Arts & Entertainment
Brilliant ‘Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812’ Lights Up the Stage at Writers Theatre: Review
Aurora Penepacker and Joseph Anthony Byrd in “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” at Writers Theatre in Glencoe. (Liz Lauren)
I’m trying not to overstate it, but I keep coming up with the same assessment: “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” is one of the finest musical theater productions I’ve ever witnessed. It is flat-out great.
Having missed the opening, I saw the glowing reviews for this Chicago-area premiere and trekked up to Writers Theatre in Glencoe. I went with a skeptic’s eye and my arms folded. “Critics think it’s good, huh? What do they know?” Well, they know enough to have the good sense to embrace this irresistible production.
The show enacts a portion of Leo Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace,” the part about a romantic scandal among Russian aristocrats. That premise didn’t grab me, but the performers owned the audience from the humorous opening prologue. “Natasha …” is about much more than romance in Russia, but that’s yours to discover.
The 13-member cast is marvelous. These actors don’t just sing beautifully – they truly inhabit the characters. Each is given moments to shine, and they are all luminous. When terrific performers such as Bethany Thomas and Bri Sudia aren’t even the stars, you know you can expect something as rare as a comet.
A trio of leading actors– Aurora Penepacker, Evan Tyrone Martin and Joseph Anthony Byrd – blazes oh-so-brightly. And the radiant Penepacker as Natasha – where did they find her? I’ll look for these names in playbills forever. It’s almost unfair to single out anyone, because everyone is so strong.
The music direction approaches perfection. You can feel the joy of the players performing songs they clearly love. Sometimes it’s just one person on accordion. Other times there are strings for romantic ballads or bass-and-drum grooves. There’s even a rousing Russian drinking song and – why not? – an electro-pop dance number.
The cast of “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” at Writers Theatre in Glencoe. (Liz Lauren)
The variety of music made by the eight-piece orchestra is astonishing. A tip of the ushanka (Russian fur hat) to musical director Matt Deitchman and conductor/pianist Charlotte Rivard-Hoster.
Lighting, sound design, costumes – you won’t need a telescope to spot all the care that went into this. You get the feeling that everyone knew they were working on something special and gave it their all. Kudos to director Katie Spelman for bringing together all the various bits of beauty in the production.
The show itself is the creation of composer and lyricist Dave Malloy. As musical theater fans know, he’s one to watch. Malloy’s “Ghost Quartet” – staged in Chicago five years ago by Black Button Eyes – was a highlight of the summer of 2019. Malloy has an omnivorous appetite for both music and source material. He can seemingly turn anything into a memorable and unexpected tune. I had some quibbles about Act Two, but they were overwhelmed by the overall experience.
This production at Writers Theatre is the first in the Chicago area. The show originally premiered in 2012 and went to Broadway in 2016 where it won a couple of Tony Awards. Perhaps it was too unusual and ambitious to get a national tour.
The Jeff Awards ceremony is coming on Monday. This time next year, expect “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” to have an over-sized presence and earn some serious hardware.
So see this comet while it’s still visible – “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” has just been extended through Nov. 3.
One last note: I sat in the top row, and it didn’t matter in the jewel box Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre, which sits inside a lovely building designed by architect Jeanne Gang.
Marc Vitali is the JCS Fund of the DuPage Foundation Arts Correspondent.
