Is the Great Comet really that confusing

I was there today and was my third time. Each time during intermission I have a lot of people sitting around me who are utterly confused and I end up spending the entire time explaining what's going on. I don't think it's hard to follow and I never even looked at the family tree thing before the first time. I mean, the opening number explains it and I feel like each character reintroduced themselves later. What gives?

To put it simply, this is the difference between the Broadway and off-Broadway crowd.

This is NOT TO SAY that Broadway audiences are dumb, stupid or naive. But you throw a very downtown-y, Off-Broadway production into a relatively large house and attach a major music star, you're gonna get a few audience members who aren't regular theatre-goers. And this show, for non-theatregoers can definitely be a little too quick, in my opinion.

I think the different characters who are related but different races, the opera "show within a show" and things that happen in different locations even though the actors are near the other is the cause for most of the confusion plus the Helene/Anatole subtext.

HogansHero said: "Agree 100%. They simply are not used to paying that close attention. In fact, I suspect if you gave fans at one of his concerts a test on the lyrics, most would fail. (And this in large part is why I don't think the show survives without him.)



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I think it might be better without him. I like him bc of the show but it's not for the regular JG fan. It's for a totally different crowd.

Hellob said: "the different characters who are related but different races"



I disagree. Maybe in a more naturalistic piece of theatre, but not in a show like this. But even still, in this scenario, wouldn't the audience member have to have already heard that they are related, then chosen to ignore that information due to the racial difference? If the text does a good enough job making it clear that 2 characters are related, the race element shouldn't enter into it. Unless the audience member makes the conscious decision to disregard that bit of information, and assume they can't be related because they are of different races.

If you want to make an argument that the show doesn't make the family relationships clear enough on its own, that's fine. But it's not like an audience member would ever say "The program, the opening number, and 4 characters all have said Anatole and Helene are siblings, but I'm still confused because she's Black." Give audiences a bit more credit than that!

Hellob said: "I think it might be better without him. I like him bc of the show but it's not for the regular JG fan. It's for a totally different crowd."

I sat with two Grobanites who shelled out for two premium seats in the recessed onstage area. They had no idea what the show even was, but loved him. And they enjoyed themselves immensely and wanted to see it again, so...

GreasedLightning said: "I think you all missed my point, sans Hogan."

Well, we weren't all necessarily responding to you. :) You have a great point, but I was responding to the OP.

between getting caught up in the spectacle and following the plot. Some people may be absorbing the experience, others the story.

I took my 13 year old sister to see Wicked and she hated it because she didn't understand the plot. My family insisted I take her to Comet because they thought she would like it. I was sure she was going to hate it because she wouldn't get the plot. I was half right. She didn't understand it at all, but she loved it! The lights, dancing, singing, she thought was cool and just went in not expecting to understand just enjoyed the expierience.

kdogg36 said: "GreasedLightning said: "I think you all missed my point, sans Hogan."

Well, we weren't all necessarily responding to you. :) You have a great point, but I was responding to the OP.





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You're right! I apologize for jumping to that conclusion. Sometimes on this board I forget actual, civilized discussions with differing opinions take place. I also agree 100% with your initial post in this thread!

Updated On: 1/4/17 at 08:35 PM

I think most of the show makes sense, with that said I did find it pretty confusing, all the different people, uncommon names, the show is pretty much all sung-through.

It's incredible what a repeat showing of Comet did for me in terms of plot digestion. I saw the show at A.R.T. last winter and thought it was sensational enough, even if I admittedly walked out not understanding everything that had happened plot-wise. When I revisited the show on Broadway earlier this season, though, there wasn't a single confusing moment to me. I don't blame people who are initially a bit confused, but I don't think it's a show that requires too much intricate thought to get what's going on.

I was usually able to keep track of the cast, even if I didn't remember the names. There were times where I lost a bit of plot, usually because I would be lost in the experience of the show, and the spectacle, or trying to remember what the Imperial looked like before the transformation. But I eventually found my way back.

To reiterate, no one has suggested that it defies comprehension. If War and Peace can be comprehended, this can. What's being discussed here (this seems obvious but apparently isn't universally) is whether vast swaths of the non-theatre-going audience leave more confused than they arrived, and whether that condition makes the overall experience less than they would want.