Theater companies across the United States are readying productions of Richard III, An Enemy of the People, and other shows that can be pitched as a gloss on current events. Unfortunately, the show that offers the best response to our frenzied times is closing this weekend: Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.
Great Comet is a strange show. The musical covers only 80 or so pages of Tolstoy’s doorstopper tome. The two title characters share a scene only at the very end of the musical. The comet of the title is referenced only in the final song. Great Comet has the structure of a big, crowd-pleasing Broadway show, with raucous numbers and (semi-clad) chorus members bounding through the aisles. But all of its artistry is mustered to tell a very small story.
