Broadway Breakdown – Deep Dive: NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 (Part 1)

Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Matt Koplik
Guest: Natalie Walker

Main Theme

In this electrifying, expletive-laden episode, Matt Koplik and guest Natalie Walker (actor, writer, Drama Desk/Lortel nominee) plunge into a passionate, sprawling discussion of Dave Malloy’s NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812. The episode focuses on the show’s origins, its place in Broadway history, the performers who shaped it, and why it stands as a singular work in contemporary musical theatre. Personal anecdotes, deep dive analysis, and playful bickering abound as Matt and Natalie celebrate and dissect a score and production that reignited their love for musicals.

Episode Highlights

Introduction & Guest Welcome (00:37–03:30)

Matt opens with theatrical banter, referencing laryngitis, awards snubs, and gay Broadway gossip.
Natalie introduced as “drama desk made a mistake” nominee, with playful self-deprecation.
Standout quote:
Natalie [01:26]: “The drama desk made a mistake, honey, that's the only mistake that's been made. The powers that be have no idea what they've wrought."

How the Show Entered Their Lives (05:38–12:26)

Natalie discovered Great Comet through her admiration for Shaina Taub (who replaced Gelsey Bell as Mary in the original production).
Describes seeing the tent production downtown, calling it "lightning in a bottle":
Natalie [05:38]: “I just fell so in love with the world of it, all of the voices, the music...It was a very immersive, eye opening, transformative experience.”
Matt retells being peer-pressured into attending, not loving it initially, but "analyzing" it so much he realized he was obsessed by default.
Both agree Great Comet was pivotal in reigniting their passion for the artform, especially non-commercial, offbeat musical theatre.

Origins & Evolution of the Show (14:00–19:34)

Matt details Dave Malloy’s roots in experimental theatre, ARS NOVA origins, and the process of adapting a 70-page slice of War and Peace.
“No One Else” written specifically for Philippa Soo (Natasha); rewrites from Ars Nova to the Meatpacking tent added depth.
Discussion of the show’s immersive casino-style staging, musical rewrites, and artistic developments as it moved from Ars Nova to Broadway and ART in Boston.

Reception, Tonys, and Best Musical Lineup (17:56–19:34)

Celebration and lament over Great Comet’s powerful but under-rewarded Tony season (lost Best Musical to Dear Evan Hansen).
Matt opines:
Matt [18:16]: “That is the last great, best musical lineup at the Tonys that we've had...even if there's one you don't like, you can't be like, Great Comet is exactly what Dear Evan Hansen does. They do very different things.”

Favorite Songs & Sequence Discussion (19:34–31:18)

Natalie crowns "The Duel" as her desert island song for its energy and orchestral complexity.
Both hosts rave about the sonic diversity of the original cast: “idiosyncratic sounds all coexisting and creating this whole.”
Natalie [21:04]: “Amber Gray. I mean, that voice. Oh, God. Earth. The kid is alive and well with him, right?”
Matt exalts “No One Else” and highlights its technical and emotional challenges for performers, especially Philippa Soo.
Both discuss how “No One Else” and “The Opera” provide glimpses into Natasha’s emotional world, anchoring the show’s narrative richness.

The Performances: A Philippa Soo Lovefest (22:54–36:44)

Matt and Natalie wax poetic about Soo’s Natasha and how uniquely suited she was for the role.
Matt: “I can't describe the feeling of seeing someone so perfectly suited for a role that shows off all of their talents that you've never seen before.”
Natalie notes: “I have never in my life rooted for an ingenue like this. And who is she?”
Both argue that other Soo roles (Hamilton, Amélie) underutilized her, compared to the “multitudes” of Natasha.
Thorough analysis of how Natasha is allowed a complex, sometimes infuriating humanity—“beautiful and innocent and infuriating and judgmental and all of the things that a young woman…is.”

Character & Narrative Dissection (31:18–37:38)

They break down Natasha’s arc: pretty, privileged, finally in society, intoxicated by attention, and vulnerable to Anatole’s seduction.
Matt: “The world does treat people differently when they find them attractive...she's getting this kind of attention for the first time. And it's intoxicating to her."
Quick literary context: in the novel, Natasha is 17–18, meets Andre (early 30s), fraught age gap, and the source chapter is notably complex.

Thematic Analysis: Lust vs. Love, The Meadowlark Effect (45:04–47:11)

Anatole as sexual awakening: “He is a sexual awakening for her... She mistakes the lust she has for love, and he, the experienced predator he is, pounces on that and confuses her.”
Matt draws a parallel to The Baker’s Wife's “Meadowlark”: "It's the whole thing—is just Meadowlark."

