Photos: First Look at Great Lakes Theater's NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812

Great Lakes Theater (GLT) opens its 62nd season with the Northeast Ohio premiere of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, performing in the company’s intimate and audience-friendly home at the Hanna Theatre, Playhouse Square now through October 8, 2023. 

Check out photos from the production below!

Directed by Victoria Bussert, this vibrant musical extravaganza features a stellar cast of seasoned GLT performers and those making their GLT debut. Alex Syiek* and Jessi Kirtley* head up the cast as the titular Pierre and Natasha, respectively. Joining them in supporting roles are Dario Alvarez*, Camille Brooks*, Cole Burden*, Jodi Dominick*, Jillian Kates*, Alexa Lopez*, Chris McCarrell* and Boe Wank*. Rounding out the ensemble are Danny Bó*, Shelby Griswold*, Benjamin Michael Hall, Jaedynn Latter, Praise Oranika, Bella Serrano* and Ángela Utrera*. *Member of Actors’ Equity

A sensational slice of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace lends inspiration to this bold, imaginative electropop opera from award-winning composer (and Lakewood, OH native!) Dave Malloy. Young, impulsive Natasha, bewitched by handsome and cunning Anatole, falls to scandal. Family friend Pierre, a middle-aged man struggling with his own demons, must pick up the pieces to restore her reputation. This critically acclaimed, Tony award-winning musical is a lively, breathtaking, and unforgettable theatrical experience.

This production's visionary design puts you directly into this intoxicating story through onstage seating for a truly immersive experience. Enjoy this vibrant musical extravaganza from a new perspective in the Hanna as the performance surrounds you with two unique seating options mere inches from the action. Onstage Café Seating provides an up-close viewpoint from cozy tables and chairs on the lowered thrust area, while Onstage Bar Seating, complete with bar-height stools and a drink rail, promises the ultimate front-row encounter. All seating will be assigned.

Audiences will experience this exhilarating production in an intimate theater setting at Great Lakes Theater’s award-winning home at the Hanna Theatre. The innovative "Great Room" design seamlessly merges the artist and audience experience. Guests can choose from diverse seating options like traditional seats, club chairs, lounge/bar seats, couches, and private boxes. Arranged in an intimate 550-seat thrust configuration where the audience surrounds the stage, no seat is further than 13 rows from the performance.

The Opening/Press Night performance of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 is Saturday, September 23. A preview performance is Friday, September 22. Curtain times for all evening performances are 7:30 p.m., with a 1:30 p.m. curtain time for Saturday matinees and a 3:00 p.m. curtain time for Sunday matinees. In addition, GLT will offer a sign-interpreted and audio-described performance of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 on October 8 at 3:00 p.m.

Great Lakes Theater offers patrons a robust series of Experience Enrichment Programming. On September 22, patrons can participate in our Director’s Night, which features a lively pre-show discussion with GLT’s Producing Artistic Director, Charles Fee, and the director of the production. Each Thursday (Offered: 9/28/23 and 10/5/23) during the run, patrons are invited to our Salon Thursday pre-show discussions featuring a Great Lakes Theater artist. Our Playnotes pre-show discussions occur sixty minutes before our Saturday matinee performances (Offered: 9/30/23 and 10/7/23) and feature illuminating introductions to the content and history of the play presented by a guest scholar. On Sundays (Offered: 9/24/23, 10/1/23 and 10/8/23), patrons can enjoy our Ice Cream Social Sundays, where they can grab a delicious, cool treat at a discount.

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 is presented through special arrangement with Music Theater International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, www.MTIShows.com.

Great Lakes Theater, the first resident company of Playhouse Square, has brought the pleasure, power, and relevance of theater to the widest possible audience since 1962. GLT programming impacts over 100,000 adults and students annually.