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. Although the protagonists were not intended to represent any specific individuals, the characters’ personalities are loosely based on those of Victor Korchnoi and Bobby Fischer. Björn Kristian Ulvaeus (Swedish IPA: ) (born April 25, 1945) is a Swedish musician and composer, most notable as a member of ABBA. Ulvaeus was born in Gothenburg, but as a child he moved with his family to Västervik. ... Image:Benny Andersson. ... Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award winning lyricist, author, radio presenter and television gameshow panelist. ... Richard Nelson (b. ... This article is about the year. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre in London, England, or sometimes more specifically for shows staged in the large theatres of Londons Theatreland. Along with New Yorks Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... For other uses, see Stockholm (disambiguation). ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Musical theater (or theatre) is a form of theatre combining music, songs, dance, and spoken dialogue. ... Look up lyrics in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award winning lyricist, author, radio presenter and television gameshow panelist. ... Björn Kristian Ulvaeus (Swedish IPA: ) (born April 25, 1945) is a Swedish musician and composer, most notable as a member of ABBA. Ulvaeus was born in Gothenburg, but as a child he moved with his family to Västervik. ... Image:Benny Andersson. ... Abba redirects here. ... This article is about the Western board game. ... Viktor Korchnoi (Ви́ктор Льво́вич Корчно́й) (born March 23, 1931) is sometimes reckoned to be the strongest chess player never to have been world champion. ... Robert James Bobby Fischer (born March 9, 1943) is a United States-born chess Grandmaster who became famous as a teenager for his chess-playing ability, and in 1972 became the only US-born chessplayer to become the official World Chess Champion. ...

Following the pattern of Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita, a concept album of Chess was recorded in 1984, and generated a number of hit singles. The first theatrical version of Chess opened in London's West End in 1986 and played for three years. A much-altered production premiered on Broadway in 1988 but was badly received by most critics and failed to attract large audiences. Chess, like Candide and other "cult" musicals, is frequently revised for new productions, many of which try to merge elements from both the London and Broadway versions. This article is about the rock opera. ... Evita is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics). ... In popular music, a concept album is an album which is unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical (Shuker 2002, p. ... See also: // January 21 - Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood reaches number one in the UK singles chart: it spends a total of forty-two weeks in the Top 40. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre in London, England, or sometimes more specifically for shows staged in the large theatres of Londons Theatreland. Along with New Yorks Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre... See also: Musical groups established in 1986 Record labels established in 1986 // 1986 - Goo Goo Dolls are formed in Buffalo, New York. ... For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... See also: Musical groups established in 1988 Record labels established in 1988 // Peter Ruzicka becomes director of the Hamburg State Opera and State Philharmonic Orchestra. ... Candide is a comic operetta by Leonard Bernstein, based on the novella of the same name by Voltaire. ...

Chess came seventh in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the United Kingdom's "Number One Essential Musicals". [1] BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBCs national radio stations and is by far the most popular station in the UK, reaching some 27% of the available audience in 2006[1]. It broadcasts throughout the UK on FM radio between 88 and 91 MHz from its studios in... An opinion poll is a survey of opinion from a particular sample. ...

History

The concept album of Chess was recorded and released in 1984, before any stage production was underway. It was produced at the Polar Music studios in Stockholm, engineered by Michael B. Tretow. The musical was not fixed upon entering the recording studio, various lyrics were tried for several songs used, and some songs, such as When the Waves Roll Out to Sea, didn't make it to the final double LP. A single from the album, "One Night in Bangkok", performed by Murray Head with Anders Glenmark became a worldwide smash and reached No.3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US, while 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 in February 1985 and won the Ivor Novello Award as the Best Selling Single ('A' Side). Unlike the versions of the musical to come later, the two main characters of the Russian and American were unnamed, and there was little plot. For other uses, see Stockholm (disambiguation). ... One Night in Bangkok is a song originally released in 1984 by Murray Head, and later remixed for release by Vinylshakerz in 2005. ... Murray Head on the cover of his album Passion. ... Gemini are a Swedish brother and sister duo, consisting of Karin Glenmark and Anders Glenmark. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the main singles chart used by Billboard magazine. ... I Know Him So Well is a song from the musical, Chess, by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. ... On the cover of Elaine Paige Tour Programme 2004 Elaine Paige OBE (born Elaine Bickerstaff on 5 March 1948 in Barnet, Hertfordshire) is a world-renowned English singer and actor, primarily in musicals. ... Barbara Dickson is a Scottish actress and singer, known for her work on stage (Blood Brothers) and television (Band of Gold). ... The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards awarded for songwriting and composing. ...

