The Great Comet Burns Bright

One of this Broadway season’s best shows is Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. So, it’s even more of a delight to read Steven Suskin and Dave Malloy’s book about the making of the show.

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812: The Journey of a New Musical to Broadway is sure to delight not just fans of the wildly inventive show, but also musical theater fans. It is chock-full of everything from costume sketches to lighting designs to staging notes; there are anecdotes from a variety of cast members about their journeys with the show (fun fact: Brittain Ashford and Gelsey Bell are the only two actors who have been with the show through it all). From Phillipa Soo (the original Natasha), Denée Benton (the current Natasha), and Lucas Steele (Anatole) to Josh Groban (the current Pierre), Mimi Lien (the brilliant set designer), and Rachel Chavkin (the director), we get to see the show being built from every angle. Even if you have not seen The Great Comet, all of those pieces are interesting enough to stand on their own.

For those who have seen the show–whether in its original incarnation at Ars Nova or at Klub Kazino or A.R.T. or on Broadway–reading about how it came to be will only make you love the show more. Dave Malloy is the creator, composer, and original Pierre of The Great Comet writes some of the most fascinating sections of the book when he discusses his inspiration for the feel of the show (a trip to Moscow and a late night music/food/drink experience at a cafe) and how he wrote the score (the annotations throughout the score that he shares are particularly cool to read). Another piece by The Great Comet‘s musical director, Or Matias, was revelatory. He details musical themes, he calls out what music relates to certain characters, and shares the genius of Dave Malloy’s creation. It is a reminder that musical theater is entertaining as well as an intricate work of art.

One final bonus that comes with this book? A CD featuring five songs from The Great Comet. Three of them comes directly from the original cast recording (Amber Gray’s fun rendition of “Charming”, Brittain Ashford’s heartbreaking “Sonya Alone”, and the rambunctious “Balaga”) and two new recordings from the current Broadway production (“Dust and Ashes” and “The Great Comet of 1812”, both showcasing Josh Groban’s beautiful voice).

There is so much to talk about after reading Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812: The Journey of a New Musical to Broadway, but it all actually comes down to this: it will make you see the show in a whole new light.

Buy the book here, or at your local bookstore.