Denee Benton Talks Her Role in The Great Comet

Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 is coming to Broadway this fall, with the supremely talented Josh Groban in the role of Pierre. Most Broadway audiences know and love Josh Groban, but they might be less familiar with the breathtaking Denee Benton, who will also be making her Broadway debut. Vulture's Angelica Jade Bastien spoke with Denee Benton in a recent interview.

Angelica Jade Bastien: So, you’re going to be on Broadway in October. Congratulations.
Denee Benton: I’m very excited, to say the least.

AJB: Can you tell us a little about the role and what to expect?
DB: It’s a new musical called Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. It’s like a rock/pop opera that’s based on a small sliver of War and Peace. Dave Malloy, our creator, is a genius and wrote this amazing musical about it. I play Natasha. It’s a really magical show. It’s not immersive, but the audience is onstage with us. Natasha is an ingenue, Russian countess, she makes some mistakes along the way. It’s really unique. It’s definitely a dream role. Between her and Ruby, they’re both ingenues. For Ruby to be an ingenue — this black girl with her natural hair who has a really strong point of view — is amazing. For me to get play a Russian countess, which doesn’t happen very often, is amazing.

AJB: You mentioned that both Ruby and Natasha are sort of ingenues. What other kind of roles are you interested in playing?
DB: I love a good biopic. I would love to play one of the women who inspire me, from Michelle Obama to Diana Ross. I think that would be a really cool thing to cross off my bucket list. I’m sort of in a place where two really big things are happening in my career. I’m curious to see what comes my way... READ MORE