Malloy’s Score, Orchestration, and Unique Voices (48:18–49:40)

Discussion of unique voice casting; no “homogenized new musical theatre sound.”
Both rave about original cast voices, especially gritty, undefinable textures.

Difference Between Intimate Tent Productions and Broadway (49:40–54:48)

Main distinction: tent productions had an intimacy and emotional heat, lost somewhat on Broadway’s big stage.
Matt: “By going for that energy for a bigger room, there were certain things that I felt got a little bit lost…some of the genuine, earnest emotion from the tent, specifically.”
Natalie agrees the immersive spark and “voyeuristic tension” was vital: Natalie [50:31]: "You felt the sparks between them. You were like, I'm a voyeur...They want to fuck in this opera box!"

Pierre as Central Arc & Message (57:14–59:20)

Matt admits not understanding why Pierre closed the show until seeing Josh Groban and Dave Malloy play the role.
Natalie: "He is the arc the whole time. Like, Natasha's the action. He is the message."
Both praise Malloy's songwriting for Pierre—as honest about midlife crisis, depression, and alienation as it is funny and soulful.

Lyrical Approach and Tolstoy’s Voice (61:14–63:23)

Malloy “cheats” to include as much Tolstoy prose as possible.
The show’s ability to convey complex backstories (e.g., Pierre’s outsider status, sudden inheritance) impresses Matt.

Natasha's Late-Show Arc (64:00–65:54)

The journey from elopement scheme, confrontation, botched arsenic suicide, and fragile reunion with Pierre.
Matt: “It's a moment of, like, I've been there. Not that bad stream. Never gotten that far. Just like, of going, oh, I need to make a bold choice because...Nothing makes sense anymore. And then I make the choice. I'm like, oh, this was a mistake.”

BROADER THEMES: "Touch Grass" and the Scale of Life (66:11–70:59)

The episode ends with reflections on cosmic scale—Pierre’s self-absorption is broken by the appearance of the comet, a reminder of nature, beauty, and perspective.
Natalie compares Pierre to a modern “incel on his phone”: Natalie [68:01]: “The way Pierre interacts with his books in the show feels like in modern times, someone that is depressed will be like, 'I'm on my phone scrolling all day.' He needs to, literally, 'touch grass.'”
Matt: "If anything, the message of Great Comet is: go touch grass."

Notable Quotes & Moments

On Natasha/Philippa Soo

Natalie [25:09]: “That performance as Natasha... was everything. You had forgotten that an ingenue-type of role could be that.”
Matt [22:54]: “It's not just her performance. The whole show works. So it's not like she's carrying it. Everything bolsters everybody.”

On Intimacy Lost on Broadway

Matt [49:40]: “There were certain things that I felt got a little bit lost. I felt some of the genuine, earnest emotion from the tent, specifically...”

On Pierre’s Arc

Natalie [58:23]: “He is the arc the whole time. Like, Natasha's the action. He is the message.”

On Modern Relevance

Natalie [68:01]: “The way that Pierre interacts with, you know, his books in the show feels like in modern times, someone that is depressed will be like, I'm on my phone scrolling all day.”

Banter and Self-Deprecation

Natalie [80:58]: “That rules. Rest in piss, brother.” [re: Matt’s problematic voice teacher]

Key Timestamps

00:37: Show/guest intro, Natalie banter
05:38: How Natalie encountered Great Comet, Shaina Taub connection
14:00: Show’s creation — Dave Malloy, Ars Nova origins
19:34: Songs they couldn’t live without, “The Duel,” deep analysis
22:54: “No One Else,” Philippa Soo and the art of the ingenue
31:18: Natasha’s narrative arc, guessing her psychology
45:04: Lust vs. love debate, "Meadowlark" parallel
48:18: Unique casting/orchestration digression
49:40: The tent’s intimacy vs. Broadway’s distance
57:14: Pierre as the true arc/message of the show
61:14: Lyrical adaptation, Tolstoy
66:11: What does Pierre learn? "Touch grass" thematics
80:58: Wrapping up, plug for Natalie’s "Mental Extravagance" Substack
87:11: Real Housewives/Housewives parallel; final banter
90:03: Lust, Anatole’s voice, and Lucas Steele’s butt

Final Segment

Dreamcasting & Gender-Bending

Natalie feels the show is strongest with unknowns & “gender-free” casting:
“I kind of think, like, it all needs to be, like, gender free. Like, everything is whatever...I think Comet has to work best if you kind of don't know any of the people that well.”
Matt wants to be Natasha, but would also gladly do Maria’s big numbers in a gender-bent production.

