See Photos From Korea’s “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812”
Ko Eun-sung as Anatole and Jung Eun-ji as Natasha
The musical "Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” finally opened on March 21, 2021 in Korea, after an initial fall delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The production, licensed by Broadway Asia, is directed by Kim Dong-yeon and produced by Shownote.
The Korean premiere includes some of Korea’s top-tier musical cast members, including Hong Kwang-ho, K.Will, Jung Eun-ji, Lee Hae-na, Lee Choong-joo, Park Kang-hyun and Ko Eun-sung.
“Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” is a sung-through musical adaptation of a 70-page segment from Leo Tolstoy's 1869 novel “War and Peace” written by composer/lyricist Dave Malloy. It is based on Part 8 of Tolstoy's novel, focusing on Natasha's affair with Anatole and Pierre's search for meaning in his life.
The Broadway production, directed by Rachel Chavkin, played 32 previews and 336 performances and was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, winning two(Best Scenic Design for Mimi Lien and Best Lighting Design in a Musical for Bradley King).
K. Will as Pierre
Director Kim Dong-yeon, who draws on the depth and dynamism of the show with various directing techniques, leads the Korean premiere alongside music director Kim Moon-jung. The musical’s 27 numbers feature various genres of music, including pop, electronic, classical, rock and hip-hop, and feature many actors, including the main character Pierre, play musical instruments themselves. The set of stage designer Oh Pil-young also transforms the entire interior of the Universal Art Center into an innovative and multi-dimensional space, providing an intense experience for the audience, even despite restrictive social distancing measures in place by the government (timelapse video here).
The musical "Great Comet" will be performed at the Universal Art Center from March 21 to May 30, 2021, and tickets and more information can be found here.
All photos courtesy of Shownote.
Natalie Rine (she/her) is an international entertainment licensing strategist and the Associate New York theatre critic for OnStage Blog. natalie@jeanealogyproductions.com