288 S Second St, San Jose, CA

Natasha, Pierre &

The Great Comet of 1812

4/20/2023 – 6/04/2023

EXTENDED! Thanks to rave reviews from critics and fans, we’ve added five more performances! Catch this delectable comet before it soars away on June 4, 2023.

Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 by Dave Malloy
Adapted from War & Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Produced and Directed by Scott Evan Guggenheim
Musical Direction by Stephen Guggenheim
Choreographed by Shannon Guggenheim

Raise a glass to the cast, designers, and crew of this fantastic production! Tickets available now…get them while you can!

Experience the South Bay Premiere of

This Vibrant, Thrillingly Imagined New Musical

From celebrated and award-winning composer Dave Malloy comes Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, an electropop opera inspired by a scandalous slice of Leo Tolstoy’s War & Peace. The musical brings us just inches from Tolstoy’s brash young lovers as they light up Moscow in a “heaven-sent fireball” (The New York Times) of romance and passion. 

“One of the decade’s best musicals” (Time Out New York), THE GREAT COMET has “rousing music and ravishing performances” (Daily News) with a groundbreaking score that mixes rock, pop, soul, folk, and electronic dance music with classic Broadway. 

Natasha is a beautiful ingenue visiting Moscow while she waits for her beloved fiance Andrey to return from the war. In a moment of indiscretion, she is seduced by the dashing (but already married) Anatole and her position in society is ruined. Her only hope lies with Pierre, the lonely outsider whose love and compassion for Natasha may be the key to her redemption… and to the renewal of her soul.

This Tony Award®-winning musical makes its South Bay premier at San Jose Playhouse and is a don’t miss experience!

  • Tickets

    Admission: $25 – $55

    $55 Regular

    $50 Students, seniors, educators, and military

    $45 Youth

    $25 for Previews

    Group Discounts and Fundraising Opportunities available | Learn more

    There is a per-ticket box office fee charged at checkout that goes toward covering box office service provider and merchant service provider costs. Fees are waived for San Jose Playhouse Series Subscribers, a benefit of subscribing to a series in advance.

  • Length

    Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 runs 2 hours 30 minutes including one 15 minute intermission. 

  • Age Guide

    Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 is recommended for guests age 10 and up with guidance of mild adult themes and humor.

  • Showtimes

    Thursdays at 7:30pm 

    Fridays at 7:30pm

    Saturdays at 2:30pm and 7:30pm

    Sundays at 2:30

    No Saturday matinee on April 22

    Post-show Talk-backs: Thursday April 27 & Thursday, May 25


When observing the optics of San Jose Playhouse’s new production of “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,” it’s clear as day that the company housed in downtown San Jose’s 3Below Theaters has pulled out all the stops.

What is revealed are the most impressive visuals put out by the Playhouse in recent memory, a manifestation of scintillating set work from scenic and lighting designer Jon Gourdine. Throw in a live, 12-piece orchestra stewarded by band leader Tom Tomasello, and it’s clear a desire for spectacle was high on the list of priorities. Even standing outside the theater on 2nd and San Carlos offers up a massive promotion, urging potential customers to spend a few hours within the 70 pages of Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” where the musical bases its story.

Read more…


PRODUCTION TEAM

Set and Lighting Design Jon Gourdine
Costume Design by Julie Engelbrecht
Production Stage Managed by Phil Lowery*

CAST

Stephen Guggenheim*
Pierre
Paloma Aisenberg
Natasha
Annie Hunt
Sonya
Jared Lee*
Anatole
Susan Gundunas*
Marya D
Juanita Harris
Helene
F. James Raasch
Old Prince Bolkonsky / Andrey
Osher Fine
Mary / Opera Singer
Nick Rodrigues
Dolokhov
Corey Bryant*
Balaga / Opera Singer
Tom Tomasello
Band Leader / Keyboards
Gus Kambeitz
Bass
Jerald Bittle
Drums
Lindsey Ha
English Horn and Oboe
Flora Espinoza
Clarinet and Bass Clarinet
Nathaniel Grohmann
Cello
Phil Lowery*
Production Stage Manager
Juan Richardson
Assistant Stage Manager
Jon Gourdine
Set and Lighting Designer
Julie Engelbrecht
Costume Designer
*Member, Actors’ Equity Association

Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 is presented through special arrangement with Concord Theatricals. All authorized performance materials are also supplied by Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com