Closing Diva: Natalie nominates Donna Murphy singing "Me and My Town" to end the episode.

Summary Tone

The episode features deep analysis, intense passion, and a raunchy, freewheeling comedic tone. Matt and Natalie are unfiltered with their opinions—a mix of reverence for art and gleeful shade, peppered with inside-theatre stories and tangents.

Takeaways for Non-Listeners

Not a simple review, but a loving, erudite, and personal deep dive: The hosts outline why Great Comet wasn't just another adaptation, but a turning point for contemporary musical theatre, and for themselves as fans.
The episode covers the history, the unique creative process, and the impact of specific artists, especially Philippa Soo and Dave Malloy.
Key themes: the necessity of casting individuals with strong personalities/unique voices, the importance of intimacy in theatre, and what it means to “touch grass”—stepping outside oneself for clarity and wonder.

Listen to Broadway Breakdown for more deep-dive conversation, strong opinions, and theatre gossip: bwaybreakdown.substack.com

Broadway Breakdown – Deep Dive: NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 (Part 1)

Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Matt Koplik
Guest: Natalie Walker

Main Theme

Episode Highlights

Introduction & Guest Welcome (00:37–03:30)

Matt opens with theatrical banter, referencing laryngitis, awards snubs, and gay Broadway gossip.
Natalie introduced as “drama desk made a mistake” nominee, with playful self-deprecation.
Standout quote:
Natalie [01:26]: “The drama desk made a mistake, honey, that's the only mistake that's been made. The powers that be have no idea what they've wrought."

How the Show Entered Their Lives (05:38–12:26)

Natalie discovered Great Comet through her admiration for Shaina Taub (who replaced Gelsey Bell as Mary in the original production).
Describes seeing the tent production downtown, calling it "lightning in a bottle":
Natalie [05:38]: “I just fell so in love with the world of it, all of the voices, the music...It was a very immersive, eye opening, transformative experience.”
Matt retells being peer-pressured into attending, not loving it initially, but "analyzing" it so much he realized he was obsessed by default.
Both agree Great Comet was pivotal in reigniting their passion for the artform, especially non-commercial, offbeat musical theatre.

Origins & Evolution of the Show (14:00–19:34)

Matt details Dave Malloy’s roots in experimental theatre, ARS NOVA origins, and the process of adapting a 70-page slice of War and Peace.
“No One Else” written specifically for Philippa Soo (Natasha); rewrites from Ars Nova to the Meatpacking tent added depth.
Discussion of the show’s immersive casino-style staging, musical rewrites, and artistic developments as it moved from Ars Nova to Broadway and ART in Boston.

Reception, Tonys, and Best Musical Lineup (17:56–19:34)

Celebration and lament over Great Comet’s powerful but under-rewarded Tony season (lost Best Musical to Dear Evan Hansen).
Matt opines:
Matt [18:16]: “That is the last great, best musical lineup at the Tonys that we've had...even if there's one you don't like, you can't be like, Great Comet is exactly what Dear Evan Hansen does. They do very different things.”

Favorite Songs & Sequence Discussion (19:34–31:18)

Natalie crowns "The Duel" as her desert island song for its energy and orchestral complexity.
Both hosts rave about the sonic diversity of the original cast: “idiosyncratic sounds all coexisting and creating this whole.”
Natalie [21:04]: “Amber Gray. I mean, that voice. Oh, God. Earth. The kid is alive and well with him, right?”
Matt exalts “No One Else” and highlights its technical and emotional challenges for performers, especially Philippa Soo.
Both discuss how “No One Else” and “The Opera” provide glimpses into Natasha’s emotional world, anchoring the show’s narrative richness.

The Performances: A Philippa Soo Lovefest (22:54–36:44)

Matt and Natalie wax poetic about Soo’s Natasha and how uniquely suited she was for the role.
Matt: “I can't describe the feeling of seeing someone so perfectly suited for a role that shows off all of their talents that you've never seen before.”
Natalie notes: “I have never in my life rooted for an ingenue like this. And who is she?”
Both argue that other Soo roles (Hamilton, Amélie) underutilized her, compared to the “multitudes” of Natasha.
Thorough analysis of how Natasha is allowed a complex, sometimes infuriating humanity—“beautiful and innocent and infuriating and judgmental and all of the things that a young woman…is.”

