Closing Pioneer Theatre Company’s (PTC) 2023-24 season, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 transports audiences to early 19th century Moscow. Based on Leo Tolstoy’s novel War and Peace, this story follows young Natasha (Ali Ewoldt) as she awaits her fiancé away at war. As time begins to move in Moscow, Natasha finds a new love interest as her and Anatole’s (Aleks Pevec) flame begins to burn. Pierre (Kevin Earley) is caught in between, in an existential crisis of his own, as he is thrown to pick up the pieces of Natasha’s shattered reputation.
Welcome to the Opera
Upon entering the theatre I was instantly taken by the dazzling scenery. Designed by Jo Winiarski, the stage was transformed into a beautiful opera hall draped with ruby red fabric and jewels. The show was an immersive experience as the company opened the show with the “Prologue,” welcoming us to the opera. I was astounded at the efforts produced by the company as the show was a sung through musical. Not only was this impressive, but it was incredibly refreshing to view the musicians on stage as they played through effortlessly as the story unraveled.
The First Act
As Act 1 played through, it seemed the storyline got disheveled. There was a lot to follow as an audience member and as each number grew one after the other it began to feel chaotic. Unsure if it was the actors, the composition of the music or both, I developed a dreadful boredom hoping for the first act to come to an end. As we approached the intermission, the space began to feel alive again as extreme amounts of wit were brought to the stage from sinister siblings Helene (Ginger Bess) and Anatole as their plan began to unravel.
The Second Act
A surprising turn of events from the first act, Act 2 was full of moments with high energy to get the audience breaking from their seats. I deeply enjoyed the performance by the supporting role of Sonya (Melanie Fernandez). Each entrance she made instantly captured my attention. I was deeply moved by her performance of “Sonya Alone.” An incredibly powerful belter, Fernandez left me in awe and I had my eyes on her throughout the rest of the show.
I was also raging for the ensemble who carried through high energy songs like “Balaga.” With so much audience interaction, it was incredibly riveting watching these actors come out into the house as the music played, stopping to chat with audience members galore, me included.
As the show came to an end, I was left unsure of how to feel. With a hefty build-up leading to the finale, “The Great Comet of 1812,” I was shaken by the quick wrap up. From all the fire and steamy emotions presented on stage I expected a different ending than what was proposed and I’m not sure a twist is what this story was going for. Though the audience cheered on, there was still much to be desired from these actors as they said their farewells.
