Raul Esparza Talks Importance of Politically Charged Musicals Like CHESS

In a new interview for Metro Weekly, Raul Esparza talks about bringing Chess back to the stage, as well as how important it is to perform such a politically charged musical in this day and age. Esparza is currently performing in Chess at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

"Given the climate of the world right now, D.C. is the epicenter of a lot of fear and damage," Esparza said. He believes that performing a musical such as Chess, especially in D.C. will resonate with people on a deeper level.

Esparza is a child of immigrants from Cuba, giving him a deep connection to the current immigration issues this country is up against.

"They're missing fundamentally what the concept of America is," he said. "This is a country founded on the idea that we can become anybody we want to be, no matter where we come from, no matter what class we're from, no matter what social station we're from, no matter how much money we have."

"So I'm absolutely furious about what's happening right now," he continues. "Because it's a country built on the backs of immigrants, and we are proud of that. And we'll continue to be proud of that because also by extension, America is a greater idea than any one administration. You can't stand on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial or at the Kennedy Center and not feel like this idea is much bigger than just one creep in the White House."

Read more here.

Raúl Esparza was nominated for Tony Awards for his performances in Speed-the-Plow, The Homecoming, Company and Taboo. His other Broadway credits include Leap of Faith,Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Arcadia, Chess, The Rocky Horror Show and Cabaret. He starred in the Encores! production of Anyone Can Whistle.

CHESS stars Raúl Esparza (Company, the Kennedy Center's Sunday in the Park with George and Merrily We Roll Along) as American chess champion Freddie Trumper; Ramin Karimloo (Anastasia) as rival Russian chess star Anatoly Sergievsky; Tony Award® winner Ruthie Ann Miles (The King and I, Here Lies Love) as Anatoly's wife, Svetlana Sergievsky; and Tony Award®winner Karen Olivo (West Side Story, In the Heights) as Florence Vassy, a remarkable Hungarian refugee who becomes the center of the emotional triangle. The production also features Bradley Dean (Dear Evan Hansen) as Ivan Molokov, Sean Allan Krill (Honeymoon in Vegas) as Walter de Courcey, and Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder) as the Arbiter.

Written in 1984 by songwriters Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (Mamma Mia!) and lyricist Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar, The Lion King, Evita), CHESS has been seen in numerous productions around the world. The original concept album spawned two international hit singles, "I Know Him So Well" and "One Night in Bangkok." Presented as a part of Broadway Center Stage, a Kennedy Center-produced series of musicals in semi-staged concerts, CHESS will run February 14-18, 2018 in the Eisenhower Theater.

Photo Credit: Genevieve Rafter Keddy