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Stage Production Notes
Chess is a pop-opera that tells the story of a love triangle set at the World Chess Championship, where the final two players are a Russian and an American.
Based on an idea by Tim Rice, Chess began life in 1984 as a concept album. The album featured the talents of Elaine Paige, Murray Head, Tommy Körberg, Barbara Dickson, Denis Quilley, Björn Skifs, the London Symphony Orchestra, and The Ambrosian Singers.
The concept album reached Platinum and Gold status in the UK, and three singles, “I Know Him So Well,” “One Night in Bangkok,” and “Anthem,” also became best-sellers. Following the release of the concept album, various concerts were held around Europe.
In 1985, the original singers were bought together to make a series of music videos to help further promote the album. The videos are now available on DVD under the title Chess Moves.
Chess received its first full theatrical staging in 1986 when the show was produced on the West End. Initially directed by Michael Bennett, who had to withdraw due to illness, the production was directed by Trevor Nunn.
Chess opened at the Prince Edward Theatre on May 14, 1986. The cast featured Elaine Paige, Tommy Körberg, Murray Head, and Siobhan McCarthy. Although the production received mixed reviews, it ran for three years before closing on April 8, 1989.
For its Broadway debut, Chess was completely re-written and re-designed. Directed once again by Trevor Nunn, the cast featured Judy Kuhn, Philip Casnoff and David Carroll.
The Broadway production was a huge flop, and closed after a mere eight weeks. Lyricist Tim Rice has since described it as a “misconceived Broadway escapade.”
Despite the lack of commercial and critical success of the West End and Broadway productions, Chess continues to be produced around the world. A Swedish-language concert version was staged in 2002. The production, with a new book by Lars Rudolfson, was filmed and released on DVD.
In an attempt to address the structural issues of Chess, directors have altered the script, re-arranged placement of the songs, and even changed the ending, resulting in several different versions of the show. The 2008 Royal Albert Hall concert production (more information below) is now considered to be the definitive version.
In April 2015, the new definitive version was performed with a Swedish cast in various locations around Sweden.
Chess is a pop-opera that tells the story of a love triangle set at the World Chess Championship, where the final two players are a Russian and an American.
Based on an idea by Tim Rice, Chess began life in 1984 as a concept album. The album featured the talents of Elaine Paige, Murray Head, Tommy Körberg, Barbara Dickson, Denis Quilley, Björn Skifs, the London Symphony Orchestra, and The Ambrosian Singers.
The concept album reached Platinum and Gold status in the UK, and three singles, “I Know Him So Well,” “One Night in Bangkok,” and “Anthem,” also became best-sellers. Following the release of the concept album, various concerts were held around Europe.
In 1985, the original singers were bought together to make a series of music videos to help further promote the album. The videos are now available on DVD under the title Chess Moves.
Chess received its first full theatrical staging in 1986 when the show was produced on the West End. Initially directed by Michael Bennett, who had to withdraw due to illness, the production was directed by Trevor Nunn.
Chess opened at the Prince Edward Theatre on May 14, 1986. The cast featured Elaine Paige, Tommy Körberg, Murray Head, and Siobhan McCarthy. Although the production received mixed reviews, it ran for three years before closing on April 8, 1989.
For its Broadway debut, Chess was completely re-written and re-designed. Directed once again by Trevor Nunn, the cast featured Judy Kuhn, Philip Casnoff and David Carroll.
The Broadway production was a huge flop, and closed after a mere eight weeks. Lyricist Tim Rice has since described it as a “misconceived Broadway escapade.”
Despite the lack of commercial and critical success of the West End and Broadway productions, Chess continues to be produced around the world. A Swedish-language concert version was staged in 2002. The production, with a new book by Lars Rudolfson, was filmed and released on DVD.
In an attempt to address the structural issues of Chess, directors have altered the script, re-arranged placement of the songs, and even changed the ending, resulting in several different versions of the show. The 2008 Royal Albert Hall concert production (more information below) is now considered to be the definitive version.
