Josh Groban (lev radin / Shutterstock.com)
Grammy-nominated multi-platinum recording artist Josh Groban will make his long-awaited Broadway debut as ‘Pierre’ in Natasha, Pierre & The Great comet of 1812, the new musical The New York Times calls “a heaven-sent fireball” (Brantley) and “vibrant, thrillingly imagined” (Isherwood), Entertainment Weekly calls “a stunning, blazingly original musical,” and the New York Post calls “inventive, ravishing and full-on romantic.” Created by Dave Malloy (Preludes, Ghost Quartet) and directed by Rachel Chavkin (Small Mouth Sounds, Preludes), The Great Comet will land on Broadway in September 2016.
The Great Comet is a theatrical experience like no other. Malloy’s inspired adaptation of a 70-page slice of War and Peace puts audiences just inches away from Tolstoy’s brash young lovers, as they light up Moscow in an epic tale of romance and passion. It has been showered with rave reviews and a host of accolades, including the 2013 Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theater, a Special Citation from the OBIE Awards, five Drama Desk Award Nominations, two Drama League Award nominations, a Henry Hewes Design Award, and the Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Outstanding New Musical.
The Great Comet is currently playing a limited engagement (must end January 3, 2016) at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, where its innovative design has been expanded to bring the show’s signature intimate staging to a traditional proscenium-style theatre.
“I’m honored and excited to join The Great Comet family as it lands on the Great White Way,” said Groban. “I’ve admired this brilliant piece of work and its creators for a long time. It’s an imaginative and immersive show and a role that is fascinating to me on many levels. I’m thrilled to call it my first on Broadway and I hope everyone will join us.”
Josh Groban has entertained fans across the globe with his multi-platinum albums and DVDs (over 30 million sold worldwide), electrifying live performances, and comedic film and television appearances. The 34-year-old Los Angeles native is the only artist who has had two albums appear on the Top 20 Best-Selling Albums list of the past decade, according to Billboard. Groban has released seven studio albums, 2001’s self-titled double-platinum debut, 2003’s multi-platinum Closer, 2006’s double-platinum Awake, 2007’s quadruple-platinum Grammy-nominated Noel, 2010’s platinum Illuminations, and 2013’s All That Echoes, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, giving Groban his first No. 1 debut and third chart-topper.
In April, Groban released Stages, a collection of some of the greatest songs from musical theater. The album has been nominated for a 2016 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. In February, Groban will release a CD/DVD package, entitledStages Live, featuring performances recorded at the historic Los Angeles Theater in downtown L.A. for his all-new PBS special Josh Groban: Stages Live. In July 2016, he will embark on an extensive North American tour to support Stages, entitled “Josh Groban: On Stage.” An active arts education philanthropist and advocate, Groban is a member of Americans for the Arts Artists Committee and Groban’s Find Your Light Foundation helps enrich the lives of young people through arts, education, and cultural awareness.