datABBAse - Musician



Chess The Musical

Productions

Chess is a musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. The story involves a romantic triangle between two top players, an American and a Russian, in a world chess championship, and a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other; all in the context of a Cold War struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union, during which both countries wanted to win international chess tournaments for propaganda purposes. Although the protagonists were not intended to represent any specific individuals, the character of the American was loosely based on chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer, while elements of the story may have been inspired by the chess careers of Russian grandmasters Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov.



Following the pattern of Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita, a highly successful concept album of Chess was released in 1984. The first theatrical production of Chess opened in London's West End in 1986 and played for three years. A much-altered US version premièred on Broadway in 1988, but survived only for two months. Chess is frequently revised for new productions, many of which try to merge elements from both the London and Broadway versions.

1984 Concept Album

It was decided to release the music as an album before any stage show was under way, a strategy that had proven successful with Rice's two previous musicals, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita. Recording work on the album musical of Chess began in November 1983. The main recording was done at Polar Studios in Stockholm, with orchestral and choir parts recorded in London by the London Symphony Orchestra. Andersson himself played the keyboards. The protagonists, simply called the "American" and the "Russian" for the album, were sung by Murray Head and Tommy Körberg, respectively; the part of Florence, initially the American's second and subsequently the Russian's mistress, was sung by Elaine Paige while the part of Svetlana, the Russian's wife, was sung by Barbara Dickson. The album was sound-engineered and mixed by Michael B. Tretow, who worked with ABBA on all of their recordings.



The resulting album, a double LP, was released worldwide in the fall of 1984. The album's liner notes included a basic synopsis of the story. The music on the album was described by The New York Times in the contemporary review as "a sumptuously recorded...grandiose pastiche that touches half a dozen bases, from Gilbert and Sullivan to late Rodgers and Hammerstein, from Italian opera to trendy synthesizer-based pop, all of it lavishly arranged for the London Symphony Orchestra with splashy electronic embellishments". A single from the album, "One Night in Bangkok", performed by Murray Head (in verses) and Anders Glenmark (in chorus) became a worldwide smash, also reaching No.3 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The duet "I Know Him So Well" by Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson held the Number One spot on the UK singles charts for 4 weeks and won the Ivor Novello Award as the Best Selling Single ('A' Side).



1984 European concert tour

In autumn 1984 , the stage version of the concept album by artists from the album made its premiere in Stockholm , Hamburg , Amsterdam , Paris and London . The first concert version of Chess was the first of the five European concerts which introduced the Concept Album. It took place with all the artists from the recording at the Barbican Centre in London on 27 October 1984 before a sold-out and eventually wildly enthusiastic audience. This was repeated the next night at La Salle Playtel in Paris, then the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, CCH Hamburg and ending at the Berwaldhallen in Stockholm.



1986 West End Chess premièred in the Prince Edward Theatre in London on 14 May 1986 and closed on 8 April 1989. The show was directed by director Trevor Nunn, who shepherded the show on to its scheduled opening, though with considerable technical difficulty. The three principal singers from the concept album, Elaine Paige, Tommy Körberg and Murray Head reprised their roles on stage. Barbara Dickson declined to appear, and Siobhán McCarthy played the part of Svetlana.



The London version was a massive physical production, with estimated costs up to $12 million. It expanded the storyline of the concept album, adding considerable new recitative, and attracted several West End stars, such as Anthony Head, Grania Renihan, Ria Jones, David Burt, and Peter Karrie, during its three year run.



The production won the 1986 Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Musical, and received three 1986 Laurence Olivier Award nominations: Best Musical, Outstanding Performance by an Actor (Tommy Körberg) and Outstanding Performance by an Actress (Elaine Paige). In two of these categories (Best Musical and Outstanding Performance by an Actor) Chess lost to The Phantom of the Opera, by Rice's former collaborator Andrew Lloyd Webber.



Original cast

Frederick Trumper — Murray Head

Florence Vassy — Elaine Paige

Anatoly Sergievsky — Tommy Körberg

Alexander Molokov — John Turner

Walter de Courcey — Kevin Colson

The Arbiter — Tom Jobe

Svetlana Sergievsky — Siobhán McCarthy

Mayor of Merano — Richard Mitchell

TV presenter — Peter Karrie

Civil servants — Richard Lyndon, Paul Wilson



Act One The head of the International Federation explains the history of the game of chess, as we move to the northern Italian town of Merano, where this year's (1979, according to the notes in the recent live album recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra) championships are taking place. As the townsfolk prepare for the occasion, the brash American champion Frederick Trumper arrives with his second: Hungarian-born and British-raised Florence Vassy. In their hotel room, Florence explains to Freddie that the press will portray him badly if he continues with his bad boy attitude, just before he heads off to a press conference where he attacks a journalist who questions his relationship with Florence. His Russian challenger, Anatoly Sergievsky, and Alexander Molokov, his second (actually a KGB agent), watch with curiosity and disdain on TV, before Anatoly laments as to how his life ended up here.



The opening ceremony features an arbiter insisting on holding the proceedings together, US and Soviet diplomats vowing their side will win, and marketers looking to make a buck. During the chess match, Freddie believes that the Russians are tampering with the game and storms off, leaving the chessboard on the floor, and Florence to pick up the pieces with Anatoly, Molokov, and the Arbiter, whereby she agrees to bring Freddie and Anatoly together to sort out their issues. It turns out that Freddie engineered the stunt to get a higher price from the TV company; when Florence finds out, they argue, leading Florence to get angry with Freddie when he brings her father, believed captured by the Russians during the 1956 Budapest uprising, into the argument. She reflects that "nobody's on nobody's side," before heading off to the Merano Mountain Inn for the meeting between the two sides. Freddie doesn't turn up, leaving Anatoly and Florence to eventually embrace, before being interrupted by Freddie, who has been engineering new financial terms.



