natasha, pierre, & the great comet of 1812
“Almost immediately after the events portrayed in this piece, Napoleon will invade and Moscow will be burned to the ground. Many of the characters won’t live much longer. Like [War and Peace], Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812 is about the small humans at sea in the vast confusion of history, their pettiness, their mistakes, and their redemption.” - Rachel Chavkin (developer and director of the original productions)
Reading this perspective on the adaptation of Tolstoy’s masterpiece was my initial ‘in’ to approaching the musical. Similarly to the characters, I currently am feeling at odds with being a small fish in that stressful sea, where wars rage on out of sight but not out of mind, and our lives could dramatically and tragically change at any moment depending on the government’s will. And yet, here I sit, in a place of extreme privilege, working in the performing arts where I can put my phone down and stop the doom scrolling, to collaborate and unintentionally forget about all the more important things going on.
In many ways, this production is exploring how to contend with that cognitive juxtaposition, and the ways in which it messes with your mind. The characters in the show either ignore the violence and unsettled nature of their world, idolize it, or are tormented and weighed down by it. How can someone live a normal and stable life when all of that is happening? This is why these characters make major, often nonsensical choices - after all, how often have you made a big, rash decision recently, at times when all felt lost?
This production is my way of trying to relate to these classical characters at a time that feels incredibly distant and different from our reality – and yet, often feels identical from our own politics. A reading room in a university library offers the same faux-safety that a Russian club in the 1800’s did. Only this time, we have phones instead of letters.
Book, Music, & Lyrics by Dave Malloy
from Tolstoy’s War and Peace
Director: Ryan Dobrin
Choreographer: Mandie Rapoza
Music Director: Carol Lombardi
Associate Music Director: Nicole D’Angelo
Scenic Designer: Aaron Turetsky
Costume Designer: Julie Thiry-Couvillion
Hair & Wig Designer: Jordan Conklin-Yousef
Lighting Designer: Alex Mannix
Sound Designer: Nina Field
Intimacy Director: Renee Redding-Jones
Production Stage Manager: Samara Lee
Assistant Directors: Jensyn Berreitter, Gianna Scalcione
Assistant Choreographers: Lizzie Johnson, Bella Marie
Dance Captain: Lizzie Johnson
Assistant Dance Captain: John Kearney
Dramaturgs: Sofia Cintron, Emelie Peinado, Anessyi Pena
Assistant Scenic Designer: Olivia Tortorella
Technical Assistant / Assistant Scenic Designer: Emily Guercia
Props Head: Kyle Talbert
Assistant Props: Kate Miller
Stage Carpenter: Wyatt Lietro
Run Crew: Lila Knowles, Andrea Aviles, Claire Brown, Jared Rang, Azazel Sen, Abigail Drueding
Assistant Costume Designers: Nim Boudreau, Max Vann
Assistant Hair and Make-up Designer: Kami Smith
Wardrobe Heads: Lily Grady, Ansel Brasel
Dressers: Jaime Lyback, Carolina Navarro, Alexis Hamilin Lilly Mae Stover, Sean Hoffman, Abigail Matinzi, Carolina Queyonte, Allison Hancox, Charlotte Vybihal
Assistant Lighting Designer: Gary Magino
Head Electrician: Sierra Wade
Assistant Electrician: Tori Opitz
Light Board Operator: Daniel DaSilva
Deck LX: Manny Platis
Follow Spots: Brayden Dorman, Jack Mattern
Assistant Sound Designer: Lily Weigand
Audio 1: Zoey Gromadyzn
Audio 2: Peter Papangelopoulous, Maura Mays, Harper Leon-Duffy
Assistant Stage Managers: Elli Caunitis, Rachel Hornstein, Bren Lab, Leah Hugo, Jameson Detitta
Music Direction Intern: Sean Johnson
Orchestra Manager: Arianna Nguyen-Habaerneski
Rehearsal Pianists: Bruce De La Cruz, Nicole D’Angelo
Contractor: Meg Zervoulis
Orchestra: Adrienne Balfour, JP Bernabe, Bailey Coon, Nicole D’Angelo, Nick Jorgensen, Justin Kemp, Carol Lombardi, Laura Masferrer, Sarah Overton, Danielle Sinclair, Erin Smith
Ensemble: Jeffrey Castellano, Adrian Colon-Burgos, Leilani Ford, Owen Gately, John Greisen, John Kearney, Makena Mitchell, Mackenzie McCarthy, Matty Morales Ward, Robert Myers, Logan O’Leary, Mandie Nico Perez, Trinity Quinto, Ben Renfrow, Naomi Serrano, Bridget Sindelar, Anjelica Soto, Lexi Tabor, Tishaun Turner
Understudies: Jeffrey Castellano (Pierre), Chloe Stavis (Natasha), Naomi Serrano (Sonya), John Kearney (Anatole), Leilani Ford (Helene), Lily Tewfik (Marya D, Mary), Owen Gately (Dolokhov), John Greisen (Bolkonsky, Andrey), Emiliee R. Johnson (Balaga)
Swings: Gabby Flores, Emilee R. Johnson, Lizzie Johnson, Chloe Stavos, Bella Marie
Production: Montclair State University, November 2025
Photos Courtesy of John La Rosa & Mandi Dellagicoma
