Posted: 11/11/22 at 3:36am
Got back from this and really enjoyed it! I had good familiarity with both cast albums but never seen the production live, but something about that really brought the show into focus for me. I can sympathize with the characters a lot more, particularly Natasha, Sonya, Mary, and Pierre, and in general I feel like I just "get it" a lot more now. I knew Balaga was a fun song but I had never anticipated just _how_ fun it is, and while I always thought Sonya Alone was lovely, there's something about the way everything stops besides her and a guitar that really brings out the poignancy of the song.
Steven Hess was on for Pierre today, and I thought he did a fantastic job. Jacqueline Dennis I don't think is a true soprano in the way that Phillipa Soo and Denee Benton are, so a lot of the register is more mixed/belted, but I found her quite moving, especially for Pierre & Natasha. Natasha Lost was also retained (has that been done for other regional productions?)
The sound design can be a bit rough at times (understandable, given the seating arrangement, but not ideal), which mic levels a little inconsistent. In particular I wished Anatole's mic was turned up a bit, and all the electronic synths/sound effects (which I assume were pre-recorded?) could also have been louder. My friend knew nothing about the show and admitted to being a bit confused about all the specific events that happened, but did end up enjoying himself quite a bit.
I think the ideal place to sit for this would probably be the joint between the round part of the stage and the runway, but each seat would probably have its own advantages. They have a little ledge if you're at one of the stage seats where it's convenient to put down your program/a drink (contrary to the email they send out, they do allow drinks into the theater, and there are no specialty cocktails).
