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 ingenue visiting Moscow while she waits for her beloved fiance 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.
"One of the decade's best musicals" (Time Out New York), THE GREAT COMET has "rousing music and ravishing performances" (Daily News) with a groundbreaking score that mixes rock, pop, soul, folk and electronic dance music with classic Broadway. THE GREAT COMET arrives fresh off its sold-out run in Boston and its critically acclaimed Off-Broadway premiere. Its renowned creative team has reimagined the Imperial Theatre as an opulent Russian salon, where every seat provides a unique perspective and an unforgettable experience which is "thrilling, a feast for the senses" (Associated Press) and "inventive, ravishing and full-on romantic" (New York Post).
I say all this with both awe and revulsion. There may in fact be value in distraction at this moment in our history, and rarely has distraction looked as lovely. The scenic designer Mimi Lien's nearly complete redesign of the aptly chosen Imperial Theatre begins as you enter its formerly pink-marble lobby, which is now a grubby underground bunker with fluorescent lights and post-Soviet punk-rock posters. By contrast the main auditorium has been reconfigured as a Czarist wonderland, with brass and candlelight and onstage seating and stairways and catwalks and acres of red velvet swathing everything in a cardiac glow. Continuing the thematic use of anachronism, Paloma Young's costumes combine Empire stylings and contemporary grunge to exquisite effect. The lighting by Bradley King is brilliant, colorful, alternating between tête-à-tête warmth and stadium-rock heroics. Even the expanded orchestrations, by Malloy, enhance the sensation of lushness and well-being; an oboe and a bass clarinet will do that. Russia under Alexander, even with Napoleon fast approaching, was a nice place to be rich.
The musical opened Monday and stars the excellent Josh Groban, wearing a fat suit no less, and the sublime Denee Benton. It's best for people who want to say they experienced a cool immersive experience on Broadway, but one without any heart. It's pure showmanship with none of the emotional payoff.
2013 | Off-Broadway |
Original Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
2016 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Costume Design | Paloma Young |
2017 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Lucas Steele |
2017 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Lighting Design | Bradley King |
2017 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Scenic Design | Mimi Lien |
2017 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Sound Design of a Musical | Nicholas Pope |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Rachel Chavkin |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical | Bradley King |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Set Design for a Musical | Mimi Lien |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Nicholas Pope |
2017 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Denee Benton |
2017 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Josh Groban |
2017 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Broadway of Off-Broadway Musical | Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical) | Bradley King |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Set Design (Play or Musical) | Mimi Lien |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Sound Design (Play or Musical) | Nicholas Pope |
2017 | Theatre World Awards | Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance | Josh Groban |
2017 | Theatre World Awards | Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance | Denée Benton |
2017 | Theatre World Awards | Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance | Amber Gray |
2017 | Theatre World Awards | Special Theatre World Honoree | Dave Malloy |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Book of a Musical | Dave Malloy |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Choreography | Sam Pinkleton |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | Paloma Young |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | Rachel Chavkin |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Bradley King |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Bradley King |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Orchestrations | Dave Malloy |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Dave Malloy |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical | Lucas Steele |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Josh Groban |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Denée Benton |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Musical | Mimi Lien |
Videos