In the fall of 1984, the original album cast gave concert performances of the score in Stockholm, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Paris, and London, in a tour that was sponsored by another famous Swedish export, Scania. For other uses, see Stockholm (disambiguation). ... This article is about the city in Germany. ... For other uses, see Amsterdam (disambiguation). ... This article is about the capital of France. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... A vintage Scania truck (L80 successor to the Scania-Vabis L56) Scania A1 1901 Scania Type A Tonneau 1903 Scania AB is a leading European manufacturer of heavy trucks (British English: lorries), buses, and diesel engines, based in Södertälje, Sweden. ...

West End

Chess premiered in the Prince Edward Theatre in London on 14 May 1986. It was originally set to be directed by Michael Bennett, but he withdrew for health reasons that would later turn out to be AIDS, but not before casting the show and commissioning the expansive set and costume designs. The show was rescued by director Trevor Nunn, who shepherded the show on to its scheduled opening, albeit with considerable technical difficulty. The Prince Edward Theatre is a theatre situated on Old Compton Street, just north of Leicester Square in the West End of London. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Bennett on the cover of his 1990 biography by Kevin Kelly Michael Bennett (April 8, 1943 - July 2, 1987) was a Tony Award-winning American musical theater director, writer, choreographer, and dancer. ... For other uses, see AIDS (disambiguation). ... Sir Trevor King (born 14 January 1940) is a loser and film director. ...

According to set designer Robin Wagner, interviewed in Lynn Pecktal's book Set Design, the original Bennett version was to be a "multimedia" show, with an elaborate tilting floor, banks of television monitors, and other technological touches. Nunn, realizing he couldn’t bring Bennett’s vision to fruition, applied his realistic style to the show, although the basics of the mammoth set design were still present in Nunn's show. This included the three videowalls, the main of which featured commmentary from chess grandmaster William Hartston, along with appearances from BBC newsreaders. The premiere of the musical provoked a mixed verdict from the critics and, according to Variety magazine, "one of the bigger West End mob-scenes in recent memory". Most of the naysaying notices had comments ranging from "far too long" and "shallow" to The Guardian's conclusion that "a musical is only as good as its book, and here one is confronted by an inchoate mess". Several London papers were on the other end of scale, including Daily Telegraph which said the show "compels admiration", while The Times noted that "it turns out to be a fine piece of work that shows the dinosaur mega-musical evolving into intelligent form of life." Some 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 photographic backdrops to the otherwise stylized, high-tech set). Robin Wagner is an American figure skating coach. ... William Roland Hartston (born London August 12, 1947) is an English chess player who played competitively from 1962 to 1987 with a highest Elo rating of 2515 . ... Variety is a daily newspaper for the entertainment industry. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom (and the Kingdom of Great Britain before the United Kingdom existed) since 1788 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ... Frank Rich (born June 2, 1949 in Washington, D.C.) is a columnist for The New York Times who focuses on American politics and popular culture. ...

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. It attracted several West End stars, such as Anthony Stewart Head, Grenia Renihan, David Burt, and Peter Karrie, in its three year run. Recitative, a form of composition often used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas (and occasionally in operettas and even musicals), is melodic speech set to music, or a descriptive narrative song in which the music follows the words. ... West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre in London, England, or sometimes more specifically for shows staged in the large theatres of Londons Theatreland. Along with New Yorks Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre... Anthony Stewart Head (born 20 February 1954) is an English actor who has appeared in theatre, television and films. ... David Burt is a British actor, famed for his many and wide-ranging West End performances. ... Peter Karrie (born August 10, 1946), is a Welsh singer, best known for his portrayal of the lead role in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Phantom of the Opera. ...

