{"id":236194,"date":"2026-01-13T20:20:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T20:20:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/236194\/"},"modified":"2026-01-13T20:20:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T20:20:07","slug":"usu-production-of-natasha-pierre-the-great-comet-of-1812-earns-accolades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/236194\/","title":{"rendered":"USU Production of ‘Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812’ Earns Accolades"},"content":{"rendered":"

LOGAN \u2013 Utah State University Opera Theatre\u2019s November production of \u201cNatasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812\u201d sold out seven performances, earning praise from audiences and local media while showcasing the depth of student talent and hands-on learning at USU.<\/p>\n

Performed in the round at the Lionhart Hall<\/a>, the production transformed the venue into an immersive environment where audience seating and actor performance spaces were fully integrated. From the moment patrons entered the venue, they became part of the experience, with hors d\u2019oeuvres and beverages served by the cast, creating a unique and engaging theatrical atmosphere.<\/p>\n

The production was recognized by Cache Valley Daily as the \u201cBest Production of 2025\u201d<\/a> in Cache Valley.<\/p>\n

Dallas Askoy, faculty director of USU Opera Theatre, said the sold-out run reflected both the quality of the program and the dedication of the students involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is something the students can be proud of,\u201d Askoy said. \u201cWhen a production connects with audiences, people talk about it and share it with their friends. That excitement builds, and some audience members returned multiple times because they enjoyed it so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

The production emphasized experiential learning, with students taking on leadership roles both onstage and behind the scenes, including performance and music direction to scenic and lighting design.<\/p>\n

Graduate student Shannon Hirschi, who served as music director for the production, described the experience as a meaningful professional milestone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the show highlighted the talent that we have at USU, especially in the theater and music departments,\u201d Hirschi said. \u201cIt was an incredible learning experience for me to work with the orchestra for this show and perform with current USU students as well as alumni.\u201d<\/p>\n

For senior voice performance major Holden Smith, who portrayed Pierre, the role pushed him artistically while reinforcing the collaborative nature of live performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was challenging and rewarding,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI had to learn how to play the accordion and perform piano live, which I\u2019d never done before, and being so involved onstage made the experience incredibly rewarding, especially getting to carry the emotional arc of the character.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dallas emphasized the pride faculty feel watching students reach this level of artistry and professionalism.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel very proud of them,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s incredibly meaningful to watch their growth and success.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith believes the production demonstrated how live theater brings people together through shared storytelling, strengthening a sense of connection within the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really believe that something magical happens when you get a lot of people together to hear a story,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI\u2019ve heard of a study where members of the production and the audience wore heart monitors, and their heart rates synchronized at specific points in the story. I think that spirit of community and connection is something we all crave.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more information about USU Opera Theatre, visit the website.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LOGAN \u2013 Utah State University Opera Theatre\u2019s November production of \u201cNatasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812\u201d…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":236195,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[146,85,46,4178,43,13372,22055,789,13265,8445,122176],"class_list":["post-236194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-entertainment","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-media","tag-news","tag-press-releases","tag-stories","tag-story","tag-today","tag-utah","tag-utah-state-university"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=236194"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236194\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/236195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=236194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=236194"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=236194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}