FLASH FRIDAY: Everybody's Playing The Game! The Checkered History Of Cult Classic CHESS

By: Pat Cerasaro Feb. 13, 2015

Today we are celebrating the unique history and standout score of cult 1980s mega-musical CHESS.

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Talking Chess
Black and white and red all over, the history of concept musical CHESS is as complex as the game itself, with players more than merely worthy of the theatrical equivalent of an international chess championship - which is ostensibly the story of the show itself. First presented as an elaborately produced concept album in 1984 based loosely on the life and career of wild American chess champion Bobby Fischer starring none other than musical theatre superstar Elaine Paige along with leading men Murray Head and Tommy Korberg, the searing, anomalous rock-based score for the show exploded with propulsive energy, overwhelming excitement, irreverent wit, sumptuous orchestrations and one of the most spectacular songstacks of any musical of the 1980s. Topping the charts around the world due to huge smash singles - the lovelorn female duet "I Know Him So Well" via Paige and Barbara Dickson and the Murray Head-led proto-rap performance piece of "One Night In Bangkok" - the next conceivable move for the estimable trio of creators of the concept album to make would be to help CHESS find its way onstage. But, who to helm this monster mega-musical? Enter Michael Bennett, king of A CHORUS LINE and DREAMGIRLS and coming off a hot streak - but, also, secretly dying of AIDS. While rehearsals were beginning and sets were already commissioned and being built - a video wall costing more than $1 million included - Bennett suddenly withdrew and left the entire production in the lurch. Who could save the day? Why, none other than mega-musical mastermind Trevor Nunn, who took a show almost completely cast by another director along with a visual design already in place and somehow managed to get the massive and technically complex musical on its feet in time for a West End debut in 1986, where it then ran successfully for three years.

Then came Broadway. Major changes were implemented for the Broadway premiere of CHESS, with further alterations incorporated throughout a troublesome, extended preview period. Richard Nelson was brought in as book writer to supplant the original story and book as devised by the instigator of the project himself, legendary lyricist Sir Tim Rice. While composers Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus - the Bs from ABBA - did not suffer quite as debilitating a fate as far as their score was concerned, the Broadway iteration was unmistakably grimmer and grittier, with the operatic flourishes and lovably New Wave 80s-tastic mise en scene that gave the original London production a certain sheen and appealing sensibility thrown out in favor of a darker, more LES MISERABLES-like experience. To top it all off, it possessed one of the biggest downers of an ending in all of mega-musical history - and given the tragic stories told in many such productions, that is really saying something. Subsequently, the Broadway production of CHESS was lambasted by critics and died quickly on the Great White Way, though Judy Kuhn and David Carroll received 1988 Tony Award nominations for their work, closing after less than 70 regular performances. But, that was not checkmate for CHESS as a viable theatrical property - not even close.

International productions popped up in the intervening years, with Rice himself drastically rewriting the show for an Australian production directed by Jim Sharman, which was followed not long after by a US national tour starring Carolee Carmello in her leading lady debut. Andersson and Ulvaeus also revisited the material themselves and gave it their own spin with a fresh production in the new millennium, as well, adding a handful of new melodies for the elaborate Swedish production. Plus, New York has seen CHESS again since its Broadway bow in the form of a star-studded 2003 Actor's Fund concert production featuring a who's who of Broadway's best and brightest talent, as well. Yet, the biggest impact CHESS has had thus far this century is undoubtedly the 2008 Royal Albert Hall concert starring the enviable quartet of Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal, Josh Groban and Kerry Ellis in the four central roles. Also, a recent CD/DVD box set celebrating the 30th anniversary of the concept album is now available to own, containing a lovingly digitally remastered edition of the album along with a DVD containing music videos, interviews and more. Plus, CHESS is back in New York in a big way thanks to this weekend's presentation of 54 SINGS CHESS at NYC concert hotspot 54 Below with a cast including Matt Bogart - check out his InDepth InterView all about the event and much more here - and many more. While it may be presumptuous to say that a revival of CHESS is a predictable inevitability to eventually arise at this point in time, the resulting reaction from critics and audiences were it to come to pass at long last could ascribe it as anything from a king to a pawn - or somewhere in between. Nevertheless, the game is greater than its players - and, some would say, so is the musical itself.

Nobody's Side
Now, let's take a look at some highlights from the rich and varied history of CHESS.
First up, get a listen to the original concept album of CHESS.
Next, take a look at the far-out music video for "One Night In Bangkok".
Now, take a listen to the romantic and memorable "I Know Him So Well".
Elaine Paige defends her crown as first lady of the British musical with "Nobody's Side".
Also, hear a rare highlight of the troubled Broadway version, "No Contest".
Take a peek at the vastly rewritten 1990 Australian version, shepherded by Rice himself.
Carolee Carmello nails the American add-on showstopper "Someone Else's Story".
Enjoy Sutton Foster's take on Florence in CHESS, as well.
Mega-musical queen Lea Salonga tackles the terrific tune, too.
Josh Groban, Raul Esparza and Julia Murney set CHESS alight, even in rehearsal.

Don't miss Idina Menzel and more in the exhilarating CHESS: IN CONCERT.
Check out European musical titan Helen Sjoholm in the Swedish version of CHESS.
Broadway favorite Adam Pascal sends the rocking "Pity The Child" into the stratosphere.
Lastly, sample the rare music video for the earworm showpiece "The Arbiter".
As a bonus (of sorts), view Mike Tyson's THE HANGOVER 2 "One Night In Bangkok".
So, what is your absolute favorite iteration of CHESS out of its many dissimilar versions? Furthermore, what is your idea of the ideal showstopper from the sublime score? A musical this marvelous certainly deserves another look - and this weekend at 54 Below could very well be the start of a whole new game.

Photo Credits: Dewynters, etc.

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