Foreground: Lilli Cooper & Brittain Ashford; Center: Scott Stangland in "Great Comet of 1812" (photo: Evgenia Eliseeva/American Repertory Theater) |
There is no Comet of 1812 Overture, but a sung Prologue,
which introduces the principal characters in a tongue-in-cheek homage
to such cumulative songs as “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. As
the play begins, Natasha (Denee Benton),
engaged to Andrey (Nicholas Belton), who is away in the war, is urged
by her cousin Sonya (Brittain Ashford) to visit Andrey's family,
which consists of his spinster sister Mary (Gelsey Bell) and their
crazy father Bolkonsky (also played by Belton). While that doesn't go
well, things become more intriguing for Natasha when she's
introduced, at the opera, by Helene (Lilli Cooper), who is married to
Pierre (Scott Stangland), to the impossibly dashing (and, unbeknownst
to her, infamous lady's man) Anatole (Lucas Steele). The first trace
of electronic music begins at his entrance, electrifying the room.
Complications ensue when she's seduced by Anatole. After a night of
drinking with Pierre and their friend Dolokhov (Nick Choksi),
culminating in a duel no less, Anatole convinces Natasha to elope in
a troika driven by Balaga (Paul Pinto). This escape is thwarted by
Natasha's godmother Marya D. (Grace McLean), who's aware that Anatole
has secrets (namely, he's already married). Needless to say, all
doesn't end well, at least on the surface. But there is Pierre's
embracing of the wounded Natasha who finally smiles (hinting at their
future relationship). And there's that titular comet, which
transfixes Pierre in an epiphany.
Throughout
the play, there is a pervading sense of love and respect for
Tolstoy's novel, which he preferred to call a philosophical
discourse. As Pierre wrestles with profound themes, we are reminded,
as Chavkin has noted, of the partying aboard the sinking Titanic as
we witness the divine decadence of it all. It has echoes of “Nicholas
Nickleby” and “Hamilton” (no faint praise this), not just in
its acutely accurate portrayal of society, but also in its immersive
and enveloping non-stop energy and exuberance. There are occasional
moments of audience involvement,
never overdone, and meticulous attention to detail, such as Sonya's
making of the sign of the cross in the Orthodox manner (“backwards”,
as it were), Bolkonsky's constant tremor, the subtle integration
of lighting and sound effects, and the distribution of authentic
pelmeni
(mashed-potato-filled
dumplings) to the audience.
Tolstoy
wrote that great events in history come as a result of many smaller
events driven by thousands of individuals, not by so-called heroes.
Thus it's entirely appropriate that this “Comet” is illuminated
by an extraordinary ensemble. While they cheekily sing “everyone's
got nine different names” and describe one character as “not too
important”, the truth is that every member of the cast is integral
and integrated. This is not to say that there aren't plenty of great
moments created by the exquisite Benton, the passionate Stangland,
the comically narcissistic Steele, the stalwart Ashford and the
lascivious Cooper. Standouts are Benton's lovely “No One Else”
and Cooper's lusty “Charming”, as well as Ashford's astonishingly
well-acted “Sonya Alone”, and Stangland's incredibly touching
“Dust and Ashes” (apparently added since the CD recording) and
“The Great Comet of 1812”. There's not an instant when this cast
isn't compelling. The same could be said for the creative elements,
from the magnificent Music Direction by Or Matias and Music
Supervision by Sonny Paladino, to the ingenious Costume Design by
Paloma Young, to the intricately coordinated Lighting Design by
Bradley King and Sound Design by Matt Hubbs. But, grand as all of
these elements are, there are two fundamental keys to this show's
success: the multifaceted contributions by Dave Malloy, who created
the Music, Lyrics, and Libretto, as well as, crucially, the
awe-inspiring Orchestrations; and the literally breathtaking Set
Design by Mimi Lien.
Malloy is
extraordinary. In his entire libretto, there is but one spoken line,
in Pierre's final scene with Natasha, when he declares: “If I were
not myself, but the brightest, handsomest, best man on earth, and if
I were free, I would get down on my knees this minute and ask you for
your hand and for your love”. Otherwise, it's a fascinatingly
complex concoction of styles, including some rather arcane musical
elements, such as “hocketing”, a vocal technique wherein singers
“stack” their voices in patterns that evoke the pulsing of organ
stops, defined as “a medieval musical composition in which two or
three voice parts are given notes or short phrases in rapid
alteration producing an erratic hiccuping effect”. If that sounds
too lofty, not to worry. The score is so seamless you need only sit
back and let it flow over you.
Reflecting
her background in architecture, Lien's magic begins even before you
enter the overwhelming red velvet supper club with its distressed
deterioration. The audience first must pass through passageways that
intentionally evoke Frank Lloyd Wright's use of small entries leading
to stupendously impressive large venues. As Lien states, after
walking through what's intended to evoke an abandoned 1980's concrete
bunker, you enter a rapturously decorated room with hundreds of
frames containing paintings, mirrors, and even a few pictures of
Napoleon (reflecting the fact that he had first been an ally of
Alexander I, but this is five years into the Tsar's reign, after
they'd fallen out). Complete with chandeliers that are intentionally
identical to those found in Lincoln Center, the set is a visual
masterpiece.
Despite
this embarrassment of riches, with emotions often expressed through
visual and musical imagery, one leaves wishing there was more about
Pierre's own passions and spiritual struggles to become a better
person and his notion of the “elusive nature of earthly happiness”.
Thus it comes as great news that Pierre's role had been expanded
prior to the announced Broadway opening next fall (no surprise here),
with Josh Groban in the role, no less. This show is, in short, a
stellar spectacular, enlightening in every sense of the word. Score
it as a ten out of ten for the show (but only one for the pelmeni).
But don't
wait for it. This is one speakeasy that won't be a secret for long,
so you'd be well advised to procure tickets ASAP. Just tell them
Tolstoy sent you. And he does, he does.
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