STAGE TUBE: A Peek At Signature Theater's CHESS

The production of Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Tim Rice's CHESS at the Signature Theatre opened August 10 and will run through September 26. The cast is lead by Jill Paice as Florence Vassy, Euan Morton as Anatoly Sergievsky and Jeremy Kushnier as Freddie Trumper. Broadway's Jill Paice (Curtains, The 39 Steps), Euan Morton (Boy George in Taboo, Sondheim on Sondheim), and Jeremy Kushnier (Footloose, Rent) star in the rock musical Chess, to be directed by Signature's Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer. Written by Mamma Mia! composers Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson with Evita and Lion King lyricist Tim Rice, the 1984 cult musical of Cold War competition in love and chess is being given its first major Washington area production. Chess will be performed in the fabulous intimacy of the 276-seat MAX Theatre through September 26, 2010.

Eric Schaeffer stated, "We've been working for three years on producing Chess and it's thrilling that all the stars have aligned to bring this musical to Washington. With Euan, Jill, and Jeremy leading the cast, it promises to be the exciting production that we've all dreamed about!"

In the musical Chess two great chess masters-one American, one Russian-compete to be the best in the world only to find that their greatest contest is for the love of the same woman. Amidst political intrigue and international conspiracies, American Freddie Trumper and Russian Anatoly Sergievsky fight to take the queen in a romantic triangle that mirrors the heightened passions of the Cold War. Originally produced on Broadway in 1988, this Tony-nominated cult rock musical explores the classic themes of love, loss and betrayal. Chess features the hit single "One Night in Bangkok," and unforgettable songs as such "Anthem," "I Know Him So Well," "Nobody's Side," and "Pity the Child." Time Magazine called it "one of the best rock scores ever produced in the theater."

Chess is the first show of the 2010-2011 season which also includes Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard, Yasmina Reza's Tony Award-winning play Art, Side by Side by Sondheim, and the world premieres of Ken Ludwig's A Fox on the Fairway, Joe Calarco's Walter Cronkite Is Dead., and Joseph Thalken's musical Wheatley's Folly. Subscriptions for three or more productions are now on sale by calling Signature's Box Office at (703) 820-9771.