Sophia Mertson
Staff Writer
The Sewanee Department of Theatre & Dance and Music Center gave eight performances of the musical Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812. The shows were performed the weekends of Oct. 24,-27, Oct. 31, and- Nov. 3. The musical comes from a snippet of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace and adapts the story in a way that is equal parts emotional and campy.
The musical comes off rather long and hard to follow at first as the characters have many different names. However, the ensemble recognizes the overwhelming complexities of the characters and, in the opening number, tells the audience that they better read their pamphlets to catch up because it’s going to be confusing without it.
When talking about how the format of the play affected her performance, Mohana Buckley (C’ 27) noted, “Certain expressions or movements I made but certainly the emotions and the music and the fact that it’s all music and no spoken dialogue definitely influenced my acting.”
The electro-pop musical follows the story of Pierre, played by Harrison Best (C’ 25), an apathetic aristocrat struggling to find meaning. Pierre oversees the controversial love between Natasha Rostova, played by Buckley, and Anatole, played by Grayson Davis (C’ 26). While Natasha is staying in Moscow awaiting the return of her fiance Andrey, played by Wayne Medly (C’ 28) Anatole sweeps in and plots to steal Natasha away from her family and fiance. The musical incorporates music, dance, and acting into a trifecta of entertainment.
When asked about the challenges of conquering all three aspects of a musical Buckley noted, “I’m not the best dancer in the world, but I was really determined and really wanted it.” She went on to say, “The music took a whole month to learn, we were constantly going over music, even when we were off book.”
Natasha’s cousin and advisor Sonya, played by Natalie Turnage (C’ 27), and the host Marya, played by Annalise Doyle (C’ 26), warn Natasha about Anatole.
Buckley described the relationship between Natasha and Sonya. “Sonya doesn’t have a claim to wealth and is an orphan, her status and her acceptance in this family is dependent on her relationship with Natasha, and she doesn’t want to jeopardize her friendship with Natasha to tell her the right thing to do. She won’t let Natasha be destroyed this way.”
Despite the advice from those closest to Natasha, Natasha decides to forsake her engagement with Andrey and run away with Anatole: recruiting help from Balaga, played by Hannah Dhiel (C’ 28), who embodies the beloved getaway driver. This climactic and lively section of the play keeps the audience on their toes, both literally and figuratively, as the audience wonders what will become of Natasha and are brought up to dance and swing around in the Ensemble during the “Abduction” number. During this section of the play, Buckley’s talents shine through. Buckley can capture the battle between loyalty and lust, passion and duty as she conflicts with those dearest to her.
When asked about her favorite parts of the show Buckley responded, “The heated moments were just so fun, Natasha is this young adult and she’s taught to be polished and behave in society [a certain way] and I think that applies to a lot of young women still even outside of 19th century Russia.”
She proceeded to expand on this by saying “By getting to do the songs where I just show my frustration and I show my youth in the way I’m reacting was so much fun to have that contrast of who Natasha is and the complexities of her character.” Natasha is this embodiment of youth that cannot be reasoned with. An often misunderstood character, Natasha struggles to listen to reason when blindsided by love.
Buckley elaborates on her character stating, “I emphasize with her a lot honestly, I think any young woman can relate to messing up and having to take the fall even though it wasn’t necessarily your fault. She was just opening herself up to being in society. I think this speaks to a lot of young women being sheltered sexually because men can do whatever they want.”
This can be seen when Anatole runs away during distressing scenes in the musical and can be banished and start a new life free of the consequences he created in Moscow. Buckley continued, “Natasha, on the other hand, no one has helped her navigate this. I feel like she shouldn’t have been blamed as much as she did. One misguided action that could have stayed hush-hush turned her whole life upside down.”
The Ensemble in this musical acts as a bridge between audience and cast. In several numbers, the Ensemble interacts with those on the tables on the floor of the show. In one instance, during the “Letters” number, the Ensemble gives the audience an envelope to pass back and forth between audience and Ensemble. This creative and well-executed decision to participate with the audience drew the audience in and stepped away from the traditional, and sometimes monotonous, theater etiquette of simply sitting and watching. This kept the audience engaged throughout the entire performance.
Buckley noted, “The ensemble did a phenomenal job they are all amazing dancers, they are also the kindest and down to Earth people, and that speaks for the entirety of the Sewanee Theatre Department.”
She also gave appreciation to the musical’s pianist, Carl Erickson (C’ 25), “Carl deserves so much credit, he really bent-over backwards to learn the score which is by no means a walk in the part for a singer, nonetheless a pianist. He also learned some orchestral parts that the piano wasn’t supposed to play. He was always willing to go over music with me nights after the shows.”
In the melodramatic end to the musical, Pierre is called in to console Natasha after Pierre banished Anatole for trying to take Natasha. Natasha is distraught after finding out that Anatole has a wife, losing Anatole from the banishing, and realizing that she has ruined her engagement with Andrey. This major turning point and the height of Harrison Best’s performance when Pierre confesses his love for Natasha and witnesses the great comet of 1812. This moment of enlightenment as Pierre watches the comet and sees that he can finally die happy after finding love. This combined with Best’s emotionally striking and dynamic vocals left the audience in awe as the emotions that Best was able to expel into the audience vibrated off the walls.
Buckley explains the ending, stating, “The musical leaves it up for interpretation, the audience is welcome to perceive it however they want to. I think Tolstoy wanted to create a happy ending for these characters.”
When asked how playing the role of Natasha compared to her other roles Buckley expressed, “I think this is the most fitting role I’ve played. When you are auditioning for things people always say ‘play your age’. I think this role has been more grounded in what a Natasha figure would act like. I’ve gotten other leading and supporting roles but this one felt more human and intense.” She also expressed her passion for the historical context of the musical. “I love the Regency era so it’s really fun to dress up in a Regency dress, like what I would give to go to a ball. This character is the archetype of the woman I want to portray for a long part of my life.”
Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812 sucked audiences out of their seats and into the Ensemble as they experienced the dramatic and colorful world of Moscow. Overall this was a wonderful showcase of Sewanee’s theatrical talents. A beautiful example of creative set design and non-traditional audience participation. Sewanee Theatre created a refreshing and modern take on a classic story that can be appreciated by all.