Chess

[Brian]

^A shame you didn’t enjoy most of the casting.
Did they include ‘He is a man, he is a child.’ ?

[rjschess]

The understudy was amazingly good. I don't know what he's done before not read programme yet, but he did an amazing job at such short notice.

[waybeyondblue]

Apr 26, 2018 22:32:33 GMT danieljohnson14 said:

Dare I ask how Alexandraand Cassidy do with I Know Him So Well?

They were on stage, anything else would be an exaggeration

[waybeyondblue]

Apr 26, 2018 22:33:57 GMT Brian said:

^A shame you didn’t enjoy most of the casting.
Did they include ‘He is a man, he is a child.’ ?

Crowbarred into the start of the second and shot blasted by the ever reliable Alexandra Burst

[Brian]

Apr 26, 2018 22:43:57 GMT waybeyondblue said:

Apr 26, 2018 22:33:57 GMT Brian said:

^A shame you didn’t enjoy most of the casting.
Did they include ‘He is a man, he is a child.’ ?

Crowbarred into the start of the second and shot blasted by the ever reliable Alexandra Burst

Thank you- I’m interested to hear it. I know you’re a big fan of the show but I heard a sneaky clip of this evening’s ‘I Know Him So Well’ on Instagram and it sounded a beauty to me.

Not sure if I’ll get to hear it in person!

Cellen got a big cheer!

[waybeyondblue]

It’s the biggest Chess I think I’ll see this century and I still enjoyed watching the old girl have one last fling. They’ve also made it a more coherent story with a proper ending.

The casting of Anatoly Jr is tricky as the collar and cuffs don’t match viz the parents - maybe she doesn’t know him that well.

[Brian]

Apr 26, 2018 23:01:46 GMT waybeyondblue said:

It’s the biggest Chess I think I’ll see this century and I still enjoyed watching the old girl have one last fling. They’ve also made it a more coherent story with a proper ending.

The casting of Anatoly Jr is tricky as the collar and cuffs don’t match viz the parents - maybe she doesn’t know him that well.

Ha! Thanks for the info.

[Phantom of London]

Apr 26, 2018 21:52:09 GMT Being Alive said:

Tim Howars wife went into labour. He left in the interval. Understudy did Act 2 with no rehearsal. HUGE drama!!!

I didn’t think the London elections were not until next Thursday night!!!

[musicalmarge]

Well well well. My first ever Chess! (sat mid stalls)

Micheal Ball was fabulous (though too old), the two leading girls were good (but not excellent), Russian accents sometimes used sometimes not - and the biggest problem was that the huge screens had lip sync issues. Made our eyes go funny and it ruined it really.

Cassidy needs to remember she’s not in Beautiful (accent and acting style? Ahem) Alexandra (playing a White Russian woman Hm....) sang well but can’t act and the whole show as someone mentioned is inaudible sadly. I liked the new song for Svetlana opening of Act 2. Would like to hear that again.

Amazing songs (that’s why it scores well and is popular), dodgy casting (we all knew this anyway), great staging, impressive lighting and LED displays, TERRIBLE sound, Cellen as the understudy last minute did brilliantly, but Chess just has an odd story and book that isn’t all there. Lovely to see Tim Rice! 7/10

[Brian]

^Thats quite a good rating considering the things you didn’t like! Can I ask where you were seated (in terms of the sound)?

[ptwest]

I’m still hoping this will be better than my last two visits to chess - the 1996 British tour where most of the audience I was with had headphones on listening to the FA cup final, or the bizarre CRH leather version where I had unwittingly booked to go with my mother in law...

Frankly I’ll take dodgy accents and wooden acting over that!
(Seriously hoping it improves over the next couple of weeks!)

[Scswp]

Is it likely that they’ll sort the sound system? At the ENO, the sound should be one of the strengths I would have thought. I would definitely complain if I had paid the prices being charged and then discover that the sound was largely ‘inaudible’ - as it has been described.

What is it with Chess and sound systems? The CRH tour didn’t have great sound design (I know that was actor-musician style) and the sound at the Albert Hall concerts was dire. And now this!

Seriously, if it was so bad, why are people not complaining at these prices?

[chess]

Apr 27, 2018 5:27:06 GMT Scswp said:

Is it likely that they’ll sort the sound system? At the ENO, the sound should be one of the strengths I would have thought. I would definitely complain if I had paid the prices being charged and then discover that the sound was largely ‘inaudible’ - as it has been described.

What is it with Chess and sound systems? The CRH tour didn’t have great sound design (I know that was actor-musician style) and the sound at the Albert Hall concerts was dire. And now this!

Seriously, if it was so bad, why are people not complaining at these prices?

