Flashback Friday: Natasha, Pierre and the Great Tent of 2013

In 2012, a theatrical experience unlike any other opened at Ars Nova. Dave Malloy's Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 was described as an "electro-pop opera" inspired by 70 pages of Tolstoy's War & Peace. Fast-forward to 2017, when Malloy's musical, directed by Rachel Chavkin, earned more Tony nominations than any other show that year.

The Great Comet ends its Broadway run this weekend. To celebrate, we look back on the history of this unlikely hit in a video from one of its earliest incarnations — a custom-built tent in the Meatpacking District, where drinks flowed, supper was served, and the thrills of Malloy's astonishing piece of theater came to life all around you.