Horizon Theatre Company to Present Atlanta Premiere Of NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812

Audiences will enter a mesmerizing world of passion, love and intrigue with Horizon Theatre’s Atlanta premiere of the groundbreaking Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, running Oct. 20 – Nov. 26, with a press opening scheduled for Oct. 27. This Tony Award-winning musical, inspired by a scandalous slice of Tolstoy's War & Peace, is a theatrical experience like no other, bringing you just inches from the brash young lovers as they light up Moscow in a “heaven-sent fireball" (NY Times). With a thrilling immersive staging that swirls around the audience and the onstage bar, audiences are transported to a glamorous land of chandeliers and vodka in the salons and opera houses of Moscow— where passions ignite. Mixing pop, soul, folk and electronic dance music with classic Broadway, this innovative musical brings to life the heart of this epic tale of love and fate.

“Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 is a unique, electric and immersive experience that audiences won’t want to miss,” says director and Horizon Artistic Associate Heidi McKerley. “We are transforming the theatre into a multi-leveled supper club with an onstage bar, a few choice tables and a balcony area with cozy couches and chairs in addition to regular theatre seating. The cast performs on every level, right next to audience members, with the top of the bar as a central playing area. Our outstanding multi-talented cast are also the show’s musicians, playing cello, violin, bass, accordion, clarinet, piano, guitar and more. You’ll be up close to soul-stirring music, life-changing love affairs, souls turned inside out, existential crises and high-stakes risks.”

“The musical's fusion of classic and contemporary in the music, characters, costumes, and staging are the pre-cursor to Hamilton in style, and remind us that some human truths are universal no matter the time or place,” McKerley continued. “We are bursting with excitement to bring this award-winning musical to life in Atlanta in the intimate Horizon space. You can’t get what we will be offering on any screen you own.”

Natasha is a beautiful ingenue 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, the lonely outsider whose love and compassion for Natasha may be the key to her redemption— and to the renewal of her soul.

Natasha (Alexandria Joy*, Alliance Theatre’s The Incredible Book Eating Boy and others; Actor’s Express’ Heathers) is a young innocent engaged to Andrey, whom she loves dearly. But with Andrey (Hayden Rowe, Horizon’s Once) off fighting in the war, she comes to visit relatives in Moscow and be introduced to wealthy society. She stays with her loving cousin Sonya (Anna Dvorak, star of Georgia Ensemble Theatre’s Pretty Pants Bandit) and her godmother Marya (Terry Burrell*, many shows on Broadway and at the Alliance Theatre, the lead in Horizon’s Da Kink in My Hair), an old-school, grand dame of Moscow, who is her guide and protector. Andrey’s good friend Pierre (Daniel Burns, Horizon’s Once) also keeps an eye on Natasha while Andrey is away. Pierre is wealthy, generous, awkward, and unhappily married to Hélène (Janine Ayn, Jennie T. Anderson’s Sunday in the Park with George, Once On This Island) who married him for his money and now takes other lovers, including Dolokhov (Terrence J. Smith, upcoming movie musical The Color Purple). While at a society event, naïve Natasha is swept off her feet by Hélène’s hot brother and Dolokhov’s closest friend Anatole (Jordan Patrick, Jenny T. Anderson’s Spring Awakening, Aurora’s Beautiful), a wildly attractive young aristocrat and hedonist who seduces her, even though he is secretly married. Other key players are Andrey’s elderly, cruel father The Prince (Jeff McKerley*, Horizon’s Avenue Q, Actor’s Express’ Fun Home) and sister Mary (Kendra Johnson, Synchronicity’s Mustapha’s Beautiful Daughters), who resent Natasha’s care-free youth and beauty; and Balaga (Skyler Brown, Horizon’s Once, Aurora’s The Play That Goes Wrong), the fun-loving and wild troika driver. Rounding out the cast, the ensemble members include Alyssa Easterly (guitar, piano), Miro Gomez (cello), Ruth Mehari (cello, bass), Eric Nabeth (accordion, piano), Eden Mew (percussion), Marissa Romanoff (viola) and Molly Ann Tucker (clarinet).

After the success of her hit Once at Horizon in 2020, director and Horizon Artistic Associate Heidi McKerley is back with another intimate and amazing immersive musical experience with triple-threat actors/musicians. Heidi has directed most of Horizon’s musicals over the past three decades to great acclaim. She is joined by Holt McCarley (Jennie T. Anderson’s Spring Awakening, Next to Normal and Assassins) as music director and on keyboard/effects for the show. McKerley’s design team creating the intimate supper club and salon environment includes Horizon resident scenic designers Moriah and Isabel Curley-Clay, resident lighting designer Mary Parker and long-time Horizon designer Dr. L. Nyrobi Moss – all of whom were just nominated for Suzi Awards for last season's Designing Women 2020 at Horizon, which was directed by McKerley and is also nominated for Best Play. These designers also recently collaborated on the lusciously designed Horizon play The House That Will Not Stand. Sound design is created by Tyehimba Shabazz and Chris Lane of Multiband Studios, and props are sourced by Leah Thomas.

Performances begin Oct. 20 and run through Nov. 26. The show’s press opening is Oct. 27. Performances are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. There is an additional matinee on Friday, Nov. 24 at 3 p.m. There will be no performances on Thanksgiving Day. Theatre seating starts at $40 on weekdays and $45 on weekends (plus sales taxes and fee), with limited seats available at the bar, tables and couches. Three tables for two are available at each show for $150. Prices are subject to change and prices rise as performances fill up, so patrons are encouraged to order early for the best prices and availability. Students under 25 can get $5 off tickets with valid student ID by calling the box office or purchase $20 Student Rush Tickets thirty minutes before show time if seats are available. Single ticket seating is general admission, with a reserved seating section for season subscribers. There is limited accessible seating for those needing mobility accommodations, and it must be reserved by phone. For tickets and more information, visit horizontheatre.com or call the Box Office at 404.584.7450.

For full actor and creative team bios visit www.horizontheatre.com/natasha-pierre-and-the-great-comet

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