After the next chess game, Florence leaves Freddie, whereby he laments on how his unhappy childhood left him the man he is today. Florence goes with Anatoly to the British embassy, where he attempts to seek exile in the west, and she reflects on whether it is best to love a stranger. Walter de Courcey, however, has his own plans, and has tipped off the media, who ambush the pair at Merano station. Anatoly tells the awaiting audience that his land's only borders lie around his heart. The Story of Chess

Merano

Commie Newspapers / Press Conference

Anatoly and Molokov / Where I Want to Be

US vs USSR (Diplomats)

The Arbiter's Song

Hymn to Chess

Merchandisers

Chess #1

The Arbiter — Reprise

Quartet — A Model of Decorum and Tranquility

Florence & Molokov

The American and Florence/1956 — Budapest is Rising

Nobody's Side

Der Kleine Franz

Mountain Duet

Chess #2

Florence Quits / A Taste of Pity

Pity the Child

Embassy Lament

Heaven Help My Heart

Anatoly and the Press

Anthem

Act Two A year later, the Russian is set to defend his championship in Bangkok, Thailand. Freddie is already there, chatting up locals about the nightlife before taking his place as television presenter for the championship. Florence and the Russian are now lovers, and worry about the situation, especially the impending arrival of his wife, Svetlana, from Russia. Molokov, meanwhile, has trained a new protege, Viigand, to challenge the Russian, meanwhile spying on the opposing pair.



Walter manipulates Freddie into rattling the Russian on live TV, showing him footage of his wife's arrival. She and Florence both reflect on their relationships with him. Molokov blackmails Svetlana into making Anatoly lose the match, whilst de Courcey informs Florence that her father is still alive in Russia, and will be released if Anatoly loses. Neither of these ploys work, so Molokov and de Courcey attempt to get Freddie to convince the pair to throw the match.



But Freddie is more interested in winning back the love of Florence. Secretly, Freddie arranges to meet Anatoly in a temple, where he informs Sergievsky of a flaw in his challenger's game. In the deciding game of the match, the Russian manages an exceptional victory, and realizes that it may be the only success he can achieve — Svetlana castigates him for wallowing in the crowd's empty praise, whilst Florence is similarly annoyed with him for casting aside his moral ideals. Later, he and Florence reflect on their story that seemed so promising, and how they "go on pretending / stories like ours / have happy endings." Florence is left alone, when de Courcey informs her that Anatoly has defected back to the USSR, meaning that her father will be released, that is, if he is actually alive.... Florence breaks down, telling Walter that he is using people's lives for nothing, before repeating Anatoly's sentiments from the end of Act One, that her only borders lie around her heart The Golden Ballet / One Night in Bangkok

One More Opponent

You and I

The Soviet Machine

The Interview

The Deal

I Know Him So Well

Talking Chess

Endgame

You and I (Reprise)

Finale

London lyrics

1988 Broadway

After London, the creative team decided that the show had to be reimagined from the top down. Trevor Nunn brought in playwright Richard Nelson to recreate the musical as a straightforward "book show". Nunn brought in new, younger principals after he disqualified Paige from the role of Florence by insisting Nelson recreate the character as an American. The story changed drastically, with different settings, characters, and many different plot elements, although the basic plot remained the same. The changes necessitated the score to be reordered as well, and comparisons of the Broadway cast recording and the original concept album reveal the dramatic extent of the changes. Robin Wagner completely redesigned the set, which featured a ground-breaking design of mobile towers that shifted continuously throughout the show, in an attempt to give it a sense of cinematic fluidity.



The first preview on 11 April 1988 ran 4 hours with an unexpected 90 minute intermission (the stage crew reportedly had problems with the sets); by opening night on 28 April, it was down to 3 hours 15 minutes. But despite a healthy box-office advance, the Broadway production did not manage to sustain a consistently large audience and closed on 25 June, after 17 previews and 68 regular performances.



The Broadway production picked up several major award nominations. It got five nods from the Drama Desk Awards: Outstanding Actor in a Musical (David Carroll), Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Judy Kuhn), Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Harry Goz), Outstanding Music (Andersson and Ulvaeus) and Outstanding Lighting Design (David Hersey). Carroll and Kuhn also received Tony Award nominations in Leading Actor in a Musical and Leading Actress in a Musical categories. None of the nominations resulted in the win, but Philip Casnoff did receive the 1988 Theatre World Award for Best Debut Performance. Original Broadway Cast recording of the musical was nominated for 1988 Grammy Award in the category Best Musical Cast Show Album (won by the Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods).

Original cast: Freddie — Philip Casnoff

Florence — Judy Kuhn

Anatoly — David Carroll

Molokov — Harry Goz

Walter — Dennis Parlato

Arbiter — Paul Harman

Svetlana — Marcia Mitzman

Gregor Vassy — Neal Ben-Ari

Young Florence — Gina Gallagher

Nikolai — Kurt Jones

Joe, Harold (Embassy officials) — Richard Muenz, Eric Johnson

Ben — Kip Niven

Act 1 The world chess championship is being held in Bangkok. At a press conference, the brash American challenger, Freddie Trumper, relishes the crowd's affection, while the current champion, a young Russian named Anatoly Sergievsky, and KGB agent Molokov, his second, watch with curiosity and disdain. During the match, Freddie accuses Anatoly of receiving outside help via the flavor of yogurt he is eating, and Freddie storms out, leaving his second, Florence, in an argument with the Arbiter and the Russians. She later scolds him, but he insists that she, a child émigrée who escaped Hungary during the 1956 uprisings, should support him.



