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Based on Book 8 of Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” is about as contemporary as contemporary musical theatre can get. It’s the result of mixing the bleak melodrama of shows such as “Spring Awakening” with the furious passion of every pop-opera ever written. While the term “electropop opera” is a slight misnomer here (there is plenty of rock influence, too), Dave Malloy’s musical is one of the most finely crafted shows of the decade. It has not one, but two magnificent cast albums, each distinct from the other in their strengths and weaknesses. Here are my thoughts:

‘What About Pierre?’

One of the biggest surprises to me with the Broadway cast was hearing Josh Groban as Pierre Bezukhov. At first, I was a tad nervous about hearing Groban as “dear, bewildered and awkward Pierre.” Even after hearing him in the 2008 “Chess” concert, I was unsure of how he would do in a more rock-sounding show.

Luckily, Groban’s versatility never fails him, especially as the titular hero. He might not have the natural rock inflections of Malloy, but Groban’s robust tenor gives Pierre a more heroic quality. His performance on “Dust and Ashes,” a new soliloquy for the Broadway transfer, is a welcome gem.

With this musical being Groban’s Broadway debut, I hope it is the start of more appearances (and Tony nominations!) for him on the Great White Way.

‘Natasha Is Young’

Among the two Natasha Rostovas, Phillipa Soo has a beautiful falsetto, which makes me wonder why she doesn’t pursue more soprano roles. The range of emotions she displays (from confusion and naïveté to anger) is broader than anything she was given as a Schuyler sister. She is quite a womanly sounding Natasha, which is a contrast to Denée Benton’s more ingénue-like and, at times, more pop-sounding Natasha.

‘Hélène Is a Slut, Anatole Is Hot, Marya’s Old-School, Sonya’s Good…’

In the words of Hélène Kuragina, all of the returning cast members give charming performances, with a few standouts. Grace McLean remains delightful as Marya Dmitriyevna, though she sounds more regal in the Off-Broadway cast album and more boisterous in the Broadway recording (think “Les Misérables” factory worker).

Lucas Steele is still spectacularly menacing as the conniving Anatole, even if his vocals are somewhat more subtle/sotto voce during parts of the Broadway recording.

Brittain Ashford and Amber Gray deliver terrific reprises as Sonya and Hélène, respectively. Ashford remains convincing as Natasha’s concerned cousin, while Gray brings every last bit of soulful sass to the forefront.

‘Miiinnorrrr Charaacctterrrrssss’

As for the chorus, the ensemble sounds more polished and unified in the Broadway recording. There are no traces of individual voices sticking out, unlike the Off-Broadway recording. Although the score calls for 16 voices, the chorus sounds more effective with a larger group, a necessity for transferring to the capacity of a Broadway theatre.

I am personally biased toward the Original Off-Broadway cast, mostly for Soo’s dynamic chemistry with all the leads. However the original Broadway recording has few shortcomings, and I’m thrilled Broadway audiences now get to experience this innovative, cutting-edge work. If you haven’t heard of either of the cast albums for “The Great Comet of 1812,” study up a little bit and go buy them!

Which is your favorite recording of “The Great Comet of 1812?” Let us know in the comments below…

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With all the buzz, you may be wondering what to expect from this show. It’s very difficult to describe the experience you’ll have once you walk into the theatre, but we’ll do our best to tell you.

Here are seven things to expect from “Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.”

1. A Lesson in Literature

This show is based on a 70-page section of Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace.” Prior to seeing this show, you may have only heard of this novel as being one of the longest books you could ever read. I don’t think too many people thought a book like this could ever make it to the stage, as there are endless characters and multiple storylines to keep track of.

This is perhaps why the show only focuses on a very rich and intimate part of the novel. The musical only portrays a chunk of the original novel (Volume 2, Part 5, to be exact). Within this section, the innocent and engaged Natasha falls for the dashing and secretly married Anatole. There is also Pierre, an old family friend of Natasha and brother-in-law to Anatole, who is trying to find his purpose in life. Though some of the characters from the novel don’t make it into the show, this musical stays fairly true to the book.

2. Do You Like “Les Mis?”

Similar to “Les Misérables,” this musical is based on an epic novel and is completely sung-through. For this show, it works incredibly well. Ironically, this show is also at the Imperial Theatre, where the “Les Misérables” revival was just a couple of years ago. Because this plot has so much depth and so many characters, it was hard to imagine how it would transfer to the stage.

As Brittain Ashford (Sonya) said at the stage door when asked whether the cast was nervous about bringing this unconventional show to Broadway, she said director Rachel Chavkin had two words to say about that: “Les Mis.”

3. The Freaking Set

If you are at all familiar with the Imperial Theatre, chances are you no longer are. The entire theatre has been completely transformed for this show. You can no longer see the original stage, and there are multiple ascending staircases, runways throughout the audience for actors to dance on, tables and more seating onstage to make the whole theatre feel like a Russian bar. Not to mention, all the walls are draped in red fabric and covered in old paintings to really set the mood and the time period.

Then there is the lighting. Aside from the beautiful chandeliers meant to mimic comets throughout the theatre, there are also little tables in the audience with lamps. You are totally surrounded and feel very included in the show. This is all without mentioning that there is also a rave at one point.

4. All the Fresh Faces

For about 20 members of this cast, this is their Broadway debut. Many members of the cast have been with the show for the past few years through its different Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway renditions. This show features a very interesting ensemble because not only are they singing and dancing, but most of them also play instruments.

Ensemble aside, the two principal leads are also fairly new to Broadway. For Denée Benton, who just graduated from Carnegie Mellon in 2014, this is her Broadway debut. She gives a beautiful performance as Natasha. She also plays against Josh Groban, who is making his Broadway debut as well. He truly shines as Pierre, and his voice is amazing live. He also plays the piano and an accordion throughout the show.

5. The Music

The music from this show ranges from classic ballads to techno pop rave music. As previously mentioned, this whole show is sung through. I don’t think there could have been another option for this plot, and the technique works beautifully. Though some of these songs are not very conventional (like the show itself), you will leave the theatre with songs and melodies playing in your head for weeks to come. Give the Act 2 opening “Letters” a listen and see for yourself.

6. Their Twitter

Finally seeing @joshgroban and the rest of the amazing cast in @GreatCometBway today!!

— Nicole Mellion (@NMellion) February 26, 2017

Just a little side note about this show’s Twitter account: They will like and respond to your posts. Not only do they respond, but they reply in character with the show. See above as an example, complete with an emoji of a comet.

7. It’s a Party!

When you walk out of this theatre, you will feel exhilarated but unable to fully explain this experience to another person. When you first sit down, the cast starts to interact with you and throws pastries to the audience. There is romance, a ball and even a duel. By the end of the show, you won’t want it to end. There really is no show like this out right now.

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