[Spoilers below]
Prologue
Chess, the musical, has been in development for so long that the Cold War, which was still on during the show’s early years, had already ended. The creators kept modifying the script, trying out different variations in diverse city settings. Like chess-players brooding interminably, they could not decide upon which story to commit.
Unlike most musicals that are workshopped and opened “out of town”, i.e. in small provincial cities, Chess was executed in reverse order. Its “tryout”, so to speak, was in London’s West End and New York’s Broadway. This was followed by tours in smaller cities in America, Europe and Australia. The problem was that nobody considered the London or New York productions to be the gold standard. Thus, nearly every reincarnation of Chess became an invitation for further tinkering. Each production desperately seeked musical nirvana.
Tim's Back Story
Tim Rice, one of musical theater’s demigods, first thought of writing a musical based on the game of chess in the 1970s. With Andrew Lloyd Webber, he had written the book and lyrics to three groundbreaking musicals: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1968), Jesus Christ Superstar (1971), and Evita (1978). These three musicals were like extreme makeovers that utterly changed the face of musical theater.
However, the relationship between Tim and Andrew began to sour. The final straw came when Andrew replaced Tim’s lyrics for the song “Memory” with Trevor Nunn’s. By the time Cats opened in 1981, the Tim Rice-Andrew Lloyd Webber dynamic duo had split into two solitudes.
The Conception
Unattached, Tim went foraging for music collaborators. He soon found Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, the male members of the pop group ABBA. He presented his idea of Chess as a musical to them. Tim would write the book and lyrics while the two Bs of ABBA would write the music.
In 1984, when its concept album was released, Chess was born. Tim was very familiar with the strategy of releasing a recording first and then scrounging for a producer to stage it. This had worked very well for Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita. The Chess concept album was a great success. It scored smash hits with Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson’s duet, “I Know Him So Well”, and Murray Head’s “One Night In Bangkok”.
London's Opening Gambit
Nevertheless, it took a further two years before Chess the musical was staged. It opened in the West End in 1986 to generally favorable reviews and ran for three years.
The original story begins in the Italian city of Merano. Anatoly, the Russian world chess champion, falls in love with his American opponent's second, Florence. Anatoly defeats the American (Freddie) and defects to the West to be with Florence. The second act takes place in Bangkok, where Anatoly defends his title against the next challenger, a Russian.
Molokov, Anatoly's second and probably a KGB agent, is keen to get Anatoly back to his motherland. Initially he thinks Anatoly's Russian wife might do the trick, so the KGB flies her to Bangkok. When this fails, they concoct a story about Florence’s father wanting to leave communist Hungary for freedom in the West. Appealing to his altruistism, they succeed in persuading Anatoly to return to Russia in exchange for Florence’s father’s freedom. In the end, the deception is revealed; the father had died some time ago, and the person released is a CIA spy. Anatoly is a mere pawn in the ruthless Cold War.
The Broadway Flop
Like musical theater, chess is an unpredictable game. There was no reason to suspect that Chess's successful London run, which lasted for three years, could not be replicated in New York. But the New York production closed in less than 2 months.
Article comments
1 - Wayne
Overall, this is a fine review. But I would say one thing -- as a fan, I would rather not see any definitive version of Chess. The show's variety keeps it alive and interesting, and while I'd love to see other variations come to US shores, I just don't think it'd be as fascinating a show if "stuck" in one version.
2 - Ken Lyen
Thanks. Your point is well taken. However, I sit on both sides of the fence. As a producer, I would like to have the freedom to shape a musical in my own way. On the other hand, as a composer and writer of musicals, I would like my works to be performed in its entirety and in the way that it has been written. I get annoyed when directors cut out songs, rewrite script and lyrics, and add songs not written by me (all without my permission). Nevertheless, within the boundaries I set, I allow directors quite a lot of leeway to make changes to my own musicals. It is in this context that I suggest that Chess should have a definitive version, so that directors can use as a source of reference.
3 - Jon
Thanks for the site... after many many years the show is finally being produced by a local company in Syracuse, New York... I can't wait.
4 - Bookworm
I agree with a lot of this. However, re your comments on the Swedish production, the hostility between Florence and Svetlana is a natural outgrowth of the Swedish lyrics, which are rather hostile instead of the tone of sad resignation of the English version. It doesn't seem amiss for Josefin Nilsson to be singing "I'm ready to fight" (Jag ar beredd at slas) as she tosses off her coat.
5 - Stevie
Can anyone tell me if there is a Chess The Musical DVD - a movie or footage of the stage play? and if so where can i buy this ASAP?
Thanks
6 - Ken Lyen
As far as I am aware, the only DVD available is the 2003 Swedish production (region 2). It is in Swedish and there are no subtitles. In general the singing and acting is excellent. The DVD is available from Dress Circle in the UK.
7 - John McGrath
Nice piece and thanks for the info on the DVD...Always wanted to see the musical, but, by the time I was going to make the trek across the pond-production had shut down
8 - Keith
Interesting - the Dress Circle link doesn't mention the language. Wonder how many people have been caught.
9 - John seracuse
Nice reviews , My high school (wissahickon high school ,Ambler pa 19002) is doing a production of chess , on march 9 , 10 , and 11th 2008. If you would like tickets go to (John conahan . com), and email him for info , and the price. We are doing the 1988 brodway version. Last year we were prasied for are production of Miss.Saigon , SO TELL AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN ABOUT US.
10 - Leslie C
My high school is performing chess and I have the part of svetlana. I've never seen it before and I was wondering how big of a part it is and how many songs she's in.
11 - Alex Cockell
To No 10...
IIRC, she's in Act 2 mainly...
12 - Ron
My wife and I saw the original version in London in 1986. I thought it was the best show we saw during the three years we lived there and we saw a lot of them (includes the original version of Phantom, Cats, Les Miserables and other classics) I particularly liked the opening scene in which living chess pieces moved around a large chessboard on the stage to a song that described the history of chess. Was a video or film of the original version in London ever made? Would it be possible to acquire a copy?
13 - Duane
Back in the late 80s or early 90s a friend introduced me to a gentleman named Andre who said he had directed one of the productions in either Sweden or Denmark. I'd like to get in contact with him again. Do you think you can help me locate him?
14 - Frank Vulliet
I, too, saw the original London production (probably October, 1988) and found it intriguing but at times hard to follow. I assumed it had pretty much gone to the bottom of the musical dust bin due to the limited public interest these days both in the Game and the history of the Cold War.
Surprise! This evening CPB is presenting "Chess in Concert" performed at Albert Hall. Given public television's propensity to offer numerous reruns in fairly quick succession it should give many an opportunity to revisit or see it for the first time. Unfortunately, my local station provided virtually no publicity beyond an e-mail two days ago.
15 - Patricia Sullivan
I just finished watching Chess on my WTTW station here in Chicago and although I knew nothing about this (I never learned how to play Chess) the only reason that I recorded it, was because Josh Groban (Who is my favorite), was going to be in the production. I was completely taken by not only the music, but the casts ability to perform so well.
16 - Ron
My wife and I saw the London version in the late 80's and it was spectacular. The TV broadcase on PBS the other night was a pleasant surprise to say the least, albeit a departure from the original to some degree. It was well staged and the singing was excellent.