Let’s talk about Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812!
It is the best Broadway musical I’ve ever been to. I thought I could never love a show as much as I loved Hamilton but HOO BOY was I wrong.
I had always wanted to see Great Comet but never really thought to buy a ticket until the Tony Awards (where they were nominated for 12 awards but didn’t win much even though they deserved all the awards) and I was so stunned by the performance that I immediately bought a rear mezz ticket for June 23rd.
I mean, look at this set!!!
Not to be dramatic, but this show changed my life. It was so full of passion and energy, and it made me want to climb on the stage and dance with them. It’s the sort of thing that made my chest ache because I could never be a part of something so special. Denee Benton was out so Shoba Narayan was Natasha, and she was fantastic. She was sweet and innocent, and captured Natasha’s naivete so well. Josh Groban gave an incredible and moving performance as Pierre, and I was struck by how much I identified with Pierre as a character. The whole damn cast is amazing. So good. I had such a great time, I resolved to buy another ticket when I got home.
So my second visit was Aug 9th, pizza table. The best seat in the house, IMO.
The view from the door at the top of the stage–my seat is where the guy in gray is.
But! Before that, I had gone to the stage door to drop off the little dumb figurines I made of the principal cast members, and a stage manager? A producer? asked me if I thought the musical was racist, and I answered honestly, saying that it’s more bad optics. If they had disclosed that hiring Patinkin was stuntcasting because of the show’s financial status, people would have been less likely to call foul.
A girl came up to me after that and we got to talking about the show, and we just kinda hung out. I went with her to Schmackery’s to get some cookies for Cathryn Wake and then we stood by the stage door waiting for the cast to come in. I kinda felt bad because it’s kinda stalkery but I was glad to have the opportunity to wish the principals and the ensemble members to have a great show day, AND we scored photos with Oak Onaodowan and Ingrid Michaelson! Two people who usually don’t take pictures with people!
Anyway. Back to pizza table. So. Many. Cast. Interactions. Paul Pinto handed us pierogies and told us we’re having our Broadway debut (ha!). Other highlights:
- They all sang in my face a lot, which was fantastic
- Pearl Rhein hit me in the face with her skirt
- DJ Andrey 3000’s leg on the railing in front of me during The Club
- Dominatrix! Marya twerking with her whip
- Josh Canfield getting all up in my face after rolling on the floor, “Did you think I’d forget you?” Girl beside me goes, “Damn, girl!”
- In The Abduction, during “Everyone raise your glasses!” Nick Choksi and Lucas Steele were motioning for people to raise their glasses, and I grabbed my cocktail and raised it, Nick yelled, “Yeah!” and grabbed my hand to raise it higher
- Nick playing guitar in my section and fussing about my table, “Hey, what is it with all the drinks on this table? Are you guys over 21?” The two others shake their head and I laugh and say, “I am, and I’m the only one drinking!”
- Nick chilling by me during the pause in The Abduction while Ashley Perez Flanagan shared a chair with the girl beside me
- The random Coffee Crisp candies that showed up on table (maybe from Nick?)
- I love Nick so much, y’all
- Azudi Onyejekwe flashing back a smile after I grinned at him during one song
- Reed Luplau blowing me a kiss–actually can’t tell if it was him or Alex Gibson (I’m sorry)
- I was straight up singing with the cast during Balaga/The Abduction because I was caught into a state of intoxication (from the show but also literally because I had been drinking), nobody yelled at me to shut up
- I mean I know I’m not special, they do this to everyone in my seat. But it’s nice to feel seen, you know?
- Best part of being onstage is being able to see microexpressions that are not visible from up in the mezz, like tear stains on Sonya and Marya’s faces, Helene’s grin during one line in Pierre & Natasha, Dolokhov and Anatole’s argument during Preparations
Ingrid was great, I thought she did a good job of making the role her own. She wasn’t just imitating Brittain Ashford, she was her own Sonya. I liked Oak’s roughness as Pierre too, although he’s definitely no Josh. It’s weird to compare, but Josh is a musician and played his instruments perfectly. Being so close to the stage, I could see the guitarist shake his head ever so slightly every time Oak plays the piano a little off during Dust and Ashes. I did cry during Pierre & Natasha, however, when I saw tears streaming down Oak’s face during the spoken part. I love Pierre Bezukhov, wow. Cue more tears from me during The Great Comet of 1812, I was also crying with the chorus at this point. I don’t care how I looked like, to be honest.
Had a great stage door experience too, almost everyone came out, except Denee. Asked Ingrid if she got the figurine and she said she already Snapchatted it, I almost died. I also mustered up the courage to ask for photos with Lucas and Nick (told you I love him), so that was awesome!
I’m currently very upset because I feel robbed of the opportunity to see the show as many times as I want because it’s closing on Sept 3rd. This magnificent show, this piece of art that deserves the same level of success as Hamilton, is closing because it wasn’t as profitable. It’s so disheartening. Then there was the controversy. I truly believe the social media outrage contributed to it, but I’m not going to completely absolve the producers of blame because this could have been handled better. POC have the right to be upset when it looks like one of their people is being evicted for the sake of a White man. It happens all the time, so the backlash can’t be avoided. Was the backlash too much? Maybe. Does it mean that the people mad were just overreacting? Not necessarily. I don’t know. I’m sick of the discourse. I’m sad because it came to a point that this brilliant show is closing and the incredible performers are out of a job and won’t be able to share this with more people for years to come.
I’m sad, I’m really sad.
Utterly, utterly heartbroken. I don’t know how to deal with this, honestly.
This show has forever changed me and I will never see it again. I want the events of Aug 9th to be burned into my memory forever. Knowing that the show is closing, I looked up at the comet at the final song and thought, I’ll never be this happy again.
My heart hurts.
The girl who didn't make sense 