A meeting to smooth things over goes badly and ends with the Russian and Florence together, where they quickly develop feelings for one another. Freddie was supposed to attend, but got sidetracked by the nightlife, and arrived late to see Anatoly and Florence holding hands. When he later accuses her of conspiring against him, she decides to leave him. As the match continues, Freddie, distracted by his personal problems, flounders, finishing Act 1 with 1 win and 5 losses; one more loss will cost him the match. Anatoly surprises everyone by defecting at the end of Act 1. Answering reporters' questions about his loyalties, he declares that all that matters to him is his "heart", i.e. his new-found love for Florence.

Songs:

Prologue

The Story of Chess

Press Conference#

Where I Want to Be

How Many Women

Merchandisers#

US vs USSR#

Chess Hymn (Song appears on album, but was deleted from production and is not found in the script licenced for production)

Chess#

Quartet (A Model of Decorum and Tranquility)

You Want to Lose Your Only Friend?

Someone Else's Story

One Night in Bangkok

Terrace Duet

Florence Quits#

Nobody's Side

Anthem

Act 2 Eight weeks later, everyone is in Budapest to witness the conclusion of the match. Florence is elated to be back in her hometown of Budapest, but dismayed that she remembers none of it, not even what happened to her father, since he had to leave her in 1956. Molokov offers to help and starts "investigating" Florence's father's fate. The plot quickly spins into political intrigue involving the Russians’s attempts to get Anatoly back; even Svetlana, Anatoly's estranged wife, has been flown into Budapest to pressure him indirectly. These threats strain Anatoly's relationship with Florence, and she shares her woes with Svetlana. The boot is on the other foot, and the stress of personal problems now impedes Anatoly's ability to play chess, so that Freddie starts winning games until they are tied 5–5. Molokov brings Florence to see a man claiming to be her father, and implies that harm will come to the man if Florence remains with Anatoly.



During the final game Anatoly realizes that despite all the harm he has brought with his defection, he cannot hurt his true love, Florence, by depriving her of her father. He chooses to recant his defection, and makes a tactical error. Freddie immediately takes advantage of the blunder and proceeds to win the game and the match, becoming the new world champion. Anatoly returns to Moscow a broken man.



Florence is waiting for her father so they can leave for America when she is approached by a stranger who introduces himself as Walter. He confesses to her that the old man is not her father and her father is most likely dead. It seems that the Soviets struck a deal with Walter, a secret CIA agent, that if they managed to get Anatoly back, they would release a captured American spy. Their initial attempts at getting Anatoly back by using Svetlana and other family members had failed, and they had finally succeeded by using Florence. As the curtain closes, Florence has left Freddie, been lost by Anatoly, and lost the father she never had, and she realizes that like Anatoly, love is all that matters.



Songs:

The Arbiter#

Hungarian Folk Song

Heaven Help My Heart

No Contest

You and I

A Whole New Board Game#

Let's Work Together#

I Know Him So Well

Pity the Child

Lullaby (Apukád eros kezén)

Endgame

You and I (Reprise)

Anthem (Reprise)# # Song featured in the Broadway production, but was unrecorded for the cast album. Broadway lyrics .

1989 Carnegie Hall concert The next major concert was organized 9 January 1989 by David Carroll (Anatoly in the Broadway production) as a benefit concert in Carnegie Hall. Again, the house sold out and again, the audience was thrilled. But this was unique since the entire original company (except two ensemble members) came from all over the world to perform the songs from the show that had failed at the Imperial Theatre less than a year before. But the music, freed from the dreary sets and dialogue, proved to be as potent as always. Overture

The Story Of Chess

What A Scene!

Where I Want To Be

How Many Women?

Merchandisers

U.S. Vs U.S.S.R.

Quartet (A Model Of Decorum And Tranquility)

Quartet (A Model Of Decorum And Tranquility) (Part II)

You Want To Lose Your Only Friend ?

Someone Else'S Story

One Night In Bangkok

Terrace Duet

Florence Quits

Nobody'S Side

Anthem

Entracte

Hungarian Folk Song

Heaven Help My Heart

No Contest

You And I

You And I {Live Carnegie Hall Reprise}

Let'S Work Together

I Know Him So Well

Pity The Child

Lullaby (Apukád Erós Kezén)

Endgame

You And I {Live Carnegie Hall Reprise II}

Anthem {Live Carnegie Hall Reprise}

1989 Skellefteå concert Over the years, starting after the London production closed, Chess has been staged in concert in Sweden. Thanks to David Polberger in Sweden, the following history is translated from the most recent concert's programme: "When the chess tournament was settled in Skelletftea of Sweden in the fall of 1989, Chess in Concert was once again performed in Sweden [for the first time since the Concept Album was introduced]. Three sold out concerts, over 10,000 people in the audience and it was recorded for TV. All that because one enthusiastic theatre director thought that 'a chess tournament requires Chess.'" Principal Cast: Florence - Judy Kuhn

Freddie - Murray Head

Anatoly - Tommy Körberg

Sveltana - Sissel Kirkjebo

Molokov - Johan Schinkler

Arbiter - Anders Glenmark Conductor - Anders Eljas

Piano & Accorrdeon - Benny Andersson

Narrator - Björn Ulvaeus Introduction

Merano

What A Scene!

Merano

How Many Women

Where I Want To Be

U.S. Vs U.S.S.R.

