Photo Flash: First Look at Michael McCorry Rose and More in CHESS IN CONCERT at The Barn Stage Company

Presented by The Barn Stage Company, in association with Temecula Presents, an all-star production of Benny Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus' Chess in Concert takes the Old Town Temecula stage for four nights only! A collaboration with the Temecula Valley Symphony puts a beautiful 25-piece orchestra directly on stage for all to enjoy. The show runs one weekend, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Old Town Temecula Theater in beautiful Old Town Temecula. