Earlier this month, musician and actor Mary Knapp released her solo album Disco Eclipse. The album tells the story of the accordionist’s unconventional journey to Broadway in the Tony-nominated Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.
“I was operating exclusively in the DIY music scene when out of the blue I got an email requesting an appointment for me to audition for the Great Comet,” she tells Playbill. “A month later, in September 2016, I started rehearsals for what would be the most physically intense and rewarding show in my life to date.”
Knapp made her Broadway debut in the ensemble—a track that would take its toll on her body. “I was not a trained dancer, and my body hurt almost the entire run of the show, but leading up to Tonys, I knew I had a more serious injury,” Knapp says. Disco Eclipse tells Knapp’s story, injury and all. The song “Bzzzness” is a duet with fellow Great Comet star Grace McLean and Knapp’s ode to War & Peace, the source material for the Dave Malloy-penned musical. Listen to the track here.
She penned most of the music while on Broadway; “Civilians,” “Bloody Murder,” and “Playground Politics” epitomize her experience at the height of the show’s journey. “Rainy Day,” “Toot Suite,” “Sway,” and “Fault Line” describe the aftermath of leaving the show, “having nothing to do all day, that your career is at a stand still... and finally finding your rhythm again.”
