Chess (musical)

Chess is a musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, formerly of ABBA. The story involves a romantic triangle between two players in a world chess championship, and a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other...

Production history

London 1986

Chess premiered in the Prince Edward Theatre in London on 14 May 1986, to . It was originally set to be directed by Michael Bennett, but he withdrew for health reasons that would later turn out to be AIDS. The show was rescued by director Trevor Nunn, who shepherded the show on to its scheduled opening, albeit with considerable technical difficulty. Many writers, notably Frank Rich and Ken Mandelbaum, have pointed out that final product was hampered by the starkly different styles of Bennett, who was creating a flamboyant, elaborate, and stylish show, and Nunn, who was more attuned to realism and grandiosity (an example being Nunn's addition of dozens of chairs, desks, tables, and other realistic elements to the otherwise stylized, high-tech set).

Related Topics:
Prince Edward Theatre - London - 14 May - 1986 - Michael Bennett - AIDS - Trevor Nunn - Frank Rich - Ken Mandelbaum

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In London, Chess was a massive physical production, with estimated costs up to $12 million. It expanded the storyline of the concept album, adding considerable new recitative. The show brought back principals Elaine Paige, Tommy Körberg, and Murray Head, and added Siobhan McCarthy as Svetlana, John Turner as Molokov, Kevin Colson as Walter, and Tom Jobe as the Arbiter. It attracted several other West End stars, such as Anthony Stewart Head, Grenia Renihan, David Burt and Peter Karrie, in its three years. Chess closed in London on 8 April 1989.

Related Topics:
Elaine Paige - Tommy Körberg - Murray Head - Siobhan McCarthy - John Turner - Kevin Colson - Tom Jobe - West End - Anthony Stewart Head - Grenia Renihan - David Burt - Peter Karrie - 8 April - 1989

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Broadway 1988

After London, most of the creative team were dissatisfied with the state of the show. Tim Rice proposed a new version for Broadway, but it was panned by Trevor Nunn, who instead brought in playwright Richard Nelson to recreate the musical as a book show. After some controversy over bringing in principals from the London cast, Nunn brought in new, younger principals (after having disqualified Paige from playing Florence by insisting on writing the character as an American). The story changed drastically, with different settings, characters, and many different plot elements, although the basic story remained the same. The changes necessitated the score to be radically altered as well, and comparisons of the Broadway cast recording and the original concept album reveal the extent of the changes.

Related Topics:
Broadway - Richard Nelson

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The first preview on 11 April 1988 reportedly ran as long as 4 hours; by opening night on 28 April, it was down to 3 hours 15 minutes. The critics, most notably Frank Rich of The New York Times, panned the show strongly, though many would withdraw their harsh notices after seeing the debacle that was Carrie. Chess developed something of a cult following based primarily on the score as heard on the concept album, but even cuts for time and good word of mouth was not enough to keep it from closing on 25 June after it won no Tony Awards.

Related Topics:
11 April - 1988 - 28 April - Frank Rich - The New York Times - Carrie - 25 June

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Nelson's book (which is still used in American productions) is a frequent target of scorn from critics and fans alike, though it has its supporters. Many subsequent attempts would be made to fix perceived problems in it. A contractual stipulation ensures that the London version, which to many was the source of the show's popularity and appeal, would never be seen in the United States.

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Around the world: 1990 - 1992

Chess was now a mixed success from a smash hit album - in other words, fertile ground for those seeking to "get it right." The first major attempt was the US tour, which ran from January - April 1990. The tour, starring Carolee Carmello, John Herrera, and Stephen Bogardus, and brilliantly staged by Des McAnuff, was not able to fix the problems of the Nelson book. Robert Coe, the playwright charged with revising it, only had 4 weeks to complete his task and could not make it work despite regular changes, and the tour closed in relative obscurity despite some positive reviews. The tour in the United Kingdom, starring Rebecca Storm, was a smash.

Related Topics:
1990 - Carolee Carmello - John Herrera - Stephen Bogardus - Des McAnuff - Robert Coe - Rebecca Storm

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Also in 1990 was the production at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois, near Chicago. Directed by David H. Bell and starring Susie McMonagle, David Studwell and Kim Strauss, it was a far more successful reworking of the Nelson script, most notable for giving Florence her father back in what is called a "compromise ending." Bell's version has been successful in Sacramento and Atlanta as well. Tim Rice also had his say in a wonderful production in Sydney, Australia, where Jim Sharman directed a rewrite done totally by Rice. It starred Jodie Gillies, David McLeod, and Robbie Krupski, and was a critical and popular success until it was done in by the Australian recession of 1990.

Related Topics:
Marriott - Lincolnshire - Chicago - David H. Bell - Susie McMonagle - David Studwell - Kim Strauss - Sacramento - Atlanta - Sydney - Australia - Jim Sharman - Jodie Gillies - David McLeod - Robbie Krupski

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Chess was, even in 1990, trying to keep itself modern; the ending of the Cold War was noted in all versions of the show. Once the Soviet Union fell, the modernisation attempts died out, and the clock was set back; Tim Rice's 1990 rewrite that played a brief run Off-Broadway went all the way back to 1972, though much like the US Tour and Sydney versions, it settled into the dustbin of history. The Chess mania that had swept the world more or less died down to a diet of occasional productions of the Broadway and London versions for the next decade.

Related Topics:
Cold War - Soviet Union - Off-Broadway

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Stockholm 2002

In late 2001, rumors began to fly about a new production in Stockholm. Written entirely in Swedish, with lyrics and book by Björn Ulvaeus, Lars Rudolffson, and Jan Mark, it tried to streamline the story back to its basics from the rather convoluted tale that had sprung up. Featuring two new musical numbers ("Han är en man, han är ett barn" and "Glöm mig om du kan") and focusing on material from the concept album, the Stockholm version turned the show on its head. It was filmed for Swedish television, and has been released on a Swedish-language DVD. There have been rumors of a new production, and Tim Rice has mentioned on several occasions his desire to bring a translated version back to London and / or Broadway, but no firm announcements have been made thus far.

Related Topics:
2001 - Stockholm - Björn Ulvaeus - Lars Rudolffson - Jan Mark

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