Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (often just called Great Comet or The Great Comet of 1812) is a sung-through musical adaptation of a small part of the Leo Tolstoy novel War and Peace. Despite its fairly short run on Broadway, it maintains a strong fan base.
==Canon==
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 mostly follows Natasha Rostova's affair with Anatole Kuragin and its aftermath, and Pierre Bezukhov's search for meaning in his life.
Major Characters
*Natalya "Natasha" Ilyinichna Rostova - An innocent, romantic nineteen-year-old ingenue who goes to Moscow to live under the care of her godmother Marya. She is betrothed to Andrey, but throughout the course of the musical falls in love with Anatole. Portrayed by Denee Benton in the original Broadway cast.
*Pyotr "Pierre" Kirlovich Bezukhov - The illegimate son of a Russian aristocratic family and one of the richest men in Moscow. Despite his wealth, he is socially awkward and quite melancholy. He is married to Helene and good friends with Andrey. Portrayed by Josh Groban in the original Broadway cast.
*Anatole Vasilyevich Kuragin - A hedonistic aristocrat who attempts to seduce Natasha. He is the brother of Helene and a good friend of Dolokhov's. Portrayed by Lucas Steele in the original Broadway cast.
*Sofya "Sonya" Alexandrovna Rostova - Natasha's cousin and closest friend who accompanies her to Moscow. Portrayed by Brittain Ashford in the original Broadway cast.
*Marya Dmitryevna Akhrosimova - Natasha's godmother, a grand dame of Moscow. Portrayed by Grace McLean in the original Broadway cast.
*Elena "Hélène" Vasilyevna Bezukhova - Anatole's sister and Pierre's wife. She is having an affair with Dolokhov. Portrayed by Amber Gray in the original Broadway cast.
*Fyodor "Fedya" Dolokhov - A friend of Anatole's and a talented marksman. He is having an affair with Helene. Portrayed by Nick Choksi in the original Broadway cast.
*Andrei "Andrey" Nikolayevich Bolkonsky - Natasha's betrothed. He spends most of the show fighting in the war. Portrayed by Nicholas Belton in the original Broadway cast.
*Marya "Mary" Nikolayevna Bolkonskya - Andrey's sister and the caretaker of their father, Old Prince Bolkonsky. She is confined at home and tormented by her father. Portrayed by Gelsey Bell in the original Broadway cast.
*Old Prince Bolkonsky - Andrey and Mary's father. He suffers from many age-related ailments, and torments his daughter Mary, though she takes care of him. Portrayed by Nicholas Belton in the original Broadway cast.
*Balaga - A famous troika driver who assists Anatole in his plan to elope with Natasha. Portrayed by Paul Pinto in the original Broadway cast.
==Fandom==
Great Comet first premiered off-Broadway in 2012 (starring show creator Dave Malloy as Pierre Bezukhov and then-unknown Phillipa Soo as Natasha Rostova, pre-Hamilton), but did not pick up much of a fan following until it opened at the American Repertory Theater in Massachusetts in 2015. A number of fics were posted to AO3 in mid-2016, between its closure at ART and its opening on Broadway in October 2016. The fandom grew in popularity in 2017, especially after it won two Tony awards in June of that year (many fans think it should have won more).Tumblr post by hpinfalsettoland (archived), September 28 2017 It closed on Broadway in September 2017, much to the sadness of the fans, due to controversy and low ticket sales.
===Controversy===
In July 2017, fan-favorite Hamilton star Okieriete Onaodowan assumed the role of Pierre Bezukhov. Less than two weeks later, it was announced that he would be replaced by Mandy Patinkin. This announcement upset fans and theater professionals, who were frustrated that a black actor would be so quickly replaced by a white actor, because, according to creator Dave Malloy, the replacement was happening due to low ticket sales.Dave Malloy on Twitter, July 28, 2017 (archived) Following these complaints, Patinkin announced he would not be joining the show. Malloy stepped in as Pierre for the remainder of the show's performances.
==Shipping==
The most popular ships are:
*Dolokhov/Anatole
*Marya/Helene
*Anatole/Natasha
*Pierre/Natasha AO3 sidebar as of November 10, 2017
*Natasha/Mary
*Andrey/Natasha
*Natasha/Helene
*Pierre/Andrey
==Example Fanworks==
===Fanfic===
*an ache i still remember by nosecoffee - Pierre remembers Hélène with clarity, her memory almost as bright as the comet that had restored some hope in him, but now, so many years after, she is both different and the same.
*the prick of a pretty, perfect and poisonous pearl by pomegarnet - She really could not help loving him.
*where to now? by iaintinapatientphase - Natasha, after.
*aim for the heart, shoot to kill by pyladic - In which Fyodor Dolokhov never misses the mark, except, of course, for when he does. Magical realism AU.
*Either Very Clever Or Very Stupid by MaplePaizley and thewhiskerydragon - In which it's a complicated high school drama and the Kuragin siblings are doing a tap-dance on Pierre's last nerve.
===Fanart===
*great comet characters- [1/10] natasha rostova, gifset by ofeighteentwelve
*i love the color yellow and pierre bezukhov, fanart by pellowcase
*untitled fanart by gaywarandpeace
*untitled fanart by corduroycove
==External Links==
*works tagged Great Comet at the Archive of Our Own
*works tagged Great Comet at FanFiction.net
*Tumblr search terms: great comet, natasha pierre and the great comet of 1812, npatgco1812
==References==
Category:Theater
Category:Fandoms by Source Text