In April 2015, the new definitive version was performed with a Swedish cast in various locations around Sweden.
Filmed Production Notes
Late in 2007, a special one-night-only concert at Royal Albert Hall was announced for 2008. Shortly after it was announced the concert would feature the talents of musical theatre stars Idina Menzel and Adam Pascal, and singing sensation Josh Groban. The cast also included David Bedella, who played the role of Frank ’n’ Furter in the 2015 production of Rocky Horror.
Produced by Tim Rice and Hugh Wooldridge, the concert was based on the original concept album, and intended to create “the definitive version” of the musical.
Chess in Concert was a smash hit, with both shows selling out.
The concert was filmed and received a wide release in June 2009. It was screened in cinemas, and played on television, throughout the UK, and in North America. Shortly after, the film was also released on DVD and Blu-Ray.
The film received mixed reviews. Andrew Pulver, writing for The Guardian, gave the “filmed record” a two-star review, stating it was “an expensively mounted show, with pleasingly enthusiastic singing from all concerned” but ultimately too long. Theater Review’s Brad Rudy found the film “ cold and uninvolving” and claimed it had been "filmed by an ADHD-riddled fool who never lets the camera stay still long enough to appreciate any of the… human moments of interconnection, and seldom cuts with any sense of the rhythm of the music.”
Late in 2007, a special one-night-only concert at Royal Albert Hall was announced for 2008. Shortly after it was announced the concert would feature the talents of musical theatre stars Idina Menzel and Adam Pascal, and singing sensation Josh Groban. The cast also included David Bedella, who played the role of Frank ’n’ Furter in the 2015 production of Rocky Horror.
Produced by Tim Rice and Hugh Wooldridge, the concert was based on the original concept album, and intended to create “the definitive version” of the musical.
Chess in Concert was a smash hit, with both shows selling out.
The concert was filmed and received a wide release in June 2009. It was screened in cinemas, and played on television, throughout the UK, and in North America. Shortly after, the film was also released on DVD and Blu-Ray.
The film received mixed reviews. Andrew Pulver, writing for The Guardian, gave the “filmed record” a two-star review, stating it was “an expensively mounted show, with pleasingly enthusiastic singing from all concerned” but ultimately too long. Theater Review’s Brad Rudy found the film “ cold and uninvolving” and claimed it had been "filmed by an ADHD-riddled fool who never lets the camera stay still long enough to appreciate any of the… human moments of interconnection, and seldom cuts with any sense of the rhythm of the music.”
On the other side of the board, several critics praised the film. Theatre critic Mark Shenton stated that the filmed live version was better than the live experience. Shenton attributed this to the excellent sound quality of the DVD, and the ability of the camera to capture the performances in a more intimate way.
Writing for DVDTalk, Todd Douglass Jr. described the DVD as a “stellar looking release” and stated that the DVD “should be welcome in any musical lover’s collection.”
Chess in Concert is available on Amazon and DVD.
Writing for DVDTalk, Todd Douglass Jr. described the DVD as a “stellar looking release” and stated that the DVD “should be welcome in any musical lover’s collection.”
Chess in Concert is available on Amazon and DVD.
