Natasha Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 is a musical that premiered on Broadway in 2016. It is based on an excerpt from War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy and adapted by Dave Malloy. The musical follows the story of Natasha Rostova, a young girl who falls in love with Anatole, a charming rogue. The show features an eclectic mix of music, including traditional Russian folk and contemporary pop/rock.

The musical score of Natasha Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 is unique, and singer-actors have to vocally carry the challenging melodic lines. The driving force behind the music are Russian-style vocals, including choral singing with complex harmonies, which establishes a distinct sound. If you want to learn to sing like a Natasha Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 performer, check out the following tips.

Vocal Technique

• Russian music is renowned for its powerful vocals, so try to use the diaphragm as the primary source of breath support when singing the Russian-style vocals of Natasha Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812. Sing with an open and tall posture, while keeping your shoulders relaxed.
• Maintain openness at the back of the throat and tongued constructs to ascertain the perfect sound quality.
• Experiment with added nasality in sound production which will lend the voice extra character.
• In the show, singers alternate between chest voice and head voice. If you aren’t used to singing in both the registers, Singing Carrots' article on voice registers and vocal break can help you to identify and experiment with different registers.

Warm-Up Techniques

• The Russian-style singing demands a well-warmed-up voice, so begin with diaphragm breathing exercises and arpeggios. Singing Carrots' video on Farinelli Breathing are great to practice diaphragm breathing.
• Sing scales, both up and down the scale, to build your voice and maintain pitch accuracy throughout your singing.
• The vocal arrangement in this show often comprises flexibility and agility, so practice 3 Minute Warm Up every day to achieve vocal dexterity.

Practice Songs

• Singing Carrots helps you to find songs by vocal range, so find the songs that match the vocal range in your comfort range from the various production numbers.
• "Prologue" and "Balaga" are fast-paced and tongue-twisty numbers and great warm-ups for a full and resonant voice.
• The song "Charming" features an impressive whistle register sung by the actress who played Natasha in the original Broadway production. If you're interested in improving your whistle register, check out the article on vocal technique: heavy modal, twang, and belting and practice exercises such as sustain vocal.
• Another song, "The Private and Intimate Life of the House", is an excellent example of complex harmonies and includes extensive resonance moments, which makes it a great exercise to build resonance according to Singing Carrots' article on Resonance in singing.

Singing Carrots Tools

• Use the vocal range test to determine your full vocal range.
• Once you know your vocal range, search for songs that are a good match for your range, difficulty, and genre preference using Singing Carrots' song search.
• To practice maintaining pitch accuracy, try Singing Carrots pitch accuracy test along with exercises like Humming.
• To have pitch monitoring while you practice on your own, make use of Singing Carrots' Vocal Pitch Monitor.