post your great comet experience!

i know that there's already a seating thread but that one is really to compare seats, not for sharing fun things that happened during the show.

so, what cool things did you experience when you saw great comet? (ex: did you get a letter? what did it say? who did the preshow speech for you?) i'll start.

the first time i saw it, i was sitting in the lower stage right tables in the sunken cavern. nick choksi (dolokhov) threw the dumplings. i got one! during the second chorus of prologue, lucas steele (anatole) came over and flirted with our section. during moscow, brittain ashford (sonya) waved at me. denée benton (natasha) was in front of us a lot during no one else. gelsey bell (mary) sang to me in letters! there were also a lot of little moments, eye contact, smiles, etc.

the second time i saw it, i sat in the front row of the rear mezz. during preshow, i had conversations with ensemble members brad and celia! during the opera, gelsey bell and paul pinto continued the opera right in front of us. during balaga and the abduction, both gelsey bell and brittain ashford danced in front of me for the majority of the songs. that isn't even half of it.

the third time i saw it, i was sitting in the inside of the second row of the stage right banquettes (aisle seat) we were right next to a little platform and stairs. lulu fall (ensemble) did the preshow speech. then, amber gray (hélène) came over and talked to lulu. amber was singing to us during the prologue, as did lulu and ashley from ensemble! i had a great view during pierre, since everyone ran past us a lot. billy (who plays the viola) sat on the stairs next to us during the opera. a lot of people walked past us in that song. people were dancing near me in the ball, the duel, and a lot of other songs. during letters, the ensemble members, lulu, ashley, kennedy, and katrina sang to me. during the abduction, i clinked water bottles with celia! lucas sat next to me during the russian custom part and high fived me. i nearly died. also, during pierre and anatole, hélène threw herself over in front of me, sobbing.

i really want to know about other people's experiences :)

1. The first time I saw the show back in February, I sat at the rear mezzanine. I did not know anything about Comet at all; I was only seeing it because: eh, it looks interesting, and I want to see something. By intermission, I was blown away and was dragging my friend to the shop to buy the Comet jacket. Lauren Zakrin was on as Natasha, and she was fantastic (I might actually prefer her than Denee). So far, it is the original musical who has exceeded my expectations the most.

2. I definitely knew I had to see it again, so I came back for a second round in March as a full-fledged Comet fan now. I sat at TP 2, which is the table right in the MIDDLE of the stage. I knew I was not going to have any personal privacy, but, wow, I did not expect it to be that much. It was GREAT.

- I came to the show alone and was seated with three strangers who were a family. It was a bit awkward but that didn't stop me from singing along and having a great time. I paid almost $200, so why should I give a ****?

- Lucas Steele came to our table to give a basket of pierogis while smirking at us.

-. Due to the nature of my seat, I was blinded by spotlights a couple of times. Should it have ruined my eyesight even more, it was worth it.

- Josh Groban spat at my direction during "Dust and Ashes" but I'm not complaining.

- Marya's bracelet fell right behind me; Grace McLean casually picked it up and put it back on.

- Did NOT get a letter, which was disappointing considering I was embarrassing myself throughout the entire show.

- Sitting onstage highlights little things the actors do that most people won't see. Sonya looks away in sadness every time Natasha wants to make a bad decision. Marya cries her heart out after Natasha attempts suicide. Helene screams in sadness and looks disappointingly at Pierre after Anatole is sent away. Noticing these little things really fleshes the supporting characters out. Rachel mother****ing Chavkin, everyone.

Plus the little fun things you notice as well, especially in the "The Duel" and "The Abduction" scenes. Sonya dressed as a 'rocker chick' making out (*cough* and more *cough*) with Dolokhov just a short distance behind me. Marya dressed as a dominatrix in a catsuit flirting with the audience, then making out with Helene. Balaga lifting an ensemble member during "The Abduction" waiting for Anatole to start the song again, loudly whispering and laughing, "wow, that was pretty long."

- During "No One Else", a loud sound (like something heavy fell) from backstage interrupted the most critical part of the song. Natasha was singing "You and IIIIII..." (BANG) "... and no one else...". It did it again during Pierre's monologue at the end. I was SCREAMING in frustration internally.

- My signed Comet window card proudly hangs on my wall.