B

The Imperial Theater becomes a giant set for a love story straight out of War and Peace (seen 12/15/2016)

 

Hoo-rah!

  • Amazing commitment from the theater to transform the entire room to fit this one show perfectly.
  • Sitting on stage (Banquet B12) was fun and interactive and a constant thrill. The woman sitting next to me on the aisle got to be hit on by Anatole, whispering in her ear “I love you and I hope you enjoy the show.”
  • Nifty mixes of more traditional Broadway music, traditional Russian music, and, erm, rave music?
  • Scott Stangland was fantastic as Pierre– by far my favorite character. I wish he played a bigger role in the show, and I didn’t miss Josh Groban at all.
  • Also really enjoyed Lucas Steele as Anatole and Lauren Zakrin as Natasha.

Blech…

  • It… really should not be compared to Hamilton. I mean, it’s fine, good even. But the comparison does not help this show when comparing the stakes and quality of songwriting. After one listen of Hamilton I was able to quote at least a dozen moments verbatim, whereas by the time I got home after The Great Comet I could maybe give you three. Ultimately it felt… insubstantial.
  • I wasn’t invested in the love story. I felt like a stern parent the whole time just thinking “come on, you’re adults. You should know better.” I forgot while watching the show that Natasha is fifteen years old (making this similar to a Romeo and Juliet kind of thing), but considering we’re adapting a section of War and Peace here, I just wanted the show to feel more important.