Character & Narrative Dissection (31:18–37:38)

They break down Natasha’s arc: pretty, privileged, finally in society, intoxicated by attention, and vulnerable to Anatole’s seduction.
Matt: “The world does treat people differently when they find them attractive...she's getting this kind of attention for the first time. And it's intoxicating to her."
Quick literary context: in the novel, Natasha is 17–18, meets Andre (early 30s), fraught age gap, and the source chapter is notably complex.

Thematic Analysis: Lust vs. Love, The Meadowlark Effect (45:04–47:11)

Anatole as sexual awakening: “He is a sexual awakening for her... She mistakes the lust she has for love, and he, the experienced predator he is, pounces on that and confuses her.”
Matt draws a parallel to The Baker’s Wife's “Meadowlark”: "It's the whole thing—is just Meadowlark."

Malloy’s Score, Orchestration, and Unique Voices (48:18–49:40)

Discussion of unique voice casting; no “homogenized new musical theatre sound.”
Both rave about original cast voices, especially gritty, undefinable textures.

Difference Between Intimate Tent Productions and Broadway (49:40–54:48)

Main distinction: tent productions had an intimacy and emotional heat, lost somewhat on Broadway’s big stage.
Matt: “By going for that energy for a bigger room, there were certain things that I felt got a little bit lost…some of the genuine, earnest emotion from the tent, specifically.”
Natalie agrees the immersive spark and “voyeuristic tension” was vital: Natalie [50:31]: "You felt the sparks between them. You were like, I'm a voyeur...They want to fuck in this opera box!"

Pierre as Central Arc & Message (57:14–59:20)

Matt admits not understanding why Pierre closed the show until seeing Josh Groban and Dave Malloy play the role.
Natalie: "He is the arc the whole time. Like, Natasha's the action. He is the message."
Both praise Malloy's songwriting for Pierre—as honest about midlife crisis, depression, and alienation as it is funny and soulful.

Lyrical Approach and Tolstoy’s Voice (61:14–63:23)

Malloy “cheats” to include as much Tolstoy prose as possible.
The show’s ability to convey complex backstories (e.g., Pierre’s outsider status, sudden inheritance) impresses Matt.

Natasha's Late-Show Arc (64:00–65:54)

The journey from elopement scheme, confrontation, botched arsenic suicide, and fragile reunion with Pierre.
Matt: “It's a moment of, like, I've been there. Not that bad stream. Never gotten that far. Just like, of going, oh, I need to make a bold choice because...Nothing makes sense anymore. And then I make the choice. I'm like, oh, this was a mistake.”

BROADER THEMES: "Touch Grass" and the Scale of Life (66:11–70:59)

The episode ends with reflections on cosmic scale—Pierre’s self-absorption is broken by the appearance of the comet, a reminder of nature, beauty, and perspective.
Natalie compares Pierre to a modern “incel on his phone”: Natalie [68:01]: “The way Pierre interacts with his books in the show feels like in modern times, someone that is depressed will be like, 'I'm on my phone scrolling all day.' He needs to, literally, 'touch grass.'”
Matt: "If anything, the message of Great Comet is: go touch grass."

Notable Quotes & Moments

On Natasha/Philippa Soo

Natalie [25:09]: “That performance as Natasha... was everything. You had forgotten that an ingenue-type of role could be that.”
Matt [22:54]: “It's not just her performance. The whole show works. So it's not like she's carrying it. Everything bolsters everybody.”

On Intimacy Lost on Broadway

Matt [49:40]: “There were certain things that I felt got a little bit lost. I felt some of the genuine, earnest emotion from the tent, specifically...”

On Pierre’s Arc

Natalie [58:23]: “He is the arc the whole time. Like, Natasha's the action. He is the message.”

On Modern Relevance

Natalie [68:01]: “The way that Pierre interacts with, you know, his books in the show feels like in modern times, someone that is depressed will be like, I'm on my phone scrolling all day.”

