Chess

[rjschess]

It will soon be 30 years since Chess opened in the West End. It's an all time favourite of mine and I love hearing what people think of it. Anybody else love/hate the score/show and want to post a few thoughts?

I think if Michael Bennett had been able to complete what he had started, it could have been one of the most amazing shows of the decade. Sadly, he had to pull out and Trevor Nunn took over. Trevor managed to pull together an interesting production, but I think Michael's would have been totally fascinating. 

As you will probably all know, Chess went on to be done in numerous different versions but never really found its perfect incarnation. I did find the UK 2010 tour, directed by Craig Revel Horwood, a visually exciting production, with a brilliant cast and company, though with maybe a few 'story telling' flaws, but it would have been great to see it back in the West End - at least a short run, it was a shame that didn't happen. 

Anyway, looking forward to hearing others thoughts. 

In the meantime, here is a truly beautiful piece of music/choral work from the Swedish production. 

[oxfordsimon]

There is much to like about Chess but it has never found a way of integrating book and music into a cohesive whole.

The different versions of the score are tied to different versions of the story and none of them really work.

What it needs is someone to take it apart and put it back together again into something fresh, new and coherent.

Will anyone take up that challenge?

[rjschess]

Agree - I think that's what Michael would have brought to the project - a way to integrate the score with a story and visuals that worked, though I believe even he was somewhat baffled by what to do with some of the songs! Challenge accepted )

[d'James]

I've sadly never seen it. If another production does come around nearby-ish, soon I will definitely try and catch it.

[CG on the loose]

I was at the first ever live performance of Chess - a concert version of the album, with its original principal cast, at the Barbican in 1984 - and fell in love with it on the spot. Although I saw the original West End production and two much more recent versions (including the CRH tour mentioned above), and enjoyed them all, I never felt it quite lived up on stage to its original promise. I still listen to the album often (a couple of tracks have even made it onto my running playlist!) and love it as much now as I did all those years ago.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane

[Deleted]

Chess is one of my favourite musicals. Great songs, clever lyrics, sublime musical interludes. I saw the original London production with that fantastic underlit floor which just lifted and then seemed to tilt at the steepest angle! Unfortunately, I can remember not really following some of the plot! I saw a very static tour production after it closed which wasn't a patch on the original. I seem to remember Rebecca Storm in it... Over the years I have collected various Chess CDs (all in English) and whilst they mostly contain the same core set of songs, there are huge differences from recording to recording. I saw the CRH version a while back which was clever, then the Union Theatre version which was tiny. The RAH concert gathered an incredible cast together but the sound team there failed to deliver once again. It was quite overwhelming to be there, and even with dodgy sound and cameramen running about in front of us, Josh Groban and the huge choir managed to lift the roof off the place! It's almost a better concert really with some of the most singalong songs in Musical Theatre. (I still don't get some of the story!)

[westendcub]

Only ever seen a very amuater production of this in Windsor, it introduced me to the wonderful original cast recording & the music which I have been love with ever since with 'Nobody's Side' being one of my all time favourite musical numbers ever - I love the bonkers 'One night in Bangkok' - the wile score is a thrill!!

Would love to see this show, fingers crossed!!

[loureviews]

I love the original album. Have seen it live twice, as a full show with Rebecca Storm as Florence, and at the RAH in Concert.

It may be an uneven show, and obviously its politics with 'the US versus USSR' are dated, but the score and songs are excellent.

[viserys]

I have seen a few productions of Chess, including a "big" production in Stockholm some years ago with Helen Sjöholm and Tommy Körberg. I'm not particularly savvy on the various incarnation and what was what, but I never found myself particularly moved by any of them.

The score is wonderful and the hits like Anthem, One Night in Bangkok and Nobody's Side have certainly transcended the material and become famous in their own right. I don't know if it's possible to ever form the story into something really coherent though, it always seemed too ambitious and convoluted. And while I don't think it's dated per se because the Cold War has been over for some time now, I don't know how much a modern/younger audience would grasp of the characters' problems and feelings.

Having said that, I wouldn't mind for some producer in London to tackle this and give the show another try.

[waybeyondblue]

Apr 27, 2016 7:07:57 GMT viserys said:

I have seen a few productions of Chess, including a "big" production in Stockholm some years ago with Helen Sjöholm and Tommy Körberg. I'm not particularly savvy on the various incarnation and what was what, but I never found myself particularly moved by any of them.

The score is wonderful and the hits like Anthem, One Night in Bangkok and Nobody's Side have certainly transcended the material and become famous in their own right. I don't know if it's possible to ever form the story into something really coherent though, it always seemed too ambitious and convoluted. And while I don't think it's dated per se because the Cold War has been over for some time now, I don't know how much a modern/younger audience would grasp of the characters' problems and feelings.

Having said that, I wouldn't mind for some producer in London to tackle this and give the show another try.

Love it, every twisting unresolved version of it, even the story of chess which always struggles to find a home. The thing is heavy on history and if something like Hamilton can get the audience engaged then Chess might as well.

