Video: Go Inside Rehearsals For NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 at Pioneer Theatre Company

Go inside rehearsals for Pioneer Theatre Company's Utah premiere of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 from May 10-25, 2024. Written by Dave Malloy and adapted from Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, the 12-time Tony-nominated musical is described as follows:

The much-anticipated Utah premiere of a recent Broadway favorite! Nominated for 12 Tony Awards, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 is an electropop opera based on a scandalous slice of Tolstoy's War and Peace. Young and impulsive, Natasha Rostova arrives in Moscow to await the return of her fiancé from the front lines. When she falls under the spell of the roguish Anatole, it is up to Pierre, a family friend, to pick up the pieces of her shattered reputation. This award-winning musical, with its daring score and bold storytelling—including eight onstage actor/musicians (part of an overall cast of 20)—is one of the most requested titles from PTC audiences in recent memory and will be presented in an immersive format never before seen at PTC!

Leading the cast are PTC alum Kevin Earley* (Sweeney Todd in PTC's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street; Les Miserables and Thoroughly Modern Millie on Broadway) as Pierre and PTC newcomer Ali Ewoldt* (Christine in Broadway's The Phantom of the Opera, Cosette in Les Miserables) as Natasha.

Also featured in the cast are PTC alumni Lucy Anders* (The Prom; Hello, Dolly!) as Princess Mary and Opera Singer; Ginger Bess* (The Rocky Horror Show, Rent) as Hélène; Lenny Daniel* (The Prom, A Christmas Story—The Musical) as Ensemble, Dance Captain, and Associate Director; Mary Fanning Driggs* (Bonnie & Clyde, Elf the Musical) as Marya and Accordion; Edward Juvier* (Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, Broadway's Les Miserables) playing dual roles of Balaga and Bolkonsky; and Tyler Symone* (Christmas in Connecticut, A Christmas Story—The Musical) as Ensemble.

Making their respective PTC debuts are Melanie Fernandez* (Ariel in Slow Burn Theatre's The Little Mermaid) as Sonya; Justin Luciano* (Quasimodo in Tuacahn's The Hunchback of Notre Dame) as Dolokhov and Guitar; Aleks Pevec* (Broadway's Catch Me If You Can, Evita—and many others) as Anatole; and Troy Valjean Rucker* (Off-Broadway's Romeo and Bernadette) as Ensemble and Clarinet.

Also returning to PTC is Ensemble member James Wong (The Rocky Horror Show). Making their PTC debuts are Evan K. Beesley (Cabaret and The Lightning Thief at the U's Babcock Theatre) as Ensemble and Violin; Bennett Chew (Utah Opera's The Revolution of Steve Jobs) as Andrey and Opera Singer; Faith Driggs as Ensemble and Violin/Viola; Alison Hagen (Cabaret and The Lightning Thief at the U's Babcock Theatre) as Ensemble and Accordion; Cameron Nies (Broadway Palm's Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) as Ensemble and Guitar; Natalie Ruthven (The U's Into the Woods and The Tempest) as Ensemble; and Jazmin Viquez (West Side Story at West Valley Arts) as Ensemble and Violin.

PTC Artistic Director Karen Azenberg directs and choreographs Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. Earlier this season, Azenberg directed/choreographed The Rocky Horror Show, choreographed Christmas in Connecticut, and directed the inaugural production in the brand-new Meldrum Theatre—The Lehman Trilogy.

Azenberg is joined on the Creative Team by Musical Director/Conductor Phil Reno (The Prom and Putting It Together); Scenic Designer Jo Winiarski (Native Gardens, The Prom); Costume Designer Patrick Holt (The Prom, Something Rotten!); Lighting Designer Paul Miller (Sweeney Todd, Mamma Mia!); Sound Designer Aaron Hubbard (Bonnie & Clyde, The Rocky Horror Show); Hair & Makeup Designer Tami Lee Thompson (Bonnie & Clyde, Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express); and Dramaturg Alexandra Harbold (The Lehman Trilogy, What the Constitution Means to Me). Lenny Daniel (The Rocky Horror Show, The Prom) is Associate Director and James O. Hansen* is Production Stage Manager.

During the entire run of the production, PTC will present a pop-up experience, called Pierre's Parlor,  in the Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre Lobby featuring specialty bites (provided by University of Utah Catering Service Chartwells) and themed mocktails (provided by PTC) for purchase. Pierre's Parlor will be open one-hour prior to each performance. Also included in the experience is Nothing Bundt Cakes, which will be onsite with products for sale before every performance (except for performances on Saturday, May 11). BIX Bakery & Cafe and Saffron Valley will be onsite for opening night (Friday, May 10) only. 

During the run of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Pioneer Theatre Company will present “Mysterium” in the Loge Gallery. The exhibit will feature the art of Loge Gallery favorite Stephanie Saint-Thomas. Select works will be available for purchase through the PTC Box Office.

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