Merchandisers

Quartet (A Model Of Decorum And Tranquility)

The American And Florence

Nobody'S Side

Chess

Mountain Duet

Florence Quits

Someone Else'S Story

Embassy Lament

Anthem

Bangkok

One Night In Bangkok

Heaven Help My Heart

Argument

I Know Him So Well

The Deal (No Deal)

Pity The Child

Endgame

Epilogue

You And I

The Story Of Chess



1990 United States Tour Opened 9 January 1990 at the Jackie Gleason Theater of the Performing Arts, Miami Beach, Florida. Closed 13 May 1990 (limited run) Cast



FLORENCE..................Carolee Carmello

FREDDIE...................Stephen Bogardus

ANATOLY...................John Herrera

WALTER....................Gregory Jbara

SVETLANA..................Barbara Walsh

ARBITER...................Ken Ard

MOLOKOV...................David Hurst

The Company - Edward Connery, Dina Dailey, Valerie Depena, Justine DiCostanzo, Tom Flynn, Timm Fujii, Philip Hernandez, Kim Lindsay, Pat Moya, Brenda O'Brien, Steve Ochoa, Thomas James O'Leary, Tom Rocco, Carol Denise Smith, Larry Solowitz, Vernon Spencer, Nephi Jay Wimmer, Susan Wood, Michael Gerhart, Malinda Shaffer ACT ONE

The show opens with the "Story of Chess," led by the Arbiter on a full-stage underlit chessboard with the chorus moving giant pieces. The story begins in a stylized Bangkok hotel lobby. Freddie's entrance is introduced by press commentary from a 16-set vidiwall and he announces he's going to go head-to-head with a chess-playing computer. The meeting in the Arbiter's chambers and his song have been reinstated from London, but "U.S. vs U.S.S.R." and the "Merchandiser's Song" are gone. Freddie's tantrum over the "coded" yogurt, Florence's fight with Freddie, and romance with Anatoly proceed as in the Nelson version, though Florence is much more upset about Freddie catching her kissing his rival. She follows him and apologizes for betraying his trust. Anatoly doesn't defect, per se; he seeks immigrant status primarily to keep Florence from leaving Bangkok. He says he loves her; she's not sure. The press wants to know if he's denouncing perestroika and he answers with "Anthem."

ACT TWO

The second act is continuous action from the first act. Florence pounds on Freddie's door to apologize again. But he's missing, out on the seedy streets of the city ("One Night in Bangkok"). He's badly beaten up before he's found by Walter. A week passes and Florence is both regretful of hurting Freddie and anxious to please Anatoly. She and Anatoly are being followed and spied upon; they don't know by whom. Svetlana arrives and tries to bring Anatoly back to the marital and Soviet fold. Molokov tells Anatoly of all the disasters befalling his relatives in Russia since his "emigration." Anatoly becomes an emotional wreck. Florence, still seeking Freddie's blessing, begs him to help Anatoly by asking for another week off. He does, but the Arbiter won't go for it. When Anatoly complains of being given the run-around at the U.S. Embassy, Svetlana--veteran of long lines in Russia--is the one who comforts him. He is told that his nephew has been hurt and again, Svetlana shares his memories. Florence fears her relationship with Anatoly is the cause of his troubles and Anatoly vows to forfeit the match rather than give her up. Freddie convinces him not to. Anatoly plays and loses. Freddie disappears. Anatoly decides to go home, reconciles with Svetlana and says goodbye to Florence. Walter tells her that Molokov got him to make Anatoly's emigration and life hellish in exchange for a franchise to sell American chess products in the Soviet Union. Florence is furious and tells him to leave. His parting words are that Freddie is waiting outside and he still cares. She ends with "Someone Else's Story."

1991 Sydney In July 1991, a version of Chess premièred in Sydney, Australia, performed at the MLC Centre's Theatre Royal. This version was spearheaded by Tim Rice, who brought in parts from each of the previous versions, as well as what had been his original conception for the Broadway version. The production was directed by Jim Sharman.



The Sydney version further streamlined the plot, having both acts take place at a single chess match in a single city (Bangkok). This version takes place in the late 1980s. Florence's nationality was changed from Hungarian to Czech, which changed the year that the Soviets overran her country from 1956 to 1968 (with an accompanying change in the lyrics of "Nobody's Side" from "Budapest is falling" to "Prague and Mr. Dubcek"). As in the London version, in this version Anatoly defects from the Soviet Union, wins the match, then decides to return to the Soviet Union at the end, leading to the possibility that Florence's father, if he is still alive, will be released from prison.



Many of the numbers were lengthened considerably from London, with an extended "One Night in Bangkok" near the top of the show. "Heaven Help My Heart" ended the first act, with "Anthem" and "Someone Else's Story" (sung by Svetlana with new lyrics) in the second. "The Soviet Machine" and "The Deal" were also extended considerably.

