If Great Comet was revived on Broadway tomorrow I would cast... (a 4-part series)
part 3: the mostly good people
Tamar Greene as Pierre Bezukhov - Though he’s known on Broadway for being the current George Washington in Hamilton, he was trained as an operatic tenor and classical pianist, training that would lend itself well to doing a good Dust and Ashes. His voice is somewhat similar to Josh’s but with richer lower notes. Also, it’d be nice to have a Pierre that matches Tolstoy’s description of a “a stout, heavily built young man with close-cropped hair” (unlike Groban).
Shereen Pimentel as Natasha Rostova - She did a cover of No One Else with Tyler Capa that was probably one of the best I’ve heard from someone outside the OBC Comet cast. Additionally, Maria in WSS is a very similar role both vocally and acting-wise to Natasha, but it’d be nice to see her in a production that doesn’t cut her big number and doesn’t have a creative team of ignorant white people trying to tackle race and all the other controversy that revival has. Also, the idea of her, Tamar, and Kuhoo harmonizing the “candle in the mirror” part of letters gives me chills (The clarity? the fact that it’d be the first time all 3 are played by people of color? astonishing)
Nora Schell as Sonya Rostova - I watched a few of her performances at bway sessions just out of curiousity and was immediately blown away by the clarity of her tone and, in particular her Waving Through a Window. (I’ve watched it twice despite not being a deh stan in any sense of the word). I thought about putting her as u/s Sonya & Mary but she really deserves a principal role. Her voice is pretty similar to Ashley (aka my favorite Sonya) but with a brighter high belt so she fits the role musically quite well. Additionally, I’ve been a little upset for quite some time at the lack of people who aren’t skinny white women playing the role.
Eden Espinosa as Marya D.: She has experience with weird edgy musicals about Russians directed by Rachel Chavkin (Lempicka) and slightly eccentric, frantic mother-figure roles (Trina, which is also pretty vocally similar to Marya). Few others have both of those things so I think she’s quite a solid pick.
