Chess

[richey]

Apr 27, 2018 9:14:17 GMT musicalmarge said:

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

Twitter have placed a warning on that account for suspicious activity!

[Deleted]

Just had another look at todaytix and they seem to be doing stealth discounting by releasing extra rush tickets - just got offered dress circle for £25.

[woobl]

Terrible sound. I'd never seen (nor heard) the whole of Chess before and I'm still none the wiser as to what actually was going on. Surprising, as Mick Potter is normally on it.

[waybeyondblue]

Apr 27, 2018 13:01:37 GMT woobl said:

Terrible sound. I'd never seen (nor heard) the whole of Chess before and I'm still none the wiser as to what actually was going on. Surprising, as Mick Potter is normally on it.

It was OK on the front row and you had the added delight of seeing a plume of spray every time Michael went for the big one.

The multi-part bits got a bit lost so maybe it was just being close to Alex that made my ears adjust themselves to be more tolerant.

Remembered something else - the head Morano bloke looks just like Will thing in Strictly Bsllsup - not sure which one is the tribute act now.

[Deleted]

Apr 27, 2018 14:05:47 GMT waybeyondblue said:

Apr 27, 2018 13:01:37 GMT woobl said:

Terrible sound. I'd never seen (nor heard) the whole of Chess before and I'm still none the wiser as to what actually was going on. Surprising, as Mick Potter is normally on it.

It was OK on the front row and you had the added delight of seeing a plume of spray every time Michael went for the big one.

The multi-part bits got a bit lost so maybe it was just being close to Alex that made my ears adjust themselves to be more tolerant.

Remembered something else - the head Morano bloke looks just like Will thing in Strictly Bsllsup - not sure which one is the tribute act now.

  I’ll take me mac... 

[sf]

Apr 27, 2018 7:40:59 GMT musicalmarge said:

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

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.

Also, you saw the show's first preview. Previews aren't just for the performers, they're for technical staff to tweak things like sound levels, because the auditorium's acoustics will be different with an audience present than they were during tech when the seats were presumably mostly empty. I assume they're working to fix whatever technical problems they had at the first performance.

[latefortheoverture]

I'd be interested to see what has changed tonight- looks like I'll be trying the TodayTix rush tomorrow and was wondering if they've sorted out the sound/screen problems?

[Phantom of London]

Apr 27, 2018 6:29:31 GMT richey said:

Swathes of empty seats eh Parsley?

Those were papered.

[Phantom of London]

Saw this tonight.

You have one of the finest scores written for musical theatre, played by a 70 piece orchestra, so what not to like? You have one of the finest solo moments in musical theatre, with Anthem, you have one of the finest duets in musical theatre in I know him so well and one of the finest whole company number in musical theatre with Endgame. But then you had Tim Rice and Abba write a pop score, but try to match it with a sophisticated and highbrow Somdheimesque Book.

As for the cast I enjoyed the 2 leading ladies, thought they sung very well, The performed better than I thought they would. Michael Ball god bless his cotton socks tries his best and was enjoyable without being totally convincing, I appreciated Tim Howar performance and he showed the correct level of arrogance for the obnoxious Freddie. Non of the performances were superlative like Glenn Close was.

The song that opens Act 2 He Is a Man, He is a Child I haven’t heard before, when was this introduced to the score?

Agree with the poor sound, but this is what previews are for, to iron these issues out.

As I said when you try to match a pop score with a highbrow story, you only ever going to get a stalemate.

4 Stars

[sf]

Apr 27, 2018 23:10:24 GMT Phantom of London said:

The song that opens Act 2 He Is a Man, He is a Child I haven’t heard before, when was this introduced to the score?

The Stockholm production in 2002. This is the first time it's been performed in the show in English, I think.

[mrbarnaby]

Howar was back on then?

[chess]

Apr 27, 2018 23:41:03 GMT sf said:

Apr 27, 2018 23:10:24 GMT Phantom of London said:

The song that opens Act 2 He Is a Man, He is a Child I haven’t heard before, when was this introduced to the score?

The Stockholm production in 2002. This is the first time it's been performed in the show in English, I think.

The english version of this song was first performed in English at the chess concert in Dalhalla. That was a rather memorable evening due to the stunning location and the stellar performances of that cast.

[9mirrors]

I went on the first night. Reading some of the reviews on here I wonder if thet were at the same show or there at all. Why would you pay premium prices to attend something you clearly hate!?
There were no sound issues except a couple of crackling miles when cast knocked them accidentally The only real issue was delay in the synching of the projections with the actual singing.
Cast superb. All leads excellent but Molokov and Arbiter massively underused. Although the vocal effect of the ENO cast sounded excellent they were barely on stage and there was a sense of a lot sung off stage.
Orchestrations were stunning.
Set ingenious and choreography and staging great.
Dare I say I think it was better than the original London version. It seemed more coherent and first act moved along better.
My only grumble would be that still Florence character is not introduced properly until half way through first act.

