Dingbat Theatre Project, which has staged some innovative productions of classic musicals over the years, is presenting a kind of breakthrough with its beautifully sung regional premiere of Dave Malloy’s exuberant pop opera “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812.”

The musical, which had a year-long run on Broadway beginning in 2016, is based on a small section of Leo Tolstoy’s massive novel “War and Peace.” War rages on “out there somewhere” the cast sings in the opening number, but the show is filled with internal battles as characters face conflicting emotions over thwarted romantic yearnings, the point of their lives and family infighting.

Malloy wrote the book, music and lyrics for a show that is completely sung in a style that mixes pop with hints of mid 19th century Russia and Eastern Europe. (Tolstoy’s novel was published in 1869.) It’s a challenging piece for any theater group (and for audiences), filled with intricate melodies and harmonies, as well as a complex story and multi-faceted characters.

On Broadway, the show was given an elegantly elaborate immersive production, with audience members seated in both traditional theater seats and in banquettes arranged on the stage, allowing everyone in the theater to feel part of the story.

Working with a much smaller cast and theater space, co-directors Luke Manual and Gretchen Beaumier achieve a similar effect in a rambunctious style. Audience members can sit at small tables in the VIP section, or in regular seats scattered around the room or on the floor cushioned by blankets and pillows as cast members sing and dance all around them.

Rather than trying to reinvent a show that most in the area won’t know, Manual and Beaumier present it in a relatively straightforward manner with their own Dingbat flourishes. The red and gold opulence of a grand night at the opera seen on Broadway is replaced by more of a sense of a night out at a disco.

Most important, even as the cast is running, dancing or bouncing around, under the musical direction of Heather Weiskerger, they sing the lyrics cleanly and clearly. There’s a lot of story to take in, but it’s relatively easy to follow, especially if you read the helpful synopsis in the program.

There are two main interconnected stories being told. One is about the wealthy but melancholy Pierre, who is trapped in a loveless marriage to Helene. He acknowledges that he’s eating and drinking himself away without meaning to his life. The other plot is about the arrival of the Countess Natasha to Moscow, where she plans to marry Andrey when he returns from the war. As she is introduced to society, she meets and is seduced by the rakish Anatole, Helene’s brother, who is already married to Sonya. 

Craig Weiskerger, who doesn’t perform all that often but always creates memorable performances, is a commanding if despondent Pierre. His gorgeous and powerful voice is perfectly matched to the music and it is inspiring to see how he is transformed when he finally meets Natasha and finds some purpose as he tries to save her.

Zahara Greco conveys a sweet and shy innocence as Natasha, though not quite the captivating presence described by the other characters, one who could easily turn heads or who doesn’t realize her own allure. Greco still plays the role with a powerful commitment that makes Natasha her own creation and matches well with the more subdued yet intense performance of Dylan Candella as Anatole. Candella doesn’t have quite the suave swagger mentioned in the lyrics, but they bring a hunger and desire to the character.

Individual singers are not always up to the power of the music, but when the cast members are singing together or in small groups, the songs have a rich sound that is energizing as they surround you.

You do get vocal heft, however, from several cast members, including Jessica Berent as the imposing family friend Marya, Heather Kopp as Pierre’s self-described slutty wife, Helene, and Caitlyn Mercede Turner as Anatole’s wife, Sonya. Ben Tschirgi has a slinky presence as Anatole’s friend and mischief-maker Dolokhov and Bryan Rodin impresses in two distinct roles and as a clarinetist.

The cast is well-accompanied by a four-member band led by Michelle Kasanofsky who assures that the music never overwhelms the singing.

Yasha Wilson has choreographed a few lively numbers that are focused more on purposeful movement than dancing. Working with Beaumier and Manual, she sets a playful atmosphere that also allows us to feel something, whether a sad realization of a broken dreams or a wonderful sense of hope in a star-filled finale of “The Great Comet of 1812.”

As much of an achievement as this show may be for the still-young and small Dingbat Theatre Project, which recently updated its mission to describe itself as Sarasota’s LGBTQIA+ theater, it is not a show for everyone. But those with a sense of adventure and appreciation of mystery should find rewards.

“Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812.” Book, words and music by Dave Malloy. Directed by Gretchen Beaumier and Luke Manual. Presented by Dingbat Theatre Project. Reviewed Aug. 14. Through Sept. 13. Tickets are $18-$60. dingbattheatre.org