The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents ‘Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812’ by Dave Molloy. Directed by Ben Hart & Brandon James. Music Direction by Kennedy McAlister and Aidan Campbell. Choreography by Jason Faria and Alyssa Dumas. Lighting Design by Zachary Ahmad-Kahloon. Sound Design by Andrew Cameron. Properties Design by Gretchen Gray and Elise Marshall. Costume Design by DW. Set Design by Ben Hart & Brandon James. ‘Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812’ runs at the Seacoast Repertory Theatre, Portsmouth, NH through April 7, 2024.
By Linda Chin
Producing theater is a risky business – and executive artistic directors Ben Hart and Brandon James’ decision to mount a show as mammoth as Dave Molloy’s Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 was an ambitious choice. Based on 70 pages from Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, multi-hyphenate Molloy (composer-lyricist-playwright-actor) reframed the love story about Russian aristocrats in the 19th century with a contemporary lens, and created a sumptuous score with diverse musical genres (Russian folk, classical, klezmer, rock, and electronic dance music). For its Broadway run at the Imperial, the set was also extravagant and lush – runways jutting into the orchestra replaced 200 of the theatre’s seats, tables and chairs and banquettes provided on-stage seating, and velvet curtains and paintings in gold frames added texture and sparkle.
For Seacoast’s Great Comet, multi-hyphenates Hart and James demonstrate that they are definitely up to the task – not only producing and directing this production but designing a set that transported us to Moscow during the Napoleonic Wars and effectively and elegantly used every square inch of the stage footprint and every cubic inch of the high-ceilinged amphitheater. (And like Molloy, who played the final Broadway Pierre, Hart is also a performer – who understudies the role of Pierre and plays Old Prince Bolkonsky – and impressively makes a costume change and appears on-stage minutes after delivering the pre-curtain speech).
The Rep’s fabulous new sound system amps up the electric score (sound design by Andrew Cameron), the intricate lighting plot designed by Zachary Ahmad-Kahloon illuminates the characters and the complex plotline, and the colorful and creative costumes designed by DW are to die – and to duel – for. Combined with an ingenious set structure (a squarish room with period décor, part of a private and intimate house, ramped runways with modern gold railings surrounding the room’s perimeter), the orchestra of 9 and cast of 25 raise both the theater’s roof – and The Theatre’s high bar for artistic excellence.
This production is not your typical musical, set on a proscenium stage with a fourth wall, but an immersive and interactive experience. Part pop opera and part chamber concert, Great Comet is almost completely sung-through. Featured performers Jamie Bradley (Pierre), Sophie Mings (Natasha), Emily Lambert (Hélène), and Alexandra Mullaney (Sonya) deliver pitch-perfect renditions of their arias, and the duets “The Private and Intimate Life of the House” by Mary (Michelle Faria) and Andrey Bolkonsky (Sean Mullaney) and “The Ball” by Natasha and Anatole (Jason Faria), “Sonya and Natasha” and “Pierre and Natasha” (in the final chapter of Act Two) soared. Also, nearly 30 instruments are played in the course of this production, including by actors on stage. Special shout-outs to the quadruple threat performers in the cast who play the roving bass, guitar, triangle, violin, accordion, and on-stage keyboard.
With inventive choreography by Jason Faria and Alyssa Dumas (these multi-talented also play Anatole and Marya and grace the stage with their glorious voices and stage presence), and gorgeous costumes designed by DW, Great Comet is also part dance showcase and part fashion show. Watching the performers execute turns and leaps on the narrow runways, stretch like a cat on the railings, strut confidently on the catwalks while dressed in fine fashion, and dance to their own music when performing in the aisles is joyous.
Hart and James demonstrate their attention to detail as well as the big picture, an example being the railings that separate the orchestra seats from the stage (previously black, they were painted a gold color that matched the shiny railings on the runways). Immersive, impressive, ingenious, and intoxicating from start to finish, The Seacoast Repertory Theatre’s great production of Great Comet runs through April 7th. For tickets and information, go to: https://seacoastrep.org/