[BurlyBeaR]

Everyone clearly hated it

[waybeyondblue]

Apr 28, 2018 8:15:36 GMT 9mirrors said:

I went on the first night. Reading some of the reviews on here I wonder if thet were at the same show or there at all. Why would you pay premium prices to attend something you clearly hate!?
There were no sound issues except a couple of crackling miles when cast knocked them accidentally The only real issue was delay in the synching of the projections with the actual singing.
Cast superb. All leads excellent but Molokov and Arbiter massively underused. Although the vocal effect of the ENO cast sounded excellent they were barely on stage and there was a sense of a lot sung off stage.
Orchestrations were stunning.
Set ingenious and choreography and staging great.
Dare I say I think it was better than the original London version. It seemed more coherent and first act moved along better.
My only grumble would be that still Florence character is not introduced properly until half way through first act.

I wonder if the use of cliches advances the discussion or simply repeats a tired trope. In any case, the extrapolation of personal dislike of the performance of a loved piece into hatred has no substance and diminishes the credibility of the perpetrator; that and the extraneous use of contrary punctuation.

There’s a frequent attempt to justify this fallacy with a reference to premium prices, which somehow translates as some sort of masochistic abuse. The purchase of any ticket translates as an aspiration to attend a performance of a piece you want to see, ideally very well.

It’s not hatred and that’s a word too often used without due care. 

[Brian]

^I think he or she was referring to Parsley’s post.

[Deleted]

Apr 28, 2018 8:15:36 GMT 9mirrors said:

I went on the first night. Reading some of the reviews on here I wonder if thet were at the same show or there at all. Why would you pay premium prices to attend something you clearly hate!?
There were no sound issues except a couple of crackling miles when cast knocked them accidentally The only real issue was delay in the synching of the projections with the actual singing.
Cast superb. All leads excellent but Molokov and Arbiter massively underused. Although the vocal effect of the ENO cast sounded excellent they were barely on stage and there was a sense of a lot sung off stage.
Orchestrations were stunning.
Set ingenious and choreography and staging great.
Dare I say I think it was better than the original London version. It seemed more coherent and first act moved along better.
My only grumble would be that still Florence character is not introduced properly until half way through first act.

[theatremadness]

Good news, everyone!

[Deleted]

Apr 25, 2018 6:13:22 GMT alison said:

Apr 24, 2018 20:31:01 GMT jgblunners said:

If anyone's interested, Tim Howar has at least one scheduled show off:

Ahhh!  Really hoping the others get one too so I can see Jordan as Anatoly.

Well it sounds like it could make your night but I reckon there could be a good few more of us who’d be Really Pissed Off if it turned out that our date was the one that Michael Ball wasn’t on... 

[Brian]

Did I read somewhere that Tuesday is press night?

[Deleted]

Well. For those who remember 80s episodes of 'Top of the Pops' with fondness, you will be in heaven.. All it's missing is Simon Mayo and David 'Kid' Jensen popping up in between songs. But, oh what a score. Now I love 'Chess', the book is a bit so-so but the music is fabulous and I thought the orchestra played it marvellously (there were certainly no sound issues where I was sat) and the chorus were glorious. It was also helped by being able to see the conductor dancing along with some of the uptempo numbers as he waved his baton around. The saucepot. 

On the whole the cast were great. Cassidy Janson acted everyone else off the stage and sounded like a nicer version of Idina Menzel while rocking a lovely pussy bow and Tim Howar pretty much stole the show with 'Pity The Child'. Even my goosebumps had goosebumps. Miss Ball was pretty miscast but managed to overcome a pair of the most unflattering glasses in London's glitzy West End with that smashing voice of his. He gave 'Anthem' a whole load of wellie although I feared for the poor stage hand who had to operate the platform. The osteopathy bills must be huge.

We didn't get Alexandra Burke, it was her understudy. Someone called Miss Floor Board I believe. I jest of course. Sadly we did get her, trilling away like a Whitney Houston tribute act. If Benny and Bjorn had wanted 15 notes instead of one I'm sure they would have written it that way. Thank God Cassidy Janson is loud, she managed to drown her out in 'I Know Him So Well'. The great unwashed loved it of course. I don't think they get out much. Having said that, I do have a sneaking admiration for the way Alexandra managed to carry off one of the most hideous trouser suits I've seen in a long time without laughing.

[Deleted]

I've not actually heard of Chess, just that La Burke is in it. Is it really THAT bad a production?

[alece10]

Apr 28, 2018 19:25:36 GMT Brian said:

Did I read somewhere that Tuesday is press night?

I believe so.

[Brian]

Apr 28, 2018 19:38:49 GMT aingidh said:

I've not actually heard of Chess, just that La Burke is in it. Is it really THAT bad a production?

To be fair, where are you getting that impression? There is literally only one of the reviewers here who was even close to saying that.

[Deleted]

Apr 28, 2018 19:52:23 GMT Brian said:

Apr 28, 2018 19:38:49 GMT aingidh said:

I've not actually heard of Chess, just that La Burke is in it. Is it really THAT bad a production?

To be fair, where are you getting that impression? There is literally only one of the reviewers here who was even close to saying that.

Well, I did skim-read a bit before commenting so I'll probably go back and read the thread properly.