Principal cast Freddie — David McLeod

Florence — Jodie Gillies

Anatoly — Robbie Krupski

Molokov — John Wood

Walter — David Whitney

Arbiter — Laurence Clifford

Svetlana — Maria Mercedes ACT ONE

The story begins with a ballet redolent of ancient Thai rituals with the "Story of Chess" played out by warriors and a queen. A brief scene in the hotel lobby introduces us to the characters: Freddie, Florence and Walter, Anatoly, Molokov and Svetlana (she's in the top of the show for the first time, and an equal to the other main characters). "One Night in Bangkok" introduces the city, and it's sung by both Freddie and Anatoly, united in curiosity and touri\sm before the competition begins. The scene in the Arbiter's chambers, the children's hymn"Tournament Anthem," The Arbiter's Song," "U.S. vs. U.S.S.R" and "The Merchandiser's Song" are mixed and blended together, followed by the "Quartet," which is staged on the chessboard. In Florence and Freddie's bedroom ("Argument/Nobody's Side"), battle begins. Florence, long in Freddie's shadow, is fighting for her soul. In Anatoly and Svetlana's bedroom, we learn he's tired of his wife, Russia, chess and his life ("Where I Want to Be"). In the hotel lobby bar, the chorus and the Arbiter comment on relationships, romance and life("Cocktail Chorus"). Molokov finds "this new openness is such a strain." He longs for the Cold War days when dealing with opposite numbers was easier: "You knew you couldn't trust them." The chorus comments again, setting up the duet, where Florence is truly entranced by the sexy Russian ("Terrace Duet"). Freddie and Anatoly square off in "No Contest" (originally written for Walter and Freddie) then Florence breaks up with Freddie ("Florence Quits"). Anatoly wins the next game and, with Walter's help, defects, asking Florence to share his new life in the West ("Heaven Help My Heart"). Svetlana is devastated, Molokov astounded, Freddie furious. The act ends with the entire company singing "One night in Bangkok and the world's in turmoil, not much between despair and ecstasy...." ACT TWO

The second act opens with "Embassy Lament" while Anatoly cools his heels waiting for his papers. Svetlana and Anatoly have an emotional scene together ("You and I"), then Anatoly says goodbye to Russia ("Anthem"). Svetlana says her goodbye to their life together ("Someone Else's Story"). Freddie catches Florence moving her luggage and they also have a memory-filled goodbye. He's more upset than he lets her see, and soothes his ego with "Pity the Child." Molokov and his cohorts then unite in "The Soviet Machine," now set in a sports club where they plot how to turn the situation to their advantage. Molokov and Walter work out a deal ( "The Deal I") whereby Molokov will give Florence evidence proving her father is still alive in Prague if Walter "Let's Work Together" gives Anatoly the bureaucratic run-around. "The Deal II" is sought between all of the principal players, culminating in "I Know Him So Well," now sung by Florence about Freddie and Svetlana about Anatoly. "Endgame" has the force of London plus the clarity of New York, with Anatoly and Freddie in pitched battle for the championship. Anatoly wins, decides to return to Moscow and Svetlana. She's a graceful winner and there's a nice moment of compassion for Florence. Walter reveals it's all for naught, that the papers from Prague are suspect. She and Svetlana part with respect and she and Anatoly part with regret ( "You and I"). But Florence's cry at the end is hopeful: she's lost Freddie, Anatoly and her father but has found herself.



1992 Budapest

1994 Gothenburg concert This is a recording of a concert performance (not a full stage production) in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1994. The songs and lyrics are largely identical to the studio album, with the addition of "Someone Else's Story" from the Broadway version and "The Soviet Machine," from the London version. Notable principal cast members included Anders Glenmark as Freddie, Karin Glenmark as Florence and Tommy Körberg as Anatoly.



"The first time this ensemble performed Chess together was in August of 1994." The Swedish Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra was ready to launch a new concert hall in Eriksberg--a former docklands area--and chose Chess as its opening attraction. This series of now-legendary concerts inaugurated more than a new building. They became an annual event, held in Gothenburg each June. The August 1994 concert was recorded and its CD remains available in many countries. Tommy Körberg recreates his role as Anatoly, with Anders and Karin Glenmark (Swedish recording artists who did vocals on the original Concept Album) as Freddie and Florence and original, London and Broadway orchestrator Anders Eljas at the podium as conductor. Benny Andersson played both piano and accordian for the concert. "'Our music cannot sound better than this,' said Benny Andersson" after the initial 1994 concerts.



1995 Los Angeles



1997 Melbourne

1998 Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids New York Concerts





Since Chess closed on Broadway, there have been many regional productions of the musical, some staged or semi-staged. But a great deal of attention was focused on a recent pair of Chess in Concert benefit performances because many of the participants were concurrently starring in Broadway musicals. Presented on two Sunday nights (10 and 17 May 1998), many of the performers literally ran from their curtain calls to the John Houseman Theatre and onto its stage.



The superb logo designed exclusively for these concerts was created by James Marino and is © 1998 Bucket-A-Fish and is used by permission.



The cast was stellar: Robert Evan, Christiane Noll and Raymond Jaramillo McLeod are were starring in Jekyll and Hyde. Michael Cerveris and Brian D'Arcy James came from starring roles in Titanic, Dave Clemmons from The Scarlet Pimpernel, Alice Ripley from Side Show and Danny Zolli, a veteran of dozens of productions of Jesus Christ Superstar. Most of the ensemble also came directly from Broadway's stages.

CAST

Narrator.............MICHAEL CERVERIS

Freddie (17 May).....DAVE CLEMMONS

Freddie (10 May).....BRIAN D'ARCY JAMES

Anatoly..............ROBERT EVAN

Molokov..............RAYMOND JARAMILLO McLEOD

Florence.............CHRISTIANE NOLL

Svetlana.............ALICE RIPLEY

The Arbiter.......DANNY ZOLLI

WITH Bill E. Dietrich, Jennifer Little, Robert Longo, Michelle Mallardi, Michael Messer, Kevyn Morrow, Brad Oscar, Trevor Richardson, Jeri Sager, Douglas Storm, Kay Story, Eileen Tepper, Allyson Tucker, Laura Voss.



