UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Centre Stage will produce Dave Malloy's Tony Award-winning musical "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812," an awe-inspiring experience, Oct. 17-29, at the Playhouse Theatre on the University Park campus. The show is directed by Christine O'Grady, assistant professor of musical theatre and graduate directing.

The immersive electro-pop opera drops the audience into the middle of Leo Tolstoy’s "War & Peace" with a cast of young revelers as the hosts. This rollicking end-of-the-world party will be rockin’ throughout the Playhouse. 

"Come party with us as we explore the moral ambiguities of love and satisfaction and await the fate of The Great Comet passing overhead," O'Grady said.

At the center of the evening are two 19th-century aristocrats: Moscow’s naïve debutante, Natasha, and Pierre, "a warm-hearted Russian of the old school,” as sung in the song lyrics. While the audience dances the night away, the protagonists’ lives chart contrasting courses from awakening to despair. At the very moment their stories intertwine, the comet appears, and they are forever changed. 

Assistant Professor of Theatre Studies Samuel Yates wrote, "Like the portentous comet passing overhead, Natasha and Pierre pull everyone into their orbit and reshape their stories."   

Evening performances at 7:30 p.m. are $28; preview performance at 7:30 p.m. is $23; and tickets for students are $15. For additional show information, visit the Penn State Centre Stage website. Non-Penn State arts and architecture students can see it for free by visiting this link.