GRATE ‘COMET’ FUROR

‘Ousted actor’ anger

Broadway icon Mandy Patinkin will not take over the lead role in the Broadway hit “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” after a storm of outrage over the decision to have him replace black actor Okieriete “Oak” Onaodowan.

“My understanding of the show’s request that I step in . . . is not as it has been portrayed. I would never accept a role knowing it would harm another actor,” Patinkin wrote on social media Friday.

“I hear what members of the community have said and I agree with them. I am a huge fan of Oak and I will, therefore, not be appearing in the show.”

Producers of the play, which had been nominated for a Best Musical Tony, announced earlier this week that Oak had “graciously agreed” to end his run early to make room for Patinkin, who had been booked for the lead from Aug. 15 to Sept. 3.

Oak, who played James Madison in the Broadway megahit “Hamilton,” originally had been slated to stay until part of September.

He will now stay on only until Aug. 13 — and after that nobody knows who will step into the role.

The brouhaha has become the talk of Broadway.

“Imagine 2 weeks into your great review in a new show, the producers come to u& ‘ask’ you to step down so a white actor can take your place?” theater writer Rafael Casal tweeted.

Tony winner Cynthia Erivo wrote, “Mandy is a wonderful man, Oak is a wonderful man. This has been handled badly.’’

The original star of the musical was Josh Groban, but when he departed, his fans went with him and the box office took a big hit.

The producers issued an abject apology: “As part of our sincere efforts to keep ‘Comet’ running . . . we arranged for Mandy Patinkin to play Pierre. However, we had the wrong impression of how Oak felt . . .

“We regret our mistake deeply, and wish to express our apologies to everyone who felt hurt.’’

Oak, as well as the show, got raves from the audience at Friday evening’s performance.

“The actor who plays Pierre is really great,’’ said one theatergoer, who asked for anonymity because he doesn’t want to get publicly involved in the controversy.

“And the musical pieces are amazing.’’

But investors, to say the least, are not happy.

“We’re throwing up our hands,’’ one of them told The Post. “It’s like watching the Mooch implode in real time.’’