Directed by Philip Hoffman

MUSICAL NUMBERS:

Merano

What a Scene, What a Joy

Where I Want to Be

The Arbiter's Song/US vs USSR

Quartet

You Wanna Lose Your Only Friend

Someone Else's Story

Mountain Duet

So You Got What You Want

Nobody's Side

Embassy Lament

Anthem

One Night in Bangkok

Heaven Help My Heart

You and I

I Know Him So Well

The Story of Chess

Hymn to Chess

The Deal

Pity the Child

Endgame

You and I



This concert also added a Narrator and a number of the London production's songs were used including "Merano," "Embassy Lament" and "The Arbiter's Song." Svetlana was given Broadway's "Someone Else's Story" as well as "Heaven Help My Heart." The concerts sold out well in advance and the ecstatic audience cheered every number, especially "The Arbiter's Song" and "Pity the Child." There was a great deal of discussion in the lobby afterwards that it was definitely time for a major revial of Chess.



2001 Denmark tour

In late 2001, a Danish tour was created, directed by Craig Revel Horwood. A two-CD album of the tour of Chess was released. The tour followed the London version of the musical, with the addition of "Someone Else's Story," given to Svetlana in Act Two. The first release of the album had the complete London score (minus small portions of underscoring); however, this was pulled from circulation, to be replaced with a much shorter, trimmed-down version closer to the original concept album. Zubin Varla played Frederick, Stig Rossen played Anatoly, Emma Kershaw played Florence and Michael Cormick was the Arbiter.



2002 Stockholm

In late 2001, rumours began to circulate about a new production in Stockholm. Written entirely in Swedish, with lyrics and book by Björn Ulvaeus, Lars Rudolffson, and Jan Mark, it attempted to streamline the story back to its original form and eliminate the aspects of political potboiler that had come to define the show. Featuring new musical numbers (Svetlana's "Han är en man, han är ett barn" ("He is a man, he is a child") and Molokov's "Glöm mig om du kan" ("Forget me if you can")) and focusing on material from the concept album, the Stockholm version was a drastic rewrite. Notable cast members included Helen Sjöholm as Florence, Tommy Körberg as Anatolij and Anders Ekborg as Freddie. It was filmed for Swedish television, and has been released on a Swedish-language DVD.



The Stockholm production was nominated for eight national Swedish Theatre Awards Guldmasken and won six of them, including Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Helen Sjöholm), Best Leading Actor in a Musical (Tommy Körberg), and Best Stage Design (Robin Wagner). The Original Swedish Cast CD "Chess På Svenska" peaked at number 2 on the Swedish album chart.



Plot Synopsis (Summary and Song List) - (Verbatim handout in English which was given to English speakers who purchased tickets to the live production. Only additions to this verbatim text are corrected misspellings and commas for clarity. All names [Anatolij, Vaszi, etc.], places, etc. are transcribed verbatim from the CHESS - PLOT SUMMARY handout received at Stockholm Cirkus.)



DAY 1



The Russian chessplayer Anatolij Sergievski leaves his family's suburban apartment in Moscow to depart for the World Chess Championships 1986 (Story of Chess). At the airport, he is greeted by the KGB-man and his advisor Molokov and another few KGB-men (Where I want to be).

In the Italian town Merano they meet the American chessplayer Freddie Trumper and his advisor Florence Vaszi. Freddie causes a scandal in the hotel vestibule when he insults Anatolij. The incident results in a fight between Freddie and Florence who remembers how her father was captured in Hungary when she was small (Autumn '56).

Florence ends up in the hotel's disco and tries to drown her sorrows (Nobody's on Nobody's side).



DAY 2



The Chess tournament is inaugurated with a ceremony performed by the arbiter (The Arbiter). During the first game Freddie loses his temper and leaves the room (Quartet).

In the evening Florence is sitting alone and miserable in the bar. The Russian player Anatolij walks past and makes contact with her. An attraction and excitement arises between them and they leave the hotel together (Someone Else's Story.)

When Molokov discovers that Anatolij has disappeared, panic breaks out in the Soviet camp, the secret police is alerted.

In Moscow, Anatolij's wife Svetlana and their son are discreetly taken from a church by some KGB-men, to be taken to serve as bait for Anatolij in the west.

Anatolij decides to apply for political asylum, and together with Florence he goes to the American consulate. Later a large press conference is organized there due to the recent incident (Mountain Duet).

From the press conference, Freddie gains knowledge of Anatolij's asylum seeking. Anatolij is forced to confront his innermost thoughts regarding the defection (Anthem).

Intermission.



DAY 3



At the hotel room, Freddie accusingly shows the newspaper to Florence which contains pictures of her with the Soviet player. The confrontation ends with her leaving him (Florence Quits / Pity the Child.)

Svetlana and her son arrive at the hotel in Merano accompanied by two KGB-men. Anatolij's feelings and loyalty are tested by Svetlana and KGB (Endgame). Anatolij leaves the hotel.

Alone, Florence realizes what she truly feels (Heaven Help my Heart). At the same time a confused Svetlana goes in search of her husband (Who am I).

In a celbration of spring in Merano, Anatolij and Florence meet and share a short time of happiness in the crowds of the carnival. Suddenly, Freddie appears and there is a big confrontation (The Deal).

In the calm after the fight, Florence and Anatolij confide in each other (You and I).



DAY 4



At a press conference, the judge informs that the games will continue (The Arbiter).

Florence and Svetlana meet by change and a fight over Anatolij ensues (I know him so well).

Plagued by his conscience, Molokov remembers his great love (Forget me if you can). Nevertheless, he still carries out his threat: If Anatolij joins the west, his family will suffer. He must forfeit the game, blame it on his health and claim that he must return to Moscow.

Anatolij makes his choice, loses the game to save his family ("Capablanca" choir). After the game, Anatolij and Florence say their last sad farewells and part (You and I / Story of Chess).

