Indulge in the splendour of upper-class Russian society with Crow’s Theatre and The Musical Stage Company’s Canadian Premiere of Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812. A truly captivating musical based on a portion of “War and Peace,” the Great Comet of 1812 immerses the audience in the production and makes every moment more memorable than the last. Directed by Chris Abraham, this production features stunning design and a phenomenal cast; it’s no wonder that tickets are so hard to come by!

The story of Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 is but a small portion of Tolstoy’s masterpiece, yet it certainly left myself and my partner wanting to read on and see what happens to these enchanting characters. Natasha is betrothed to a prince, Andrey, who is off in a war with the French. She misses him dearly, until she meets Anatole, a suave and debonaire gentleman who sweeps her off her feet. Meanwhile Pierre is stuck in a loveless marriage with a woman who is well known for her promiscuity, and is constantly worried about his friends who are off at war. When desires and passions run too hot, suddenly Natasha becomes the talk of the town, but NOT in the way she had initially hoped. It’s a riveting story which makes the time fly by like Balaga on his troika.

The way the play is written and staged begs for audience interaction and has a level of self-awareness which delighted me throughout the show. From the first song which asks the audience to look in their programs for everyone’s names and relations (“everyone’s got nine different names”), to several audience members being taken on stage or having the actors come and sit with them, the audience becomes an essential part of the play. There were times where it was almost difficult to figure out where you should look! There are live musicians playing all over the upper level of the stage, actors are singing up in the stands amongst the audience, and you’ve got actors on the main floor interacting with the audience as well! It is a fully immersive feast for the senses.

Julie Fox and Joshua Quinlan’s opulent set design only heightens our feelings of involvement in the production. There are barstool and balcony seats which are very close to the action, as well as little cabaret-style tables for the front row of seating. The audience is sat on three sides of the stage, with an incredible, rotating platform in the middle of the space. The lush curtains, gold accents, mirrors and chandeliers all provide the luxurious feel to this opera space into which we’ve entered. Ming Wong has created another set of eye-popping costumes for this production. I love that they’re period appropriate with some absolutely stunning fabrics for the ladies dresses in particular. The fur-lined coats give us the feel of the Russian winter, while the stately and decorated military jackets remind us that the war is not far off from the minds of these characters. Kimberly Purtell’s lighting design for this production is spectacular as well; with spot lights having to follow the actors as they navigate through the space, plus all of the LED’s and chandeliers as accents, it was truly a marvel. There was a moment where the largest chandelier was used to cast a sparkling light all over the room and I was in total awe of the brilliance of it all.

The casting notice for Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 came out months ago, and gave me some pretty high expectations for the production. But this extremely talented cast exceeded my expectations beyond measure. Evan Buliung gives a passionate performance as Pierre; his solo at the end of the first act is mind-blowing. Hailey Gillis is delightful as Natasha; her charm and sweetness shine through and her vocals are incredible. Divine Brown also has a show-stopping solo as Hélène, Pierre’s wife. Her sultry, seductive voice suits her character so perfectly. George Krissa’s Anatole is the perfect amount of charming yet sordid, it’s no question as to why Natasha wants to run away with him! Special mention goes out to Andrew Penner as Balaga; they say right from the top that Balaga’s just there for fun, and goodness does Penner ever deliver on that promise! Camille Eanga-Selenge, Lawrence Libor, Marcus Nance, Heeyun Park, and Louise Pitre round out the main cast, all giving stellar performances. The ensemble, comprised of Rita Dottor, Donna Garner, and Brendan Wall, play instruments along with their roles throughout the performance. The entire cast truly gets to display so many aspects of their immense talent and it makes for a spellbinding performance.

I cannot recommend Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 enough. It’s no surprise to me that it’s been extended once again, now on stage until February 11th. You’ll want to make sure to get your tickets as soon as you can, they’re certainly a hot commodity! For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.crowstheatre.com/whats-on/view-all/

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Cover photo: The Company of NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812. Photo by Dahlia Katz

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