The West End production won a London Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Musical and received three Laurence Olivier Award nominations: Best Musical, Outstanding Performance by an Actor (Körberg) and Outstanding Performance by an Actress (Paige), closing on 8 April 1989. The London Critics Circle Theatre Awards (Drama Theatre Awards until 1990) are presented annually for achievements in London Theatre. ... The Laurence Olivier Awards, previously known as The Society of West End Theatre Awards, were renamed in honour of British actor Laurence Olivier, Baron Olivier in 1984, having first been established in 1976. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ...

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 having disqualified Paige from playing 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. Richard Nelson (b. ...

The first preview on 11 April 1988 reportedly ran 4 hours; by opening night on 28 April, it was down to 3 hours 15 minutes. Many critics panned the show, most notably Frank Rich of The New York Times, who wrote that "the evening has the theatrical consistency of quicksand". A few reviewers, however - from Time and the New Yorker in particular - praised it very highly. William A. Henry III wrote in Time: "Clear narrative drive, Nunn's cinematic staging, three superb leading performances by actors willing to be complex and unlikeable and one of the best rock scores ever produced in the theater. This is an angry, difficult, demanding and rewarding show, one that pushes the boundaries of the form". Rich later noted, in his book Hot Seat, that "the score retains its devoted fans."

The Complete Recording - Danish Tour Album

Although the musical had developed something of a cult following based primarily on the score as heard on the original concept album, the Broadway production never sustained a large audience, and closed on 25 June, after 17 previews and 68 regular performances, despite further cuts for time. According to Gerald Schoenfeld, co-producer of the show: "The musical had been playing to about 80 percent capacity, which is considered good, but about 50 percent of the audience have held special, half-priced tickets. If we filled the house at 100 percent at half price, we'd go broke and I haven't seen any surge of tourist business yet this season. The show needs a $350,000 weekly gross to break even, but only a few weeks since its April 28 opening have reached that....You have to consider what your grosses are going to be in the future". (USA Today, June 21, 1988) Image File history File links Chessdanish. ... Image File history File links Chessdanish. ...

Nelson's book is a frequent target of scorn from critics and fans alike, though it has its supporters. Many subsequent attempts have been made to fix its perceived problems. Nonetheless, Nelson's book is still used in many American productions, because a contractual stipulation prevents the London version, which many believe to be the source of the show's popularity and appeal, from being performed within the United States.

Despite mostly unfavorable reviews, 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 (Hersey), plus two Tony Award nominations for Carroll and Kuhn 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. Broadway Cast recording of the musical was nominated for Grammy Award in the category Best Musical/Show Album. David Carroll (30 July 1950-11 March 1992) was an American actor whose last, and best remembered, role was that of Baron Felix von Gaigern in Grand Hotel. ... Judy Kuhn is an American actress and singer. ... Harry Goz (February 16, 1932 - September 6, 2003) was a Broadway musical theater actor and also a cartoon voice actor. ... Philip Casnoff (born August 3, 1953 in Philadelphia) is an American actor, known mainly from TV movies and series roles. ...

In 2001, in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Tim Rice admitted that after the "comparative failure of Chess, his all-time favorite, he became disillusioned with theater." He commented, "it may sound arrogant, but Chess is as good as anything I've ever done. And maybe it costs too much brainpower for the average person to follow it", he said (San Francisco Chronicle, July 22, 2001).

1990 to the present

Chess was now a mixed success, combining the popularity of a smash hit album and the problems of a critically derided script - in other words, fertile ground for those seeking to "get it right," even though historical conditions and the fall of the Soviet Union severely compromised the timeliness of the story. The first major attempt at a revival was the American tour, which ran from January - July 1990. This tour, which starred Carolee Carmello, John Herrera, and Stephen Bogardus, was staged by Des McAnuff, who was brought in at the eleventh hour when Trevor Nunn declined to be involved. Robert Coe, the playwright who worked with McAnuff on revising the show, restored most of the original song order from London and deleted the new songs written for the Broadway version, but had only 4 weeks to complete a complex rewrite. (The performing editions in the United States retain Nelson’s book.) The seven-month-long tour was not a major success, but it did garner some positive reviews. A separate tour in the United Kingdom, starring Rebecca Storm, was a smash. See also: 1990 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1990 Record labels established in 1990 list of years in music // January 21 - MTVs Unplugged premieres on cable television with musical guest, Squeeze February 6 - Billy Idol is involved in a serious motorcycle accident, resulting in several broken bones. ... Carolee Carmello is an American actress best known for her performances in Broadway musical. ... John James Herrera (April 12, 1910 – October 12, 1986) was an American attorney, activist, and leader in the Mexican American civil rights movement. ... Stephen Bogardus Stephen Bogardus (born March 11, 1954) is an American actor. ... Des McAnuff is the highly celebrated, Tony award-winning director of such hit Broadway musicals as Big River, The Whos Tommy, Titanic, and most recently, Urinetown. ... Robert Douglas Coe (1902–1985) was the second son of William Robertson Coe and Mai Huttleston Rogers Coe. ...