More info at www.chessthemusical.com

2003 Actors's Fund of America concert Presented on September 22, 2003 in the New Amsterdam Theater on Broadway. The show was a mixture of both the Broadway and London versions, and was produced without set or costume changes, and with the orchestra onstage. The show, which was recorded, was directed by Peter Flynn, choreographed by Christopher Gattelli and musical directed by conductor Seth Rudetsky. Notable cast members included Josh Groban as Anatoly, Julia Murney as Florence, Adam Pascal as Freddie, Raúl Esparza as Arbiter, Sutton Foster as Svetlana and Norm Lewis as Molokov 2005 Norway concert



2006 Tartu (Estonia)

2007 Los Angeles Presented September 17, 2007 at the Ford Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, California. Mixture of London and Broadway versions. The cast included Susan Egan (as Svetlana), Kevin Earley (as Anatoly), Ty Taylor (as Freddie), Cindy Robinson (as Florence), Thomas Griffith (as Molokov), Tom Schmidt (as Walter) and Matthew Morrison (as the Arbiter), with the ensemble, choir and 27 piece orchestra on stage. The concert was directed by Brian Michael Purcell, choreographed by A. C. Ciulla, with musical direction by Dan Redfeld. A portion of the proceeds went to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

2008 Johannesburg

2008 Cape Town Gina Shmukler, Brennan Holder and James Borthwick lead a multi-talented South African cast, who have appeared in productions



Although the protagonists were not intended to represent any specific individuals and Sir Tim Rice’s original concept was to write a musical about how the Cold War affected the lives of all those it touched using the world of international chess as a metaphor, the characters’ personalities are loosely based on those of Victor Korchnoi and Bobby Fisher.

Cito, Gina Shmukler, Brennan Holder and James Borthwick lead a multi-talented South African cast, who have appeared in productions such as "Evita", "Jesus Christ Superstar", "CATS", "Hair", "The Phantom of the Opera", "African Footprint" and"Hairspray".

The show is already receiving rave reviews:

"... revolutionary in form and content ... CHESS is a panorama of erratic behaviour, seduction and promise, a dark cartoon of betrayal. The performances of Gina Shmukler and James Borthwick will leave you spellbound - here your ticket pays for the extraordinary. Director Paul Warwick Griffin savours every political twist and illicit intrigue." Mary Jordan - Business Day

2008 Royal Albert Hall Concerts On the 12 and 13 May 2008, Warner Bros. Records produced a concert version of Chess together with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, which was recorded for release on CD and DVD as well as broadcast on American PBS channels in June 2009.[17] Tim Rice stated in the Concert's Programme that this version of Chess is the "official version", after years of different plot/song combinations. The principal cast was as follows: Josh Groban as Anatoly, Idina Menzel as Florence, Adam Pascal as Freddie, Clarke Peters as Walter, Marti Pellow as Arbiter, Kerry Ellis as Svetlana and David Bedella as Molokov. Cantabile played the Civil Servants in Embassy Lament. The plot is based largely on that of the London plot with elements of the Broadway script as well (e.g. the inclusion of Prologue and Someone Else's Story). Walter's role is reduced in this concert; it is not explicitly implied that he's a CIA agent, an idea which the London version stressed.



The CD contains most of the material from the concert except a few lines of dialogue (present on the DVD); it also mislabels and misorders a few songs, such as Florence and Molokov for The American and Florence. The DVD also includes an opening speech given by Tim Rice introducing the cast, which is omitted from the CD



Cast Frederick Trumper - Adam Pascal

Florence Vassy - Idina Menzel

Anatoly Sergievsky - Josh Groban

Svetlana Sergievsky - Kerry Ellis

The Arbiter - Marti Pellow

Alexander Molokov - David Bedella

Walter De Courcy - Clarke Peters



Act One



Prologue - Orchestra

The Story of Chess — The Arbiter and Ensemble

Merano — Mayor, Ensemble, and Chorus

What a scene, what a joy!" — Freddie and Florence

Merano (Reprise) — Ensemble and Chorus

Commie Newspapers — Freddie and Florence

Press Conference — Freddie, Florence, and Reporters

The Russian and Molokov — Molokov and Anatoly

Where I Want to Be — Anatoly and Ensemble

Difficult and Dangerous Times — Florence, Molokov, Walter, and Ensemble

The Arbiter — The Arbiter and Chorus

Hymn to Chess — Ensemble and Chorus

The Merchandisers — Ensemble and Chorus

Chess Game #1 — Orchestra

The Arbiter (Reprise) — The Arbiter and Chorus

Quartet (A Model of Decorum and Tranquility) — Molokov, Florence, The Arbiter, and Anatoly

Molokov and Florence — Molokov and Florence

Florence and the American — Florence and Freddie

1956 — Budapest is rising — Ensemble, Freddie and Florence

Nobody's Side — Florence and Ensemble

Mountain Duet — Florence, Anatoly, and Freddie

Chess Game #2 — Orchestra

Florence Quits — Freddie and Florence

Pity the Child #1 — Freddie

Embassy Lament — Civil Servants

Heaven Help My Heart — Florence

Anatoly and the Press — Anatoly and Reporters

Anthem — Anatoly, Ensemble, and Chorus

Act Two



Golden Bangkok Ballet — Orchestra

One Night in Bangkok — Freddie and Ensemble

One More Opponent / You and I — Anatoly and Florence

The Soviet Machine — Molokov and Ensemble

The Interview — Walter, Freddie, and Anatoly

Someone Else's Story — Svetlana

The Deal (No Deal) — The Arbiter, Molokov, Svetlana, Walter, Florence, Freddie, Anatoly, and Ensemble

