Stage Door News

Toronto: Cast announced for “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812”

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Today Crow’s Theatre and The Musical Stage Company announced the cast and creative team for the long-awaited Canadian premiere of the Broadway phenomenon NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 by Dave Malloy. This 12-time Tony-nominated musical delivers a radically contemporary and moving take on Tolstoy’s War and Peace through its audacious storytelling and groundbreaking score that mixes indie rock, pop, folk, electronic dance and classic Broadway music.

Created by Dave Malloy who was first introduced to Toronto audiences with his haunted and whisky-fuelled song cycle Ghost Quartet at Crow’s Theatre, NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 is directed by Crow’s Theatre Artistic Director Chris Abraham with choreography by Ray Hogg, the critically acclaimed Artistic Director of The Musical Stage Company, and featuring music direction by Ryan deSouza, Associate Music Director at the Shaw Festival.

“Dave’s imaginative universe is incredibly unique,” says Crow’s Theatre Artistic Director Chris Abraham. “He has a mastery of musical styles and boldly treads outside convention to create worlds that defy description. In 2019 Crow’s produced the Canadian Premiere of GHOST QUARTET and audiences walked away rocked and awakened to his extraordinary talent. With NATASHA AND PIERRE…, Dave has taken one of the world’s most beloved novels and swirl edits beguiling love story into one of the most electric musical theatre experiences of the past 25 years. Beginning this December, Crow’s Theatre has partnered with The Musical Stage Company to host Canada’s most extraordinary musical theatre artists under one roof, for an absolutely unmissable experience. On top of it all, Crow’s theatre will be transformed by the Dora Award-winning design team that brought together last seasons lauded productions. Their upcoming work on NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 will no doubt have audiences once again talking about their immersive designs.”

The highly lauded cast for the Canadian premiere of NATASHA, PIERRE &THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 includes Divine Brown (The Secret  Chord: A Leonard Cohen  Experience, Soulpepper), Evan Buliung (Fun Home, The Musical Stage Company and Mirvish Productions), Camille Eanga-Selenge (The Lion King, Broadway North American Tour), Donna Garner (Master and Margarita, Crow’s Theatre), Hailey Gillis (Ghost Quartet, Crow’s Theatre), George Krissa (The Holiday Sitter, Hallmark Movies), Lawrence Libor (Maggie, Charlottetown Festival), Marcus Nance (Baz Luhrmann’s La Bohème, Broadway), Heeyun Park 박희윤 (La Bête, Talk is Free Theatre), Andrew Penner (Ghost Quartet, Crow’s Theatre), Louise Pitre (Mamma Mia, Mirvish Productions and Broadway; Next to Normal, The Musical Stage Company and Mirvish Productions), and Brendan Wall (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Mirvish Productions). The highly awarded design team includes co-set designers Julie Fox (Fifteen Dogs, Crow’s Theatre) and Josh Quinlan (Uncle Vanya, Crow’s Theatre), costume designer Ming Wong (Red Velvet, Crow’s Theatre), and lighting designer Kimberly Purtell (Uncle Vanya, Crow’s Theatre). 

"The Musical Stage Company believes in pushing boundaries and exploring the countless forms of musical storytelling, and Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 is a bold and thrilling example of embracing the unexpected and exploring the outer edges of the art form. Dave Malloy's groundbreaking and innovative approach challenges audiences to see musical theatre in a boundaryless, immersive world of passion, drama, and spectacle, while embracing the richness and realism of the relationships that drive the story. We’re so looking forward to partnering with Crow’s Theatre to finally bring the Canadian Premiere of this show to audiences in Toronto and beyond." Ray Hogg, Artistic Director, The Musical Stage Company

NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 had its world premiere in New York City in 2012 at Ars Nova before moving into a specially built cabaret-style space in the meat packing district. The show moved to Broadway in 2016 at the Imperial Theatre and starred Denée Benton and Josh Groban as Natasha and Pierre.

NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 will take over the Guloien Theatre at Streetcar Crowsnest in a Canadian premiere production from two of Canada's most acclaimed theatre companies. Winner of two Tony Awards, three Lucille Lortel Awards, the Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Musical, a Special Obie Citation, and the Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theater, NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 is “the most innovative and the best new musical to open on Broadway since Hamilton” (The New York Times).

A Crow’s Theatre and The Musical Stage Company Co-Production

NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812

Book, Music and lyrics by Dave Malloy

Adapted from the novel War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Choreography by Ray Hogg

Music Direction by Ryan deSouza

Directed by Chris Abraham

Starring

Divine Brown, Evan Buliung, Camille Eanga-Selenge, Donna Garner,

Hailey Gillis, George Krissa, Lawrence Libor, Marcus Nance,

Heeyun Park 박희윤, Andrew Penner, Louise Pitre, Brendan Wall

Co-Set Designers Julie Fox and Josh Quinlan

Costume Designer Ming Wong

Lighting Designer Kimberly Purtell

December 5, 2023, to January 7, 2024

Opening Night: Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Guloien Theatre, Streetcar Crowsnest

Canadian Premiere

NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812

runs Tuesday to Saturday at 7:30pm, and Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 1:30pm.

For more information and to purchase tickets please visit www.crowstheatre.com or call 647.341.7390 ext.1010 or email boxoffice@crowstheatre.com or drop by 345 Carlaw Avenue (at Dundas Street East).

Details and pricing about the Immersive Comet Experience to come. Seating will be extremely limited.

Subscribers will have the first opportunity to upgrade.

NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 is available in the following curated subscription packages: Complete Crows, Valiant Voices, Sublime Stories, and Complete Crows Preview; and Design Your Own Flight Path, our four- and six-ticket flexible subscriptions.

WAYS TO SAVE

1.Subscribe and save up to 50% on single ticket prices

2. $50 preview performances

3. Sunday Pay-What-You-Can matinees

4. $20 student and Under 30 tickets

5. $25 arts workers tickets

6. 20% discount for seniors 65+

7. 30% discount for groups of eight or more