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 featured another reworking of the Nelson script. Bell's version has been performed in Sacramento and Atlanta as well. Tim Rice was involved in a 1990 production in Sydney, Australia, where Jim Sharman directed a total rewrite done primarily by Rice. It starred Jodie Gillies, David McLeod, and Robbie Krupski, with the action shifted to an international hotel in Bangkok during the chess championships, and was a critical and popular success. A later Australian production opened at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne in 1997, with Barbara Dickson taking the lead role of Florence (not Svetlana, as she had sung on the original studio cast album). Co-stars included Derek Metzger and Daryl Braithwaite. The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois, USA is a respected Chicagoland regional theatre. ... For other places with the same name, see Lincolnshire (disambiguation). ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... Kim Strauss (born in Chicago, Illinois, USA) is a singer, songwriter, actor, voiceover artist, and Amazon. ... Sacramento redirects here. ... This article is about the state capital of Georgia. ... This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... Jim Sharman was born 12 March 1945 in Sydney, Australia, as James David Sharman. ... Barbara Dickson is a Scottish actress and singer, known for her work on stage (Blood Brothers) and television (Band of Gold). ...

Chess was, even in 1990, trying to keep itself modern; the ending of the Cold War was noted in all new 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. The Chess mania that had begun in the U.K. more or less died down to a string of occasional productions of the Broadway and London versions for the next decade. For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... Off-Broadway plays or musicals are performed in New York City in smaller theatres than Broadway, but larger than Off-Off-Broadway, productions. ...

In 1995, the Los Angeles production of Chess at Hollywood's Hudson Theater starring Marcia Mitzman (who played Svetlana in the original Broadway production) as Florence and Sean Smith as Anatoly garnered good reviews. For their performances both Mitzman and Smith each won Ovation Award and Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award. In her guest role as Commander Sandra Levitt in the Babylon 5 episode No Surrender, No Retreat Marcia Mitzman Gaven (born on 28 February 1959 in New York City, New York, USA) was the voice for Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy, Miss Hoover and others on The Simpsons from 1999 until... Sean Smith was a fictional character in the UK soap Opera Brookside. ... Established in 1989, the Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Awards are Southern Californias premiere awards for excellence in theatre with is held each November. ... The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards were established in 1969. ...

There have been further rumours 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, and is currently working on new stage and motion picture adaptations, but no firm announcements have been made thus far, however Elaine Paige announced on her radio show on the 26th August 2007 that there was impending news about the project. This has since been qualified on the show with the announcement of a concert performance at the Royal Albert Hall in May 2008 to celebrate the musical's 21 years since opening. She hinted that Josh Groban may be involved. There have been new major productions in Baltimore and Denmark, as well as a well-received concert version in New York. Flag Seal Nickname: Monument City, Charm City, Mob Town, B-more Motto: Get In On It (formerly The City That Reads and The Greatest City in America; BELIEVE is not the official motto but rather a specific campaign) Location Location of Baltimore in Maryland Coordinates , Government Country State County United...

There are still touring and regional stagings in various parts of the world, such as the 2006 performance at the outdoor Minack Theatre in Cornwall. The Minack Theatre is an open-air theatre, constructed above a gully with a rocky granite outcrop jutting into the sea (minack in Cornish means a stony or rocky place). ...