Pity the Child #2 — Freddie

I Know Him So Well — Florence and Svetlana

Talking Chess — Anatoly and Freddie

Endgame (Part 1) — Chorus

Endgame (Part 2) — Molokov, Freddie, Florence, and Ensemble

Endgame (Part 3) — Anatoly, Svetlana, Florence, and Ensemble

You and I (Reprise) — Florence and Anatoly

Walter and Florence — Walter and Florence

Anthem (Reprise) — Florence, Anatoly, and Company





More information at



2010 Budapest

The third Hungarian production of Chess opened on August 7, 2010, in the open-air theatre of Margaret Island, Budapest. It is a concert production which closely follows the script of the Royal Albert Hall production of 2008 (though songs "Hymn of Chess", "The Merchendisers", "The Arbiter (Reprise)" and "Talking Chess" were cut). After two performances on August 7 and 8, the production is set to move into an indoors theatre, the Magyar Színház, where the opening night will be on October 30. The original premier date was August 6, but because of the rainy weather it was moved to August 8 and the August 7 performance, which was originally intended to be the second, became the debut. It is produced by PS Produkció and directed by Cornelius Baltus. The Hungarian lyrics are written by Ágnes Romhányi, the choreographer is Karen Bruce, and the stage and costume design are created by Kentaur.

Cast

Anatoly Sergievsky: Géza Egyházi / Gábor Bot

Florence Vassy: Éva Sári / Tímea Kecskés

Frederick Trumper: János Szemenyei / Levente Csordás

Alexander Molokov: Géza Gábor

Svetlana Sergievsky: Tímea Kecskés / Réka Koós

Arbiter: Erno Zsolt Kiss / Gábor Bot

Walter de Courcy: Béla Pavletits

Leonyid Viigand: Viktor Varga / Gábor Jenei

Mayor: Dávid Sándor

Diplomats, team members: Gábor Jenei, Zsolt Szentirmai, Ádám Pásztor, Szabolcs Hetei-Bakó

Reporters: Darinka Nyári, Beáta Ajtai, Márta Debreczeni, Réka Kovács, Vera Fekete-Kovács, Kinga Csóka-Vasass

Dancers: Anikó Szabó, Szilvia Taródi, Erzsébet Szilágyi, Kinga Varga, Zita Horváth, Petra Sallak, Lajos Túri, Krisztián Ködmen,

Ádám Csepi, Ádám Sólya, Tamás Törõcsik



Choir: Jazz And More (director: Ágnes Halkovics)

Only the first cast performed on the Margaret Island, except for Frederick, who was played by János Szemenyei on the 7th August and Levente Csordás on the 8th. The second cast will also start performing when the production moves to the Magyar Színház.





2010 Arlington The first major American revival of Chess since 1993 opened at the Signature Theater in Arlington, Virginia (a suburb of Washington D.C.) on August 8, 2010 and ran until October 3, 2010.[19] The musical will follow the story of the original Broadway version of the show, as this is the only version of Chess that can be staged in North America. It is produced by The Signature Theater Group and is directed by Eric Schaeffer.



The production has streamlined the book and reordered some of the songs.



Prologue in Budapest Lullaby (Apukad eross Kezen) - Gregor Cast Freddie Trumper: Jeremy Kushnier

Anatoly Sergievsky: Euan Morton

Florence Vassy: Jill Paice

Arbiter: Chris Sizemore

Walter de Courcy: Russell Sunday

Svetlana Sergievsky: Eleasha Gamble Act 1 Bangkok 1986 Freddie's Entrance- Freddie Russian/Molokov - Molokov, Anatoly

Where I Want to Be - Anatoly

Argument/How Many Women - Florence, Freddie

Arbiter's Song - Arbiter, Ensemble

A Model of Decorum and Tranquility - Molokov, Florence, Arbiter, Anatoly

You Wanna Lose Your Only Friend? - Florence, Freddie

Nobody's on Nobody's Side - Florence, Ensemble

One Night in Bangkok - Freddie, Ensemble

Terrace Duet - Florence, Anatoly

Who'd Ever Think It - Freddie

So You Got What You Want - Freddie, Florence

Someone Else's Story - Florence

Anthem - Anatoly

Act 2 Budapest, 8 Months Later Budapest - Ensemble

Heaven Help My Heart - Florence

Winning - Walter, Freddie

You and I - Florence, Anatoly, Svetlana

A Whole New Board Game - Freddie

Let's Work Together - Walter, Molokov

I Know Him So Well - Florence, Svetlana

Pity the Child - Freddie

Endgame - Arbiter, Walter, Molokov, Anatoly, Freddie, Ensemble

You and I - Florence, Anatoly

2010 UK tour

A new stage production of Chess which is being directed by Craig Revel Horwood is run around the UK. This is an actor-musician production with 25 out of the 30 cast members playing instruments. The cast includes Daniel Koek as 'The Russian', James Fox as 'The American', Shona White as Florence Vassey, Poppy Tierney as Svetlana, Steve Varnom as Molokov, James Graeme as Walter and David Erik as 'The Arbiter'. Changes to the songs include the removal of 'Merano' and 'Florence and Walter'. The tour starts with previews on 27 August in Newcastle, then continues on to Northampton, Edinburgh, Cheltenham, Aberdeen, Wolverhampton, Sheffield, Salford, Cardiff, Bradford, Southampton, Nottingham, Norwich and Plymouth.



The creative team includes Tony Award winning orchestrator Sarah Travis and set designer Christopher Woods.



More info at