BWW Blog: A Love Letter to Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812

Dear Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812,

In 19th-century Russia, you wrote letters: In 21st-century America, we write blog posts, but consider this my love letter to you. Even though I only saw you once in August of 2017, you have had a wonderful impact on my life and the life of those who know you.

Your uniqueness was what made you special. If someone had made a Les Mis-style musical adaptation of War and Peace, it may not have succeeded. It may have simply been seen as just some other "book to musical" adaptation. But fortunately for the world, you exploded onto the theatre scene with the most originality of any show on Broadway. With truly incredible set design you pulled your audience into the world of 19th-century Russia, a world of shining chandeliers and velvet curtains.

What truly attracted me to you was your music. While your set design made me feel as if I was in Russia, your music was what truly transported me into another world. How did you combine so many different musical genres into one cohesive story, telling a bittersweet tale of happiness, freedom, and life? I loved early single one of your songs from the moment I first heard them - Particularly "Dust and Ashes". Being able to put emotion into every lyric of a song is difficult, but you managed to do it.

And your cast. Lord, your cast. I could write letters for days on how incredible each and every person on stage was. The way each of them lit up with a passion for the story that they were telling whether they were singing opera, playing the clarinet, kicking their legs above their head, or even throwing pierogis into the audience. I remember constantly switching my focus from one cast member to another, not wanting to miss a single moment of energy. Don't get me started on how beautiful all of the costumes were!

Even after your light died out on Broadway, you continued to be a part of my life. You inspired me to get into more musicals that I may not have listened to before opening my ears to an "electropop opera". I have continued to interact with the show, learning how to dance to "The Abduction" while rattling my souvenir egg-shaker and playing songs on the piano. Some of the connections I've made over the years have been thanks to Comet and its passionate fanbase.

The Great Comet will shine on forever in the hearts of the lovers, lovers just like me.

I miss you. Please come back soon.

Love,

Kat