Chess PRODUCTION CREDITS
Theatre: Royal Albert Hall
Producer: John Beug, David Horn, Diarmuid Quinn, Tim Rice, Thom Whalley, Austin Shaw, Heartaches Ltd in association with JGPC and The Night of 1000 Voices, Peppermint Pictures
Music: Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson
Lyrics: Tim Rice
Director: Hugh Woodridge, film: David Horn
Musical Director: Mark Warman
Choral Director: Stuart Morley
Orchestrations: Anders Eljas
Choreography: Kevan Allen, Andrew Wright
Costume Design: Marks and Spencer, Bristol Costume Services, Jennie Falconer
Lighting Design: Mark Jones, High Wooldridge
Sound Design: Phil Wright
Stage Manager: Caroline Dulin
Conductor: David Firman
Cast:
Josh Groban (Anatoly Sergievsky), Idina Menzel (Florence Vassy), Adam Pascal (Frederick Trumper), David Bedella (Anatoly Molokov), Kerry Ellis (Svetlana Sergievsky), Clarke Peters (Walter de Courcy), Marti Pellow (The Arbiter)
Company:
Grant Anthony, Christopher Colley, Tiffany Graves, Leila Benn Harris, David Michael Johnson, Debbie Kurup, Christian Lund, Aoife Mulholland, Andrew Playfoot, Jon Robyns, Tabitha Webb, Cantabile, Ben Dixon, Mark Evans, Barnaby Ingram, Caroline Jones, Anabel Kutay, Bonnie Parker. Richard Peakman, Lucie Waugh, The West End Chorus, The London Studio Centre Dancers, The City of London Philharmonic, Stephen Disley (organ)
Theatre: Royal Albert Hall
Producer: John Beug, David Horn, Diarmuid Quinn, Tim Rice, Thom Whalley, Austin Shaw, Heartaches Ltd in association with JGPC and The Night of 1000 Voices, Peppermint Pictures
Music: Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson
Lyrics: Tim Rice
Director: Hugh Woodridge, film: David Horn
Musical Director: Mark Warman
Choral Director: Stuart Morley
Orchestrations: Anders Eljas
Choreography: Kevan Allen, Andrew Wright
Costume Design: Marks and Spencer, Bristol Costume Services, Jennie Falconer
Lighting Design: Mark Jones, High Wooldridge
Sound Design: Phil Wright
Stage Manager: Caroline Dulin
Conductor: David Firman
Cast:
Josh Groban (Anatoly Sergievsky), Idina Menzel (Florence Vassy), Adam Pascal (Frederick Trumper), David Bedella (Anatoly Molokov), Kerry Ellis (Svetlana Sergievsky), Clarke Peters (Walter de Courcy), Marti Pellow (The Arbiter)
Company:
Grant Anthony, Christopher Colley, Tiffany Graves, Leila Benn Harris, David Michael Johnson, Debbie Kurup, Christian Lund, Aoife Mulholland, Andrew Playfoot, Jon Robyns, Tabitha Webb, Cantabile, Ben Dixon, Mark Evans, Barnaby Ingram, Caroline Jones, Anabel Kutay, Bonnie Parker. Richard Peakman, Lucie Waugh, The West End Chorus, The London Studio Centre Dancers, The City of London Philharmonic, Stephen Disley (organ)
Sources
Articles
Websites
Other
- Todd Douglass Jr., “Chess in Concert,” DVDTalk (June 16, 2009)
- Andrew Gans, “Chess in Concert, with Menzel, Pascal and Groban, Debuts on PBS June 17,” Playbill (June 17, 2009)
- Andrew Pulver, “Chess in Concert,” The Guardian (Sept 4, 2009)
- Brad Rudy, ““Chess” in Concert — PBS,” Theater Review (July 1, 2009)
- Mark Shenton, “The Stage’s glowing review of the CHESS in Concert cinema experience,” IceTheSite (Sept 8, 2009)
- Mark Shenton, “Chess revival was right move for Rice,” Express (Sept 27, 2009)
Websites
- Chess in Concert, Accessed via: http://www.hughwooldridge.com/chessinconcert/index.html
- Sir Tim Rice, “Chess,” Accessed via: http://www.timrice.co.uk/chess.html
- Sylvia Stoddard, “Concept Album,” Accessed via: http://www.squareone.org/Chess/concept.html
- RJS, “RJS Chess - The Musical,” Accessed via: http://chessthemusical.weebly.com/
Other
- “Chess in Concert” Royal Albert Hall Program
Written by Luisa Lyons (April, 2017)