Instrumentation

"Chess" in his original cast recording needed a 50 pieces symphonic orchestra, while keyboards and electronical instruments where played by the ABBA players. The licensed version, probably the West-End version, requires a 27 pieces orchestra including:

The studio album

The double album received critical accolades - "dazzling score that covers nearly all the pop bases" (Rolling Stone), "rock symphonic synthesis ripe with sophistication and hummable tunes" (Time) - and was a major commercial success worldwide. For seven weeks it remained at No.1 on the Swedish album chart, became a Top 10 hit in UK and reached No. 47 on the Billboard 200 Albums in the US. It also garnered several prestigious awards, including Germany's Golden Europa Award, Dutch music prize Edison Award and the Swedish prize Rockbjörnen.

Plot synopsis

Act 1

The world chess championship is being held in the northern Italian town of Merano. The brash American champion relishes the crowd's affection, while his Russian challenger and Molokov, his second (actually a KGB agent), watch with curiosity and disdain on TV. The opening ceremony features an arbiter insisting on holding the proceedings together, US and Soviet diplomats vowing their side will win, and marketers just looking to make a buck. The American storms out of a rules meeting, leaving his second, Florence, in an argument with the Arbiter and the Russians. She later scolds him, but he insists that she, a child Émigré who escaped Hungary during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, should support him. Instead, she reflects that "nobody's on nobody's side". The first game of the match goes badly, with dirty tricks nearly evolving into a brawl. A meeting to smooth things over goes badly and ends with the Russian and Florence together, where they quickly develop feelings for each other. As the matches continue, the American flounders and blames Florence, who leaves him. The Russian wins the championship, then defects to the west. Answering reporters' questions about his loyalties, his "Anthem" declares that "my land's only borders lie around my heart." Merano (Italian, now most common in English; German: Meran, also used in English; Ladin: Meran; Archaic (857 AD): Mairania; Latin: Merona; many of the regions Italian languages/dialects use Meran), is a town in the province of Bolzano-Bozen, Italy. ... This article is about the KGB of the Soviet Union. ... See TV (disambiguation) for other uses and Television (band) for the rock band European networks National In much of Europe television broadcasting has historically been state dominated, rather than commercially organised, although commercial stations have grown in number recently. ... Émigré is a French term that shows how Martin B. loves stephanie. ... Combatants Soviet Union ÁVH Hungarian government, various nationalist militias Commanders Yuri Andropov Pál Maléter, Béla Király, Gergely Pongrátz, József Dudás Strength 150,000 troops, 6,000 tanks 100,000+ demonstrators (some later armed), unknown number of soldiers Casualties 720 killed according to official...

Act 2

A year later, the Russian is set to defend his championship in Bangkok, Thailand. The American is already there, chatting up locals about the nightlife. Florence and the Russian are now lovers, and upon hearing the news on the television that the Russian's wife has been allowed to leave the USSR to attend the match, the couple argue. The wife and Florence both reflect on their relationships with him. The American goes to the Russian with information about Florence's long-lost father, claiming that instead of being a hero as she believed, he was a collaborator. The Russian, and later Florence, dismiss him, unwilling to hear what he has to say. The American reflects on his life and his obsession with chess as a way to escape an unhappy childhood. 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 - his wife castigates him for wallowing in the crowd's empty praise. Both acknowledge they are doomed to care only for themselves. Later, he and Florence reflect on their story that seemed so promising, and how they "go on pretending/ stories like ours/ have happy endings." Location within in Thailand Coordinates: , Country Settled Ayutthaya Period Founded as capital 21 April 1782 Government  - Type Special administrative area  - Governor Apirak Kosayothin Area  - City 1,568. ...

Songs

One Night in Bangkok is a song originally released in 1984 by Murray Head, and later remixed for release by Vinylshakerz in 2005. ... I Know Him So Well is a song from the musical, Chess, by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. ...

Principal cast

• Florence - Elaine Paige
• The American - Murray Head
• The Russian - Tommy Körberg
• Molokov - Denis Quilley
• Svetlana - Barbara Dickson
• The Arbiter - Björn Skifs

Note that on the concept album, the characters "The American" and "The Russian" were given no other names. This was changed when the score was expanded and adapted for the stage. On the cover of Elaine Paige Tour Programme 2004 Elaine Paige OBE (born Elaine Bickerstaff on 5 March 1948 in Barnet, Hertfordshire) is a world-renowned English singer and actor, primarily in musicals. ... Murray Head on the cover of his album Passion. ... Tommy Körberg (b. ... Denis Quilley (December 26, 1927 - October 5, 2003) was a British theatre, television and film character actor who was long associated with the Royal National Theatre. ... Barbara Dickson is a Scottish actress and singer, known for her work on stage (Blood Brothers) and television (Band of Gold). ... Björn Skifs (born April 20, 1947) is a swedish actor, screenwriter, singer and songwriter. ...

