Photo Coverage: GREAT COMET Celebrates 100 Performances on Broadway

On Thursday, February 9th, Broadway's Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 celebrated 100 performances at Broadway's Imperial Theatre. The whole cast was on hand to celebrate the occasion and BroadwayWorld.com was there to capture it all. See photos from the backstage celebration below.

Created by Dave Malloy (Ghost Quartet, Preludes) and directed by Rachel Chavkin, NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 is now in performances at Broadway's Imperial Theatre (249 West 45th Street), with Josh Groban as 'Pierre' and Denée Benton as 'Natasha.' THE GREAT COMET began previews on October 18, and officially opened Monday, November 14, 2016. Groban, who made his Broadway debut as 'Pierre,' will perform in the show only through July 2, 2017.

Led by Groban and Benton, the cast of THE GREAT COMET includes Brittain Ashford as 'Sonya,' Gelsey Bell as 'Mary,' Nicholas Belton as 'Andrey/Bolkonsky,' Nick Choksi as 'Dolokhov,' Amber Gray as 'Hélène,' Grace McLean as 'Marya D,' Paul Pinto as 'Balaga,'Scott Stangland as 'Pierre' (standby), and Lucas Steele as 'Anatole.' The ensemble includesSumayya Ali, Courtney Bassett, Josh Canfield, Kennedy Caughell, Ken Clark, Erica Dorfler,Lulu Fall, Ashley Pérez Flanagan, Paloma Garcia-Lee, Nick Gaswirth, Alex Gibson, Brad Giovanine, Billy Joe Kiessling, Mary Spencer Knapp, Blaine Alden Krauss, Reed Luplau,Brandt Martinez, Andrew Mayer, Mary Page Nance, Shoba Narayan, Azudi Onyejekwe,Pearl Rhein, Celia Mei Rubin, Heath Saunders, Ani Taj, Cathryn Wake, Katrina Yaukey, andLauren Zakrin.

Creator Dave Malloy will make his Broadway performing debut in the show this spring, stepping into the role of 'Pierre' for 10 performances across May and June 2017. Malloy originated the role of 'Pierre' in the show's initial off-Broadway runs at Ars Nova and Kazino. He will perform the role of 'Pierre' at the following performances: Thursday, May 4 at 7pm; Friday, May 5 at 8pm; Saturday, May 6 at 2pm; Saturday, May 6 at 8pm; Sunday, May 7 at 3pm; Tuesday, May 9 at 7pm; Tuesday, May 16 at 7pm;Tuesday, June 13 at 7pm; Tuesday, June 20 at 7pm; and Tuesday, June 27 at 7pm.

THE GREAT COMET features choreography by Sam Pinkleton, set design by Mimi Lien, costume design by Tony Award winner Paloma Young, lighting design by Bradley King, sound design by Nicholas Pope, music supervision by Sonny Paladino, musical direction by Or Matias, casting by Stewart/Whitley, and production stage management by Karyn Meek.

THE GREAT COMET stars multi-platinum recording artist Josh Groban in his Broadway debut. Inspired by a 70-page slice of War and Peace, this "vibrant, thrillingly imagined new musical" (The New York Times) is "stunning and blazingly original" (Entertainment Weekly) and brings us just inches from Tolstoy's brash young lovers as they light up Moscow in a "heaven-sent fireball" (The New York Times) of romance and passion.

Natasha is young, Anatole is hot, and Andrey isn't here... but what about Pierre? Natasha is a beautiful ingénue visiting Moscow while she waits for her beloved fiancé Andrey to return from the war. In a moment of indiscretion, she is seduced by the dashing (but already married) Anatole and her position in society is ruined. Her only hope lies with Pierre (Groban), the lonely outsider whose love and compassion for Natasha may be the key to her redemption... and to the renewal of his own soul.

Photo credit: Jessica Fallon Gordon