. For a second preview, it felt awfully polished. The seven-person band does a nice job, and the audience had a lot of fun.

Aside from Danielle Cheiken, who plays Mary and was Young Phyllis and Young Heidi in the wonderful San Francisco Playhouse production of Follies this summer, and perhaps Rodrigues (because I might have been him in the New Conservatory Theater's production of Avenue Q), I don't think I have seen any of the actors before. (Roeen Nooran, a servant and ensemble member, was in Octet as an understudy, as Kitsune points out, but I don't think he was on when I saw that musical at the Berkeley Rep earlier this year.) 

I'm sure I will see this again. The show is selling well, and they announced Sunday that the run will be extended to January 15.

Updated On: 11/16/22 at 03:45 AM

[schubox]

Posted: 11/7/22 at 5:57pm

Thanks for the reviews. We're seeing it twice in December, my wife and I both saw it multiple times on Broadway and are really excited for these performances. Glad to hear it is a good production 

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 11/8/22 at 2:58pm

I’m glad this thread got bumped. I’m going to be in Sacramento doing The Nutcracker and will have some time on my hands once it’s open. Definitely adding it to my list for a San Francisco excursion. 

[annang]

Posted: 11/8/22 at 7:12pm

Can anyone report back what the mask situation looks like? Are people mostly wearing them, or not? I've had 11 people I know test positive in the last 2 weeks, and given the audience participation type elements, I'm trying to do a risk calculus. 

[Kitsune]

Posted: 11/8/22 at 7:17pm

Maybe half of the audience wore masks. Personally I'm fine with going most places as long as I can wear a N95, but I'm also (relatively) young and healthy, and I recently had my bivalent booster.

There are a few masks required performances coming up, so that may be your best bet. 

[schubox]

Posted: 11/8/22 at 8:11pm

Do they hand out letters during Letters?

[bear88]

Posted: 11/9/22 at 5:58am

No letters to the audience. But if you dress up in period costume, you can get a free drink. A few people did. On Sunday, it was probably a little more than half of the audience wearing masks, including me in an N95. Then again, I spent most of the first act sitting next to the actor playing Pierre, and moving my feet back as various actors ran down my row during the second act. (It was a bit unique to my seat, which was pretty fun.)

The mask-required Sunday shows (one per month) are definitely the best bet for people, like me, who are concerned about Covid. I will probably attend one the next time I see the show.

Updated On: 11/10/22 at 05:58 AM

[SydneyBristow]

Posted: 11/9/22 at 5:02pm

For first ever viewing:  this Livestream, or wait until I can see it staged in person somewhere (which could be years later)?

This show is high on my radar.  I've only listened to a bit of the opening number- I felt this was one to "experience" without knowing much upfront.  Had tickets to see it in SoCal this summer, but the show got canceled.  Seems it doesn't get staged often, so there may not be opportunity to see it in person in the near future.  

Will some magic be lost if I watch the Livestream first?  Or should I watch the Livestream so I can fall in love and start listening to the cast recording until the day I can see it in person? 

PS-  Very grateful to even have the option to Livestream, especially since it sounds like this production and cast are great.

[Kitsune]

Posted: 11/9/22 at 7:15pm

I do think there's a lot of magic in seeing Great Comet in person, especially with how it's staged.

That being said, if livestream is your only option in the immediate future, then IMO you should take it. I don't think it'll ruin your experience of the show forever, and hopefully you can see a local production someday.

[bear88]

Posted: 11/11/22 at 2:51am

It's a personal choice, but I'm inclined to agree with Kitsune - if only because Great Comet has been staged so infrequently since it closed on Broadway more than five years ago. This is actually the West Coast premiere, presumably because of the connection between Shotgun Players and Dave Malloy, who has had several of his musicals premiere there.

But it's also a somewhat involved show to stage, because you either have to have the right kind of space or you have to spend the time and money creating it, or both. My first exposure to the theater was, as I mentioned above, on video at the outset of the pandemic. 

Great Comet is definitely a show that benefits from being experienced. But unless you know of a planned production, I would watch the livestream. I don't think a future live experience would be ruined for you, because it's a different show in person.

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 11/11/22 at 3:36am

Got back from this and really enjoyed it!  I had good familiarity with both cast albums but never seen the production live, but something about that really brought the show into focus for me.  I can sympathize with the characters a lot more, particularly Natasha, Sonya, Mary, and Pierre, and in general I feel like I just "get it" a lot more now.  I knew Balaga was a fun song but I had never anticipated just _how_ fun it is, and while I always thought Sonya Alone was lovely, there's something about the way everything stops besides her and a guitar that really brings out the poignancy of the song.

Steven Hess was on for Pierre today, and I thought he did a fantastic job.  Jacqueline Dennis I don't think is a true soprano in the way that Phillipa Soo and Denee Benton are, so a lot of the register is more mixed/belted, but I found her quite moving, especially for Pierre & Natasha.  Natasha Lost was also retained (has that been done for other regional productions?)

The sound design can be a bit rough at times (understandable, given the seating arrangement, but not ideal), which mic levels a little inconsistent.  In particular I wished Anatole's mic was turned up a bit, and all the electronic synths/sound effects (which I assume were pre-recorded?) could also have been louder.  My friend knew nothing about the show and admitted to being a bit confused about all the specific events that happened, but did end up enjoying himself quite a bit.

I think the ideal place to sit for this would probably be the joint between the round part of the stage and the runway, but each seat would probably have its own advantages.  They have a little ledge if you're at one of the stage seats where it's convenient to put down your program/a drink (contrary to the email they send out, they do allow drinks into the theater, and there are no specialty cocktails).