Musical theatre nuts, rejoice! This Tony Award-winning show is finally coming to Australia. Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 is a form-defying “electro-pop opera” based on a scandalous slice of Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s production of The Great Comet opens at Eternity Playhouse on Wednesday, July 5, with the season running until August 20.
Following a critically exalted off-Broadway run and an acclaimed transfer to Broadway starring Josh Groban, this exhilarating production was coined “lively, intelligent and utterly engrossing” in Time Out New York’s five-star review. But if you’ve never heard of it before, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about. Allow us to assist.
You can read our four-star review of the Australian production here (spoiler warning!) and find our handy explainer about The Great Comet below:
The Australian Team
Locally, it is directed by Dean Drieberg (Hamilton, resident director), with musical direction by Claire Healy (Six the Musical, musical director), choreography by Brendan Yeates (Hamilton, resident dance supervisor) and set design by multidisciplinary artist Tyler Hawkins. Newtown's own ethically produced demi-couture fashion label Nicol & Ford, known for producing classically “feminine” silhouettes for all gender identities, has been engaged for costuming. The design duo debuted their stunning, ethereal design concepts for Great Comet in their sophmore runway at Australian Fashion Week earlier this year (it was our favourite runway show, catch a peek in this video).
The Cast
The inclusive cast features "some of Australia’s most in-demand and quadruple threat performers”. The lead characters are played by Grace Driscoll (Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, West Side Story) as Natasha, Zoy Frangos (Les Misérables, My Fair Lady) as Pierre, and theatre and drag artist Jules Pendrith as Anatole. They are joined by Kala Gare as Sonya (Six, Rent), Marissa Saroca as Helene (Lizzie, Rent), Jillian O’Dowd as Marya (The Witches of Eastwick), Lillian Hearne as Mary (The Aqualuna Singers), P Tucker Worley as Andrey / Bolkonsky (A Chorus Line, Legally Blonde), Anton Berezin (Evita) as Balaga and Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward as Dolokohv (A Christmas Carol), with Tom New and Skye Beker engaged as swings.
The Plot
Set in 1812, this astronomic musical follows the young and spontaneous Natasha who awaits the return of her beloved fiancé Andrey, who is serving on the front lines. One dizzying night at the opera, in a city exploding with hedonism and opulent excess, Natasha falls passionately in love with the dashing, roguish (and already married) Anatole. To solve her love conundrum, she turns to her lonely friend Pierre (in the middle of an existential crisis) who makes it his mission to extricate her from risk of ruin and in doing so, renew his own soul.
The Music
There’s a reason that they call this one of the most unique and form-defying musicals ever seen on Broadway. The score draws on an eclectic mix of musical styles including folk, indie-rock, electro-pop and techno. Two of the most loved songs are ‘The Private and Intimate Life of the House’ and ‘No One Else’. This show also demands that the performers are quadruple threats – with the actor/musicians of the ensemble tasked with playing instruments live on stage.
The Set and Staging
The immersive staging is one of the most raved about elements of The Great Comet, one which transforms a theatre into a Russian supper club, and Darlinghurst Theatre is promising us a “4D experience”. Drieberg says: “We will be using the Eternity Playhouse in a way that hasn’t been seen before. From being voyeurs into characters' private thoughts to being in the centre of a pulsating club, audiences can expect some surprises along the way – it will be a wild ride.”
The Hype
Critics have praised The Great Comet as one of the most exciting musicals of recent decades. One of the things the Broadway production got a lot of props for was its colour-blind casting approach, which meant that actors of colour played roles that would normally be reserved for white actors. Also vital is the nuanced and skillful way the show tackles big topics like religion. The Great Comet can be compared to Hamilton in the ways that it takes an old story and presents it in a modern way through its cast, costumes, and music – both shows also involve a duel, an affair, and lots of soul searching. But you can also draw comparisons to Les Misérables – both musicals are based on complex books with a classical feel.
Oh, and…
The reimagined musical will also be the first production under Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s newly appointed executive director Suzanne Pereira, with artistic director Amylia Harris working alongside. As DTC’s first Sri Lankan Australian woman in her position, Pereira is thrilled to bring her beliefs in diversity and professional experience in the arts to the success of this new musical.
So, are you hyped yet? Do your homework by listening to the Original Broadway Cast Recording on Spotify. Tickets start at $79 and you can buy yours over here.