London

Plot Synopsis

Act I

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 championships are taking place. As the townsfolk prepare for the occasion, the brash American champion, Frederick Trumper arrives with his second, Hungarian orphan Florence Vassey. 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 Miss Vassey. 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 he has got to where he has. This article is about the KGB of the Soviet Union. ...

The opening ceremony features an arbiter insisting on holding the proceedings together, US and Soviet diplomats vowing their side will win, and marketers just 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 lose it with Freddie when he brings her father, believed captured by the Russians during the 1956 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 East and West. 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.

Act 2

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.

However Freddie is more interested in winning back the love of Florence. Secretly, Freddie arranges to meet Anatoly in a temple, whereby 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.

Songs

Principal cast

• Freddie Trumper - Murray Head
• Florence Vassey- Elaine Paige
• Anatoly Sergievsky- Tommy Körberg
• Alexander Molokov - John Turner
• Walter de Courcey - Kevin Colson
• The Arbiter - Tom Jobe
• Svetlana Sergievsky - Siobhan McCarthy
• Himself - William Hartston

Murray Head on the cover of his album Passion. ... On the cover of Elaine Paige Tour Programme 2004 Elaine Paige OBE (born Elaine Bickerstaff on 5 March 1948 in Barnet, Hertfordshire) is a world-renowned English singer and actor, primarily in musicals. ... Tommy Körberg (b. ... Siobhan Mary Ann McCarthy is a television and stage actress. ... William Roland Hartston (born London August 12, 1947) is an English chess player who played competitively from 1962 to 1987 with a highest Elo rating of 2515 . ...

Broadway

Chess, Broadway recording

Image File history File links Chessbroadalbum1. ... Image File history File links Chessbroadalbum1. ...

Plot synopsis

The American version has different settings and a completely different Act 2. In particular, the entire show is about one chess tournament, not two. Act 1 handles the first part of the tournament, which is held in Bangkok, while Act 2 handles the conclusion, and is set in Budapest.

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 Russian champion, Anatoly Sergievsky, and 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 emigre 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 reflects that "nobody's on nobody's side", and decides to leave him. As the matches continue, Freddie flounders, finishing Act 1 with 1 win and 5 losses; one more loss will cost him the tournament. Anatoly surprises everyone by defecting at the end of Act 1. Answering reporters' questions about his loyalties, his "Anthem" declares that "my land's only borders lie around my heart."

Act 2

Eight weeks later, everyone is in Budapest to witness the conclusion of the tournament. 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’ 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 stress 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 tournament, 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 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, her “only borders lie around her heart.”

Songs

^†Song appears on album, but was cut from production and is not found in the script licensed for production.
^#Song featured in the Broadway production, but was unrecorded for the cast album.

Principal cast

• Freddie - Philip Casnoff
• Florence - Judy Kuhn
• Anatoly - David Carroll
• Molokov - Harry Goz
• Walter - Dennis Parlato
• Arbiter - Paul Harman
• Svetlana - Marcia Mitzman

Philip Casnoff (born August 3, 1953 in Philadelphia) is an American actor, known mainly from TV movies and series roles. ... Judy Kuhn is an American actress and singer. ... David Carroll (30 July 1950-11 March 1992) was an American actor whose last, and best remembered, role was that of Baron Felix von Gaigern in Grand Hotel. ... Harry Goz (February 16, 1932 - September 6, 2003) was a Broadway musical theater actor and also a cartoon voice actor. ... In her guest role as Commander Sandra Levitt in the Babylon 5 episode No Surrender, No Retreat Marcia Mitzman Gaven (born on 28 February 1959 in New York City, New York, USA) was the voice for Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy, Miss Hoover and others on The Simpsons from 1999 until...

