Prologue
The Great Comet Original Cast Lyrics


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PIERRE: There's a war going on out there somewhere
And Andrey isn't here
There's a war going on out there somewhere
And Andrey isn't here
ALL: There's a war going on out there somewhere
And Andrey isn't here
There's a war going on out there somewhere
And Andrey isn't here
This is all in your program
You are at the opera
You're gonna have to study up a little bit
If you wanna keep with the plot
'Cuz it's a complicated Russian novel
Everyone's got nine different names
So look it up in your program
We appreciate it, thanks a lot
Dada da da da da da da daaa
Natasha!
NATASHA: Natasha is young
She loves Andrey with all her heart
ALL: She loves Andrey with all her heart
Natasha is young
And Andrey isn't here
SONYA: Sonya is good
Natasha's cousin and closest friend
ALL: Natasha's cousin and closest friend
Sonya is good
Natasha is young
And Andrey isn't here!
MARYA: Marya is old-school
A grand dame of Moscow
Natasha's godmother, strict yet kind
ALL: Natasha's godmother, strict yet kind
Marya is old-school
Sonya is good
Natasha is young
And Andrey isn't here!
This is all in your program
You are at the opera
You're gonna have to study up a little bit
If you want to keep with the plot
'Cuz it's a complicated Russian novel
Everyone's got nine different names
So look it up in your program
We appreciate it, thanks a lot
Da da da da da da da da daaa
Anatole!
ANATOLE: Anatole is hot!
He spends his money on women and wine
ALL: He spends his money on women and wine
Anatole is hot
Marya is old-school
Sonya is good
Natasha is young
And Andrey isn't here!
HÉLÈNE: Hélène is a slut
Anatole's sister, married to Pierre
ALL: Anatole's sister, married to Pierre
Hélène is a slut
Anatole is hot
Marya is old-school
Sonya is good
Natasha is young
And Andrey isn't here
DOLOKHOV: Dolokhov is fierce, but not too important
Anatole's friend, a crazy good shot
ALL: Anatole's friend, a crazy good shot
Dolokhov is fierce
Hélène is a slut
Anatole is hot
Marya is old-school
Sonya is good
Natasha is young
And Andrey isn't here!
Chandeliers and caviar, the war can't touch us here!
Minor characters!
BOLKONSKY: Old Prince Bolkonsky is crazy
MARY: And Mary is plain
MARY and BOLKONSKY: Andrey's family, totally messed up
BALAGA: And Balaga's just for fun!
ALL: Balaga's just for fun!
Balaga's fun
Bolkonsky is crazy
Mary is plain
Dolokhov is fierce
Hélène is a slut
Anatole is hot
Marya is old-school
Sonya is good
Natasha is young
And Andrey isn't here!
What about Pierre?
Dear bewildered and awkward Pierre
What about Pierre?
Rich, unhappily married Pierre
What about Pierre?




What about Pierre?
What about Pierre?

Overall Meaning

The Great Comet Original Cast's song Prologue is the opening number of the Tony-nominated musical Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. The song is a recap of the characters and the setting of the story, which is based on a small part of Leo Tolstoy's classic novel War and Peace. The lyrics are sung by the characters themselves, introducing themselves briefly to the audience.


The song starts with Pierre, who tells the audience that there's a war going on somewhere, and Andrey, one of the main characters, isn't there. The other characters then introduce themselves starting with Natasha, who is in love with Andrey, her cousin Sonya, Natasha's godmother Marya, Anatole, who is hot and spends his money on women and wine, and his sister Hélène, who is a slut and married to Pierre. Dolokhov is Anatole's friend, who is a fierce and crazy good shot, Old Prince Bolkonsky is crazy, Mary is plain, and Balaga is just for fun.


The lyrics also suggest that the story is complicated, with everyone having nine different names, and the audience needs to study up a little bit to keep up with the plot. The song then ends with the question, "What about Pierre?" which hints at Pierre's significant role in the story.


Line by Line Meaning

There's a war going on out there somewhere
The story takes place in a time of war.


And Andrey isn't here
Andrey, a significant character, is absent.


This is all in your program
The audience is reminded to use their libretto to read the storyline.


You are at the opera
The audience is informed that they are watching an opera.


You're gonna have to study up a little bit
It is recommended that the audience familiarizes themselves with the story to understand better.


If you wanna keep with the plot
To keep up with the storyline, it is highly advised to read the libretto.


'Cuz it's a complicated Russian novel
The opera's plot is based on a challenging Russian novel.


Everyone's got nine different names
It can be confusing to keep track of all the characters due to each having multiple names, titles, and surnames.


So look it up in your program
The audience is again encouraged to refer to their libretto to understand the story better.


We appreciate it, thanks a lot
The cast thanks the audience for their cooperation and effort to understand the story better.


Natasha!
The character Natasha is introduced.


She loves Andrey with all her heart
Natasha has strong feelings for Andrey.


Sonya is good
Sonya is a well-behaved and kind person.


Natasha's cousin and closest friend
Sonya is Natasha's cousin and best friend.


Marya is old-school
Marya is an old-fashioned and traditional woman.


Natasha's godmother, strict yet kind
Marya is Natasha's godmother and a strict but caring person.


Anatole!
The character Anatole is introduced.


He spends his money on women and wine
Anatole is a wealthy young man who spends his wealth on pleasure.


Hélène is a slut
Hélène is a promiscuous woman.


Anatole's sister, married to Pierre
Hélène is Pierre's wife and Anatole's sister.


Dolokhov is fierce
Dolokhov is a dangerous and violent man.


Anatole's friend, a crazy good shot
Dolokhov is Anatole's friend, an expert in firearms.


Balaga's just for fun!
Balaga is a character that provides comedic relief in the story.


What about Pierre?
The character Pierre is mentioned.


Dear bewildered and awkward Pierre
Pierre is described as uncertain and uncomfortable.


Rich, unhappily married Pierre
Pierre is wealthy but unhappily married.




Contributed by Joseph D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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