Anna Beth Baker and Bradley Johnson (center) and Cast Photo by Jolie Morehouse Olson

The show, with book, music, and lyrics by Dave Malloy, is based on a 70-page mid-section of Leo Tolstoy's epic Russian novel, "War and Peace"–specifically, for those who know the original, Part V of Volume II of the four-volume opus. "War and Peace" concerns the Napoleonic wars and Napoleon's failed attempt to conquer Russia, as seen through the eyes of the Russian aristocracy. Some of these aristocratic families were very wealthy and powerful, while others were struggling to retain their place among the upper class after having lost their fortunes through bad luck, bad morals, or both.

This section covers the intersections of the narrative arcs of members of four of those families over the course of just a few days, most significantly, of Natasha Rostov, who is the 17-years-old beautiful, romantic, and impulsive third child of the Rostov family, and Pierre Bezukhov, a misfit who has taken to drinking large amounts while searching for the meaning of life and his purpose in it. Natasha is betrothed by Andrey, who is off fighting in the war and is Pierre's best friend. Pierre is married, but most unhappily, to a woman named Helene. Helene, described right from the start as a "slut," is having an affair with a fellow named Dolokhov. Dolokhov's best friend is Helene's brother Anatole, a womanizer who is described from the very start as "hot." His own sister says, "He moved with a swagger which would have been ridiculous if he were not so good-looking."

Along with all of the above is Andrey's father, Prince Bolklonsky, who disapproves of his prospective daughter-in-law, Natasha. Actually, he disapproves of everyone, including his own dispirited daughter, Mary. There is also Marya, Natasha's old-school godmother with whom Natasha and her cousin and best friend Sonya are staying while in Moscow, a trip they have taken for Natasha to meet her fiancé's family. The last character of note is Balaga, a dare-devil troika driver. These characters are introduced during the show's opening "Prologue," an ingenious number that challenges the audience to commit the roster to memory–while reminding us that, should we fail, they are all listed in our programs.

Malloy plays with a variety of presentational modes. Some scenes are enacted as naturalistic conversations between two or more characters. At other times, a character breaks the fourth wall, speaking directly to the audience, while still other times, a character narrates a scene for other characters. There are even moments when two characters share a scene, each narrating the other's actions. Oh, and did I mention that all of this is sung through? There are just a couple of lines of spoken dialogue that come late in the show. This blend of theatrical modes may seem like a lot to manage and make sense of, but Malloy pulls it off masterfully.

Malloy's score is unlike any other score for musical theatre in my memory. Out of twenty-seven listed musical pieces, only a handful come near what I would consider to be a song. The others are either recitatives, or amalgamations of several musical themes that constitute a dramatic scene. The sounds bring to mind Russian folk music, as well as electro-dance music, sometimes simultaneously. I had listened to the original cast recording before seeing it and found it feel like an overreach–but applied to a fully visualized production, it produces a spell-binding effect. Like the presentational mix, it seems like an unlikely project that yields remarkable results–engrossing, spirited, and inspired.

This fully visualized production can be credited to Lindsay Fitzgerald's keenly observant direction, making smart choices about using the Elision Playhouse's space, reconfigured for this production, with the center of the orchestra seats removed to provide an added performance space and replaced by candle-lit bistro table and high-boy seating on either side of the band. The timing between scenes and the movement of actors within scenes is as fluid as the Moskva River that flows through Moscow.

Fitzgerald is also the production's designer. She has placed love seats on daises at either side of the long stage–a stiff and formal one is the home of prickly Bolkonsky, one covered in elegant tufts is the manse of the socially proper Marya. Drapes hanging behind each reach up to and across the ceiling, gathering in the center, from which a dazzling crystal chandelier hangs over the proceedings. The painted floor is a stunning night sky with heavenly bodies and, of course, the arc of the Great Comet. Fitzgerald's costumes are richly elegant where elegance is called for, turning to gauzy whites that amplify Jenessa Iverson's free-spirited choreography.

The actors, oh what a marvelous ensemble. The title leads, Phineas Bynum as Pierre and Anna Beth Baker as Natasha, suit their characters to a T, each with a beautiful, supple voice and a full realization of their characters' central roles in the narrative. If I call out Bradley Johnson as Anatole, who makes good on his characterization as "hot," and Christine Wade as Helene, who handily embodies her introduction as a "slut," I need to hastily add Vanessa Gamble as Marya, Kyler Chase as Dolokhov, Maureen O'Malley as Sonya (her delivery of "Sonya Alone" is among the highlights, and Hawken Paul, who brings a genius for dance and as a violinist to the stage as the exuberant Balaga.

Several other actors play instruments on occasion and the rest of the band–four musicians along with Theatre Elision's extraordinary music director, Wade Harrison–plays brilliantly, meeting the challenge of providing music for the entirety of the show's two long acts. The quality of the vocals is, as always at Theatre Elision, a hallmark, marrying beautiful tones with precise commitment to character, as Christine Wade proves once again to be a superior vocal director.

In the course of the play, the title characters are the most changed, each in ways that, despite them both having suffered severe blows, provide a strong surge of uplift. This enables us to leave the theater feeling hope, in spite of the greed and debauchery and cunning and envy and vanity that have seemed to dominate the air. At the end is the Great Comet, putting our woes in perspective within an enormous universe.

This is a beautiful and rare production of a literate, artful work. It is a great achievement for the small but clearly mighty Theatre Elision. Anyone interested in experiencing a unique breath of musical theatre life must see it.

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 runs through November 22, 2025, at the Elision Playhouse, 6105 42nd Avenue North, Crystal MN. For tickets and information, please visit www.elisionproductions.com. [Note, as of opening night, the engagement was 90% sold out.]

Book, Music, and Lyrics: Dave Malloy; Book: Sarah Gancher; Director and Designer: Lindsay Fitzgerald; Music Director: Harrison Wade; Vocal Director: Christine Wade; Choreographer: Jenessa Iverson; Sound Design: Andrea Johnson; Sound Assistant: Lilly Paul; Lighting Design and Stage Manager: Laina Grendle; Production Associate: Cally Ahlin.

Cast: Jim Ahrens (Prince Bolkonsky), Anna Beth Baker (Natasha), Phinehas Bynum (Pierre), Kyle Camay (ensemble), Kyler Chase (Dolokhov), Devin Dalquist (bassoon/keys), Emily Dussault (ensemble), Vanessa Gamble (Marya), Emily Hensley (accordion/ensemble), Jenessa Iverson (ensemble/bass), Bradley Johnson (Anatole), MK Mackey (ensemble), Jeff A. Miller (guitar/bass), Maureen O'Malley (Sonya), Hawken Paul (Balaga/Andrey/violin) Annie Schiferl (Mary), Christine Wade (Helene/oboe), Harrison Wade (keyboards/clarinet), Rae Wasson (cello), Miles Whealy (drums).