The "Chess In Concert" album

Chess In Concert recording

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. Image File history File links Chess_inconcert1. ... Image File history File links Chess_inconcert1. ... For other uses, see Gothenburg (disambiguation). ... See also: 1994 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1994 Record labels established in 1994 // January 29 - The Supremes Mary Wilson is injured when her jeep hits a freeway median and flips over just outside of Los Angeles, California. ...

The Danish tour

In late 2001, a Danish tour was created, directed by Craig Revel-Horwood. A 2-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.

Principal cast

• Anatoly Sergievsky - Stig Rossen
• Florence Vassy - Emma Kershaw
• Frederick Trumper - Zubin Varla
• Arbiter - Michael Cormick
• Alexander Molokov - Simon Clark
• Svetlana Sergievskaya - Gunilla Backman
• Walter de Courcey - James Graeme

Zubin Varla is a British actor and singer. ...

The 2002 Stockholm Version

Chess På Svenska - DVD Cover

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 ("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 was a drastic rewrite. It was filmed for Swedish television, and has been released on a Swedish-language DVD. The Original Swedish Cast CD "Chess På Svenska" peaked at No.2 on Swedish album chart. Image File history File links ChessDVD.jpg Licensing Source File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links ChessDVD.jpg Licensing Source File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... See also: 2001 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2001 Record labels established in 2001 // January 1 Comeback of Guns N Roses in House of Blues Hum disbands. ... For other uses, see Stockholm (disambiguation). ... Jan Mark is an author from the United Kingdom. ...

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). Guldenmask (Golden Mask) is a Swedish equivalent of Tony Award established in 1987. ... Marie Helen Sjöholm (born 10 July 1970) is a Swedish singer who lives in Gamla Enskede in Stockholm. ... Tommy Körberg (b. ...

Principal cast

• Florence - Helen Sjöholm
• Anatolij - Tommy Körberg
• Freddie - Anders Ekborg
• Svetlana - Josefin Nilsson
• The Arbiter - Rolf Skoglund
• Molokov - Per Myrberg

Marie Helen Sjöholm (born 10 July 1970) is a Swedish singer who lives in Gamla Enskede in Stockholm. ... Tommy Körberg (b. ... Anders Ekborg (born October 9, 1960) is a Swedish actor and singer who has performed the roles of Karl Oscar in Kristina från Duvemåla and Freddie Trumper in Chess, two musicals that were written by former ABBA members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. ...

Actor's Fund of America Concert 2003

Presented on September 22, 2003 in the New Amsterdam Theater, 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, recorded for posterity, was directed by Peter Flynn, choreographed by Christopher Gattelli and musical directed by conductor Seth Rudetsky. The New Amsterdam Theatre is a playhouse located at 214 West 42nd Street in New York Citys Broadway district. ... Seth Rudetsky is currently a host on Sirius Satellite Radios Broadways Best. ...

Principal cast

• Anatoly Sergievsky - Josh Groban
• Florence Vassy - Julia Murney
• Freddie Trumper - Adam Pascal
• Walter DeCourcey - Jonathan Dokuchitz
• Arbiter - Raúl Esparza
• Svetlana Sergievsky - Sutton Foster
• Alexander Molokov - Norm Lewis

Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is a Grammy-nominated American singer/songwriter known for his mature and lyrical baritone voice. ... Julia Kathleen Murney (born January 14, 1969) is an American actress and singer, primarily featured in theatre and television commercial voice-overs. ... Adam Pascal Adam Pascal (born October 25, 1970) is an American actor, best known for being the first to play the role of Roger Davis in the Jonathan Larson musical Rent on Broadway. ... Raul Esparza in 2005 Raúl Esparza (born October 24, 1970) is an American stage actor. ... Sutton Foster (b. ... Norm Lewis is an African-American Broadway actor currently enrolled with the revival of Les Miserables as Javert. ...

Multimedia concert version, Los Angeles, 2007

Presented September 17, 2007 at the Ford Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, CA. Mixture of London and Broadway versions. 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). Enesmble, choir and 27 piece orchestra on stage. Directed by Brian Michael Purcell, choreographed by A. C. Ciulla, musical direction by Dan Redfeld. A portion of the proceeds going to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

External links

• Chess at The Internet Broadway Database