NATASHA, PIERRE, AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 Comes to Theatre Raleigh This Month

After a full spring/summer packed with productions, Theatre Raleigh closes out their 2022 Main Stage Season with their final production, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812.

From the celebrated and award-winning composer Dave Malloy comes Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, an electropop opera based on a scandalous slice of Leo 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 in the middle of an existential crisis, to pick up the pieces of her shattered reputation. Following a critically exalted premiere at Ars Nova in New York City, a subsequent Off-Broadway transfer, and an acclaimed run on Broadway, this award-winning musical expands the possibilities for the genre with its daring score and bold storytelling.

Theatre Raleigh's production stars Broadway's Manna Nichols (Allegiance, National tour of King & I and Miss Saigon) as Natasha and David Toole (Theatre Raleigh favorite, Rock of Ages and Once) playing the role of Pierre. This stellar cast also features Anna Wentworth as Helene, Rebekah Holland as Mary, Tedd Szeto as Balaga, Andrew Wade as Anatole, Miceala Shanyce Bundy as Marya, Derek Robinson as Andrei/Bolonsky, Jack Richardson, as Dolokhov, Grace Hamashima as Sonya. Rounding our the ensemble is Meagan Chieppor, Kamilah Lay, Eric Sorrels, Becky Layko, Khoa Pham, Pedro Ka'awaloa, Jon Parker Douglas, and Elizabeth Galbraith. The production is Helmed by Director Tim Seib, Music Director Joanna Li and Choreographer Lisette Glodowski.

"Our production will stay true to the original in that it will feature many actor-musicians which adds a whole other level of organic storytelling and really draws the audience in. From the top down, the talents of this cast are immense and will be front and center in this very immersive staging," Say director Tim Seib. "Speaking of the staging, the creative team and I have been gushing over the capabilities and possibilities of Theatre Raleigh's new mainstage space. The flexibility of the space allows us to create a very unique environment from which to bring this story to life. The various design departments are referencing everything from the original source material to a Cold War-era dance club, to an abandoned opera house, to the streets of Moscow in the early 1800's and everywhere in between. The end result is sure to be not only a captivating story, but also a visual and sonic feast. Come party with us like it's 1812!"

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 opens at Theatre Raleigh Arts Center on October 26th with performances running through the November 6th. Ticket prices begin at $32.50.

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