Banter and Self-Deprecation

Natalie [80:58]: “That rules. Rest in piss, brother.” [re: Matt’s problematic voice teacher]

Key Timestamps

00:37: Show/guest intro, Natalie banter
05:38: How Natalie encountered Great Comet, Shaina Taub connection
14:00: Show’s creation — Dave Malloy, Ars Nova origins
19:34: Songs they couldn’t live without, “The Duel,” deep analysis
22:54: “No One Else,” Philippa Soo and the art of the ingenue
31:18: Natasha’s narrative arc, guessing her psychology
45:04: Lust vs. love debate, "Meadowlark" parallel
48:18: Unique casting/orchestration digression
49:40: The tent’s intimacy vs. Broadway’s distance
57:14: Pierre as the true arc/message of the show
61:14: Lyrical adaptation, Tolstoy
66:11: What does Pierre learn? "Touch grass" thematics
80:58: Wrapping up, plug for Natalie’s "Mental Extravagance" Substack
87:11: Real Housewives/Housewives parallel; final banter
90:03: Lust, Anatole’s voice, and Lucas Steele’s butt

Final Segment

Dreamcasting & Gender-Bending

Natalie feels the show is strongest with unknowns & “gender-free” casting:
“I kind of think, like, it all needs to be, like, gender free. Like, everything is whatever...I think Comet has to work best if you kind of don't know any of the people that well.”
Matt wants to be Natasha, but would also gladly do Maria’s big numbers in a gender-bent production.

Closing Diva: Natalie nominates Donna Murphy singing "Me and My Town" to end the episode.

Summary Tone

Takeaways for Non-Listeners

Not a simple review, but a loving, erudite, and personal deep dive: The hosts outline why Great Comet wasn't just another adaptation, but a turning point for contemporary musical theatre, and for themselves as fans.
The episode covers the history, the unique creative process, and the impact of specific artists, especially Philippa Soo and Dave Malloy.
Key themes: the necessity of casting individuals with strong personalities/unique voices, the importance of intimacy in theatre, and what it means to “touch grass”—stepping outside oneself for clarity and wonder.

Listen to Broadway Breakdown for more deep-dive conversation, strong opinions, and theatre gossip: bwaybreakdown.substack.com

Deep Dive: NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 (Part 1)

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Summary

Broadway Breakdown – Deep Dive: NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 (Part 1)

Main Theme

Episode Highlights

Introduction & Guest Welcome (00:37–03:30)

How the Show Entered Their Lives (05:38–12:26)

Origins & Evolution of the Show (14:00–19:34)

Reception, Tonys, and Best Musical Lineup (17:56–19:34)

Favorite Songs & Sequence Discussion (19:34–31:18)

The Performances: A Philippa Soo Lovefest (22:54–36:44)

Character & Narrative Dissection (31:18–37:38)

Thematic Analysis: Lust vs. Love, The Meadowlark Effect (45:04–47:11)

Malloy’s Score, Orchestration, and Unique Voices (48:18–49:40)

Difference Between Intimate Tent Productions and Broadway (49:40–54:48)

Pierre as Central Arc & Message (57:14–59:20)

Lyrical Approach and Tolstoy’s Voice (61:14–63:23)

Natasha's Late-Show Arc (64:00–65:54)

BROADER THEMES: "Touch Grass" and the Scale of Life (66:11–70:59)

Notable Quotes & Moments

On Natasha/Philippa Soo

On Intimacy Lost on Broadway

On Pierre’s Arc

On Modern Relevance

Banter and Self-Deprecation

Key Timestamps

Final Segment

Summary Tone

Takeaways for Non-Listeners

Summary

Broadway Breakdown – Deep Dive: NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 (Part 1)

Main Theme

Episode Highlights

Introduction & Guest Welcome (00:37–03:30)

How the Show Entered Their Lives (05:38–12:26)

Origins & Evolution of the Show (14:00–19:34)

Reception, Tonys, and Best Musical Lineup (17:56–19:34)

Favorite Songs & Sequence Discussion (19:34–31:18)

The Performances: A Philippa Soo Lovefest (22:54–36:44)

Character & Narrative Dissection (31:18–37:38)

Thematic Analysis: Lust vs. Love, The Meadowlark Effect (45:04–47:11)

Malloy’s Score, Orchestration, and Unique Voices (48:18–49:40)

Difference Between Intimate Tent Productions and Broadway (49:40–54:48)

Pierre as Central Arc & Message (57:14–59:20)

Lyrical Approach and Tolstoy’s Voice (61:14–63:23)

Natasha's Late-Show Arc (64:00–65:54)

BROADER THEMES: "Touch Grass" and the Scale of Life (66:11–70:59)

Notable Quotes & Moments

On Natasha/Philippa Soo

On Intimacy Lost on Broadway

On Pierre’s Arc

On Modern Relevance

Banter and Self-Deprecation

Key Timestamps

Final Segment

Summary Tone

Takeaways for Non-Listeners