I agree that a re-ordering of the dominoes with some more links wouldn't hurt. The Union was a great evening and the only one where you could hear all the words.

[Deleted]

Apr 27, 2016 7:07:57 GMT viserys said:

I have seen a few productions of Chess, including a "big" production in Stockholm some years ago with Helen Sjöholm and Tommy Körberg. I'm not particularly savvy on the various incarnation and what was what, but I never found myself particularly moved by any of them.

Helen Sjöholm was sensational in the Swedish production. Then again, she's sensational in pretty much anything she touches in my opinion. One of the finest Swedish singers around for my money.

I also have to say that I don't think La Paige has ever been better than she is on 'Nobody's Side'.

I absolutely LOVE 'Chess', it has one of the most glorious scores in a musical but if Idina Menzel goes anywhere near that musical ever again I shall not be responsible for my actions. Menzel, you have been warned.

[alece10]

I have seen Chess twice in my life. First time was the original west end production with Elaine Paige and then the RAH concert with the dodgy sound and Idina Menzel who looked bored throughout.
Its one of my favourite shows of all time and I so wish it had a revival.

[Deleted]

I love a lot of the score, but it's too long and the plot itself needs reworking. I don't think it's particularly dated, it just wasn't a well-paced story in the first place, so it doesn't do justice to some of the big money songs.

[PalelyLaura]

I've never seen it, which is a shame as I Know Him So Well was one of the first musical theatre songs on my radar (Steps covered it when I was a teen :-D)

[Someone in a tree]

Despite what I hear about the "dated plot" and dodgy book is still love to see this

Can't believe I missed the Union Theatre production

[mallardo]

The book is a mess because the premise is bad. The pretence that chess is a dramatic and sexy spectator sport can't be sustained - hence the emphasis on back story. Freddie's got a line to some club girl while he's grinding away on a Bangkok disco floor... "I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine"... which is ludicrous in itself and sums up (for me) the show's problem.

The score is great, though.

[BurlyBeaR]

I saw the CRH production and loved it although I was a bit confused by he story. Then I bought the London concept cast album and played it to death. I'd love to see a revival with, in our George's words, "a stellar cast"

My favourite is Where I Want To Be.

[horton]

There is a very interesting re-telling of backstage politics in Gerald Schoenfeld's autobiography. Tim Rice hated what Trevor Nunn did with it and Nunn really doesn't come out of it in a flattering light.

[Michael]

Since you started this discussion, I can't get Nobody's Side out of my head - and I'm currently listening to the version on Shona White's solo CD...

I only ever saw Chess once, in May 2012 at a regional theatre in Bielefeld, Germany. The songs were still in English (with German subtitles), but the dialogue was translated into German. Florence was played by Roberta Valentini who was great.

I can only echo what the most of you have said before: I like the score, but the book is a mess. On top of that, the director had some very odd ideas of how to stage this and what costumes to wear, some of them looked very space-y and, well, somewhat loony. German director's theatre at its "best".

[rjschess]

Thanks guys for all your thoughts, so glad you all like the score, if not always the show, as much as I do. I've seen many productions but still feel that London was the 'best', the book seemed to get worse the more it was messed about with. Directors usually seemed to make it worse rather than 'fix' or try to hide the problems. That Germany production mentioned about, was the most crazy one of all! Chess meets Return to the Forbidden Planet!

There has been talk of a film version, but I don't really think that will happen and if it did there could be many 'problems'. I don't want to think about how bad it could be if not handled very carefully and skilfully.

We can only dream that one day the score will find its rightful place in a wonderfully conceived and staged production.

[Deleted]

Saw the original production of this and bought the CD afterwards.

I liked the score but remember a very long boring dance intro to the second half which had gone the second time I saw it. I didn't think the book was very strong but loved the music and performances so went back a couple of times, though by the third time the production was showing signs of wear and the audiences were getting to be a pain - lots of unruly coach parties getting up and down every 5 minutes, so that was my last visit.

Then last year I went to the Union production and despite having my foot trodden on my one of the performers (really wasn't a lot of space as my feet were not sticking out!) really enjoyed it. I am not sure which version it was though, as I can't remember the original clearly enough to pick out the differences.

Agree that it would be wonderful to have a new version somewhere like the Southwark Playhouse or similar.

[rosscoe]

This is something that the Chocolate Factory needs to look at, or dare I say it John Doyle. Saw the original Australia production and liked it a lot , the new verses added for Someone Else's Story is still my favorite version of that song.

[Deleted]

By John Doyle do you mean the actors playing their own instruments? If so, that's already been done with the Craig Revel Horwood version.

[Oleanna]

Apr 28, 2016 14:14:34 GMT @caiaphas said:

By John Doyle do you mean the actors playing their own instruments? If so, that's already been done with the Craig Revel Horwood version.

That's not a device he always uses.

[Oleanna]

I vote Chess for the next ENO musical! Get Ria Jones to do it again!