NATASHA, PIERRE, AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 Opens

UVA Drama to Present NATASHA, PIERRE, AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812

Reimagining an Electro-Pop Opera of Love, War, and Awakening

Directed by Diego Alejandro González
March 26–28 & April 1–3 at 8PM in the Ruth Caplin Theatre

Reserve Tickets Here!

UVA Drama invites audiences into a world of spectacle, longing, and revolutionary compassion with Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, the genre-defying musical by Dave Malloy. Directed and choreographed by New York–based queer Mexican guest artist Diego Alejandro González, this immersive staging transforms the Ruth Caplin Theatre into what González calls a “theater of aristocracy” — part opera house, part fashion runway, part dance floor, all emotional battleground.

Adapted from a luminous slice of Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Great Comet blends musical theater with techno, folk, classical, rock, and R&B influences. Its storytelling moves fluidly between first- and third-person narration, weaving Tolstoy’s original text with contemporary lyricism.

“Producing this work on a university stage gives students the chance to engage deeply with its complexity and share it with new audiences in a way that feels immediate and alive. “This piece sits at the intersection of so many genres and styles,” González shares. “It’s Tolstoy meets techno. It’s melodrama, novella, comedy, ballet-opera — all at once.”

A young woman with dark hair wearing a pink dress and writing a letter with a feather quill is in the foreground on the left. A young man with dark hair and glasses, wearing a dark suit and tie, is seated at a desk piled with books and paperwork, observing the young woman. A chandelier, theatre seats, and flowers are in the background. — In 1812 Moscow, Natasha Rostova (Anna Raimist, left) and Pierre Bezukhov (Lorenzo Bustamante, right) search for meaning and connection amid the pressures of aristocratic society and the shadow of war. UVA Drama’s production of **Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812,** by Dave Malloy, directed and choreographed by Guest Artist Diego Alejandro González, runs March 26–28 & April 1–3 at 8 PM in the Ruth Caplin Theatre. *Photo by Kori Price.*

Love and Awakening in a Fractured World

Set in 1812 Moscow on the edge of war, the musical follows Natasha Rostova and Pierre Bezukhov as their lives are thrown off course. Amid social pressures, personal mistakes, and the looming threat of invasion, both must decide who they are and what truly matters.

“We’re living in a time of war, injustice, and constant noise,” González reflects. “This musical reminds us that even with the world on the brink, awakening is possible.”

In Charlottesville — a place deeply intertwined with American history — the work invites audiences to consider power, performance, and healing. Echoing a recent public statement by Bad Bunny, González adds, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love. Love isn’t weak — it’s courageous and radical.”

A young woman with dark hair wearing a pink dress and writing a letter with a feather quill sits on a dark red setee, pillows and letters around her. — *Photo by Kori Price*

Reimagining Time and Perspective

Rather than presenting the musical as a traditional period piece, UVA Drama’s staging embraces anachronism. The creative team fuses classical silhouettes with contemporary high-fashion edge. Costumes are donned and shed onstage, underscoring the idea that identity is something we 'put on.' The set creates a stage-within-a-stage where characters observe and are observed.

“We wanted a container with classical and contemporary blood pumping in its veins,” González explains. “Instead of distancing audiences with a period drama, we’re bringing them so close that they feel part of it.”

Music Director Kristin Baltes leads Malloy’s intricate score, including a devised operatic sequence created with the performers. Assistant Director and Dramaturg Abby Milne lends expertise on War and Peace, and stage management team Katie Gordon and Leo Robinson support the cast in this layered work with care, creativity, and clarity.

For González, the project marks the first time revisiting and expanding a work previously co-directed at NYU’s New Studio on Broadway. “How do you take something created for 60 seats and reimagine it for a 250+ seat amphitheater? What deepens? What evolves?” González asks. “Rediscovering the piece through my own voice – and through this extraordinary company of artists – has been an invaluable opportunity.”

Whether new to the show or already humming along, audiences are invited to enter with curiosity – and leave with a simple but radical truth: our greatest superpower has always been our ability to love.

PERFORMANCE INFO

March 26-28 & April 1-3, 8PM – Ruth Caplin Theatre
Tickets: $18 General Admission | $16 Faculty / Staff / Seniors
Free Arts$ tickets for UVA students - reserve yours at least 24 hours in advance!
Reserve tickets at artsboxoffice.virginia.edu

Parking for UVA Drama productions is available in the Culbreth Garage, directly across from the theatre building. The garage is equipped with an elevator for your convenience.