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Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

By Dave Malloy

From the celebrated and award-winning composer Dave Malloy comes Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, "both the most innovative and the best new musical to open on Broadway since Hamilton!" — The New York Times.

With an astronomical 12 Tony Award® nominations, including Best Musical and Best Original Score, this unprecedented Broadway sensation has been hailed by critics and audiences worldwide as a ground-breaking modern masterpiece.  Featuring a breathtaking and daring score inspired by folk, indie-rock and electro-pop, this form-defying musical is one of the most exciting shows ever seen on Broadway.

 

Now making its way from New York City to Te Whanganui-a-Tara in 2024, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 invites audiences to step inside a world of opulent excess, hedonism, and profound passion to experience this musical adaptation of a scandalous slice of Tolstoy’s War and Peace.

 

Set against the backdrop of 19th-century Russia, refracted through a modern lens, young and impulsive Natasha Rostova arrives in Moscow to await the return of her fiancé from the front lines of war. When she falls under the intoxicating spell of the roguish Anatole, it falls to Pierre, a family friend in the middle of an existential crisis, to pick up the fragments of her shattered fate.

 

Playing at the newly reopened Hannah Playhouse, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 is set to be nothing short of an extraordinary musical experience.

Presented by WITCH Music Theatre

Co-Directors Maya Handa Naff & Nick Lerew

Music Director Hayden Taylor

Choreographer Greta Casey-Solly (Te Atiawa) & Emily McDermott

Creative Producer Ben Tucker-Emerson 

Technical Producer Joshua Tucker-Emerson

This performance contains flashing lights, sudden loud noises, prop guns, and mature themes including addiction, mental illness, self-harm, suicide, and a derogatory term for Romani people is used.

20 April – 4 May
Hannah Playhouse

Preview 19 April

Tuesdays - Saturdays: 7.30 pm
Saturday Matinee: 2 pm
Sunday: 4 pm
Tickets from $35 - $55
Run time: 2 hours 20 minutes (including 20 minute interval)

Broadway premiere presented by Howard & Janet Kagen, Paula Marie Black, Carole Shorenstein Hays, Jenny Steingart and Jason Eagan, Mary Lu Roffe and Susan Gallin, Diana DiMenna, Mary Maggio/Sharon Azrieli/Robin Gorman, Darren Sussman/Roman Gambourg/Lev Gelfer, Tom Smedes, John Logan, Lisa Matlin, Margie and Bryan Weingarten, Daveed Frazier, Argyle Productions/Jim Kierstead, In Fine Company/Hipzee, Gutterman & Caiola/Backdrop Partners, Siderow Kirchman Productions/Sunnyspot Productions, Gordon/Meli Theatricals, Rodger Hess/Larry Toppall, Daniel Rakowski/Matt Ross/Ben Feldman, Mike Karns, The American Repertory Theatre (Diane Paulus, Artistic Director; Diane Quinn, Executive Producer; Diane Borger, Producer), and Ars Nova. Originally commissioned, developed, and world premiere produced by Ars Nova; Jason Eagan, Founding Artistic Director; Renee Blinkwolt, Managing Director. Further developed and produced by the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University; Diane Paulus, Artistic Director; Diane Quinn, Executive Producer; Diane Borger, Producer.

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 is presented by arrangement with ORiGiN™ Theatrical on behalf of Samuel French Inc., a Concord Theatricals Company.

Listen to the Broadway cast recording

The Hannah Playhouse has an accesible lift. There are designated accesible seats available, including a wheelchair seats. There is an accesible toilet on level 1. Please find out more on Hannah Playhouse's website.

Great Comet is proudly supported by

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Reviews

"Immersive theatre at its best"

“Directors Maya Handa Naff and Nick Lerew and team have created one of the best nights of contemporary musical theatre to remember for a long time to come.”

Theatreview

Awards

Nominated for 12 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.

Winner of 2 Tony Awards for Best Scenic Design and Lighting Design

Winner of 4 Drama Desk Awards.

"Impeccable"

“The show featured an all-star Wellington cast with wonderful clear voices, some of the best in the City. I expect it to be one of the most discussed and posted on social media shows of the year, and it deserves to be.”

Broadway World

"Kaleidoscopic"

“The two leads are very good: Lane Corby is utterly believable as the girlish and naïve Natasha, her voice pure and unaffected, while William Duignan’s Pierre cuts a convincingly halting and frustrated figure.

The Post

Gallery

Roles

Creative team

Directors

Maya Handa Naff & Nick Lerew 

Music Director

Hayden Taylor 

Choreographers

Greta Casey-Solly &  Emily McDermott

Technical Producer & Set Designer

Joshua Tucker-Emerson

Creative Producer & Costume Designer

Ben Tucker-Emerson

Lighting Designer

Alex Fisher


Sound Designer

Oliver Devlin


Stage Manager & Props

Vanessa Woodward

Production team

Audio Systems Technician

Patrick Barnes

 

Lighting Operator

Scott Maxim 

Assistant Stage Manager

Hannah Doogan

Production Assistant & Sound II

George Kenwood-Parker

Ticketing Manager

Charlette Potts

Immersive Ushers

Maeve O'Connell & Anna Smith


Front of House

Millie Fuller, Ellie Smith, Rachel Te Tau, Emily Brown


Wardrobe, Tayloring & Garment Creation

Polly Crone, Rhys Tunley, Nadia Newman, Emma Stevens, Ruscoe Rustenera-Kirby

Costume design Assistant

Jade Merematira

Styling Assistant

Raureti Ormond

Intimacy Coordinator

Aimée Sullivan

Marketing

Ben Tucker-Emerson

Lighting Intern & Swing Operator

Allikins

Cast

Natasha

Lane Corby

Pierre

Roving Guitar, Piano, Accordion, Tambourine

William Duignan

Sonya

Áine Gallagher

Anatole

Roving Guitar

Henry Ashby

Marya

Frankie Leota

Hélène

Jade Merematira

Dolokhov

Roving Guitar

Kevin Orlando

Andrey/Old Prince Bolkonsky

Roving Clarinet

Glenn Horsfall

Mary/Alternate Natasha

Roving Violin

Rachel McSweeney

Balaga/Alternate Pierre

Patrick Jennings

Ensemble/Alternate Mary/u.s. Hélène

Adriana Calabrese

Ensemble/Alternate Balaga

Raureti Ormond

Ensemble/u.s. Marya

Roving Flute

Kirsty Huszka

Ensemble/u.s. Sonya

Roving Flute

Tess Lavanda

Ensemble/u.s. Anatole

Roving Guitar

Mackenzie Htay

Ensemble/u.s. Andrey/Old Prince Bolkonsky/u.s. Dolokhov

Roving Percussion

Finlay Morris

Aerialist

Roving Accordion

Jackson Cordery

Orchestra

Piano/Conductor

Hayden Taylor 

Clarinet/Bass Clarinet

Patrick Hayes 

Oboe/Cor Anglais

Calvin Scott

Accordion/Keyboard

Elliot Lee

Viola

James Mills Workman

Cello I

Esther Lee

Cello II

Alex Hoare

Guitar

Steve 'Shack' Morrison


Double Bass

Alex Huang

Drums

Bec Watson


Violin

Sarah Lawrence

Cello (Swing)

Nathan Parker

"Chandeliers and caviar. The war can’t touch us here."

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