Josh Groban as Pierre (photo by Sara Krulwich / The New York Times)
Performance Date: 21 February 2017
Venue: Imperial Theatre, New York
Performance Run: Opened November 14 2016, closed September 3 2017
As taste of Moscow in New York City, surely not? Walking in to the auditorium of the Imperial Theatre, New York that houses Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 is like entering a Moscow saloon. The staging is unconventional with walk ways weaving through the orchestra seats, 31 chandeliers hang from the ceiling and 414 paintings adorn the walls. There is an undercurrent of excitement and anticipation in the knowledge that we are about to witness something uniquely spectacular.
Comet, a musical adaptation of a 70 page excerpt of Tolstoy’s epic novel War and Peace welcomes Josh Groban and Denée Benton to Broadway for the first time. Created by Dave Malloy, Comet premiered at Ars Nova in October 2012 and is directed by Rachel Chavkin. The show transferred Off-Broadway to Kazino, a cabaret style venue custom built to house the production before it made its way to Broadway where it opened in November 2016.
From the moment Groban appears on stage, accordion in hand, his performance is mesmerising. Comet is an auditory and visual feast. For anyone who has read the arduous and lengthy War and Peace, they will understand the need for the Prologue number which introduces the characters in a frenetic and kooky way; this is supplemented in the Playbill by a family tree and synopsis of the plot.
The plot of Comet revolves around a juicy passage of the second volume of War and Peace. Natasha, the young and passionate daughter of a Count is engaged to the dashing, absent soldier Prince Andrey. During an ill-fated visit to the opera Natasha’s head is turned by the shameless cad Anatole played by the devilishly handsome Lucas Steele, the brother of Pierre’s wife, Hélène, a woman of questionable morals. Pierre wanders aimlessly around the stage contemplating the meaning of life.
Comet is unlike anything currently on Broadway, it brings environmental theatre into the mainstream. You feel the breeze of the actors as they run past you instruments in hand. Accordions, flutes and fiddles are played into ears and faces. The cast fully interact with the audience. You don’t watch the Comet; you are a part of it. It is impossible to see this show and not smile.
Boxes of pierogies (stuffed dumplings) are thrown at you. Egg shakers are circulated during the thumping gypsy number, ‘Balaga’, meaning the audience form part of the musical accompaniment. Not only is this a great touch, but they make for a lovely keepsake and reminder of the show.
The musical number ‘Letters’ is a particular highlight as the ensemble race around delivering hand written love letters to the audience. It is an explosive number culminating in several hundred pages of War and Peace being thrown over the mezzanine, fluttering down on to the audience below.
Both Groban and Benton are triumphant and assured in their Broadway debuts; the only slight negative being that Groban doesn’t sing more. Indeed he spends the majority of the show sitting looking dejected in the orchestra pit. When he does sing it is nothing short of hypnotic and it’s easy to see why he is global star with several multiplatinum albums and DVDs to his name (selling more than 30 million worldwide). His live concerts are electrifying and Groban is the only artist who has had two albums land on Billboard’s list of 20 best-sellers of the last 10 years – all a testament to his audience pulling power.
It’s strange then that he is so underutilised. When he plays his final performance as Pierre on 2 July it will be interesting to see how the show fairs without him. However with such a strong ensemble cast and a replacement in the form of Broadway stalwart and former Hamilton star Okieriete Onaodowan, it is hard to see the appeal of such an inventive production diminishing.
Comet is a fine example of live theatre which boasts a hugely talented cast, innovative stage design and unforgettable numbers. It’s fast paced, colourful and has been adapted masterfully for a Broadway audience giving the other hottest tickets in town (Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen) a real run for their money.
From the stage seats Comet is a truly interactive theatre experience. It’s a show that makes you want to visit several times over, each time taking it in from a different seat in the house – a triumph.