Because it probably isn‘t bad. People esp on boards like this are usually rather negative esp when a show is opening. Lot’s of people are complaining about the book. Why? Really, I have seen hundreds of west end shows, and lots of these shows have mediocre books. Concerning Chess: everybody is talking to each other saying it is a dire book. Even I said that for a couple of years. But the truth is, it is an intelligent and complex story and there isn’t that much wrong with book. Just sit, relax and enjoy your evening.

[richey]

Swathes of empty seats eh Parsley?

[chess]

I wanted to book an extra ticket this morning: gueue. I haven't seen a queue before when browsing chess.

[BurlyBeaR]

Apr 27, 2018 7:08:33 GMT chess said:

I wanted to book an extra ticket this morning: gueue. I haven't seen a queue before when browsing chess.

This all must be hugely exciting for you chess !

[BurlyBeaR]

What’s the merch like? Are there....... magnets? 😬

[musicalmarge]

Apr 27, 2018 5:59:04 GMT chess said:

Apr 27, 2018 5:27:06 GMT Scswp said:

Is it likely that they’ll sort the sound system? At the ENO, the sound should be one of the strengths I would have thought. I would definitely complain if I had paid the prices being charged and then discover that the sound was largely ‘inaudible’ - as it has been described.

What is it with Chess and sound systems? The CRH tour didn’t have great sound design (I know that was actor-musician style) and the sound at the Albert Hall concerts was dire. And now this!

Seriously, if it was so bad, why are people not complaining at these prices?

Because it probably isn‘t bad. People esp on boards like this are usually rather negative esp when a show is opening. Lot’s of people are complaining about the book. Why? Really, I have seen hundreds of west end shows, and lots of these shows have mediocre books. Concerning Chess: everybody is talking to each other saying it is a dire book. Even I said that for a couple of years. But the truth is, it is an intelligent and complex story and there isn’t that much wrong with book. Just sit, relax and enjoy your evening.

Actually it is bad. I went with a group of 17 people scattered in different places. We all came out and said A) great singing B) lip sync was off on screens C) bad sound and couldn’t hear lyrics at all. So different people sat in different places all said the same thing.

Plus I’m not negative at all. I adore theatre, go once or twice a week and nothing makes me happier when I see a show that is amazing. I thrive and live for it - but as a trained professional/journalist it’s about being truthful and balanced when giving a review. Nothing negative at all - when it’s great it’s great (42nd Street staircase) and when it’s bad it’s bad (Viva Forever).

Sound issues and casting aside it’s still worth seeing and the music is superb.

[waybeyondblue]

Apr 27, 2018 7:15:09 GMT BurlyBeaR said:

What’s the merch like? Are there....... magnets? 😬

Just a £5 programme (no production pics) and a bit of attitude from the vendor.

[musicalmarge]

Video of Cellen singing Pity the Child is on Twitter. @ chess_musical He did so well!

[waybeyondblue]

Apr 27, 2018 5:59:04 GMT chess said:

Apr 27, 2018 5:27:06 GMT Scswp said:

Is it likely that they’ll sort the sound system? At the ENO, the sound should be one of the strengths I would have thought. I would definitely complain if I had paid the prices being charged and then discover that the sound was largely ‘inaudible’ - as it has been described.

What is it with Chess and sound systems? The CRH tour didn’t have great sound design (I know that was actor-musician style) and the sound at the Albert Hall concerts was dire. And now this!

Seriously, if it was so bad, why are people not complaining at these prices?

Because it probably isn‘t bad. People esp on boards like this are usually rather negative esp when a show is opening. Lot’s of people are complaining about the book. Why? Really, I have seen hundreds of west end shows, and lots of these shows have mediocre books. Concerning Chess: everybody is talking to each other saying it is a dire book. Even I said that for a couple of years. But the truth is, it is an intelligent and complex story and there isn’t that much wrong with book. Just sit, relax and enjoy your evening.

I like the book so the classification “everybody” no longer applies. Wild generalisation can be used in its place.

[anita]

Hope they sort the sound before I go as my hearing is so poor.

[Brian]

Apr 27, 2018 9:13:13 GMT waybeyondblue said:

Apr 27, 2018 7:15:09 GMT BurlyBeaR said:

What’s the merch like? Are there....... magnets? 😬

Just a £5 programme (no production pics) and a bit of attitude from the vendor.

That’s a bit of a shame- I’m a sucker for good merchandise!

[Deleted]

Had a look at rush tickets on todaytix - there were still a couple available at 10:45, in row F of the upper circle.

Also it's listed on the TKTS website - £80 tickets for £40, today and tomorrow.

[lou105]

Apr 27, 2018 10:02:42 GMT Brian said:

Apr 27, 2018 9:13:13 GMT waybeyondblue said:

Just a £5 programme (no production pics) and a bit of attitude from the vendor.

That’s a bit of a shame- I’m a sucker for good merchandise!

I'm considering getting a few carrier bags from M and S Food Hall and setting up a stall.