The Great Comet of 1812

April 21, 2017

Musical theater has been such a huge part of my life since I was little. I’ve performed in dozens of school and local community productions over the years and it is one of my favorite hobbies. Since I also have easy access to NYC, I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen a lot of broadway shows. In spite of all that, absolutely nothing prepared me for The Great Comet of 1812. Marc and I saw it recently at the Imperial Theater, and it was a completely mind-blowing experience. There is nothing so immersive, emotionally grabbing or unique on broadway right now. That’s right, I think it might even be the new Hamilton.

Marc and I nabbed choice seats for The Great Comet of 1812 on the stage for half price. I was so excited! I’m also very in love with TKTS for the much more reasonable price. Our view was incredible and we were basically a part of the show. Looking around the theater though as the show went on, there was not one bad seat in the house. The cast runs around everywhere! The set design was dazzling with the chandeliers, red draping and framed photos. It felt as if we were in a 19th century formal parlor.
The story of The Great Comet of 1812 comes from a portion of Tolstoy’s epic novel War and Peace. As the opening number gleefully tells the audience, there are a lot of characters in play with complex relationships. The program lays it all out in a handy dandy chart to help. From the beginning we delved into a dizzying, incredible mix of a period piece told through a modern lens. The music had everything from traditional slavic melodies to pulsing electronica, with traditional broadway ballads thrown in for good measure. The immersive experience was what struck me the most. The music surrounded us and so did the cast. Josh Groban was within arm’s reach as he sang. My husband was very understanding about me getting a little weak in the knees about that, hah!
I love going to the stage door after a broadway show. The performers are always running high on adrenaline and excitement and it is fantastic to see. Almost every one stopped and signed every single playbill, even Josh Groban before he jumped into his waiting car. That’s his signature on top in the center! YAY!! Everyone was so gracious and sweet. It was such a great night seeing one of the most innovative and well performed shows I have ever seen!