Imagine a wild saloon with girls stomping and twirling in dresses, an accordion player banging out tunes and drunken revelry that escalates to merrymakers dancing atop the bar. Now transport this scene to 19th century Moscow. Replace the beer with vodka. Add a cello, piano, glockenspiel and viola. Place yourself at a cocktail table in the center of the action. You’ve now arrived at the experience you’ll have at Horizon Theatre’s immersive, raucous production of “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812″ directed by Heidi McKerley.
The play, which is based on 70 racy pages of Leo Tolstoy’s dense novel “War and Peace,” was nominated for 12 Tony Awards when it was on Broadway in 2017. Locally, Horizon Theatre production’s staging also won accolades. After its first run of shows in late 2023 sold out every night, its second round in early 2024 racked up eight Suzi Bass awards.
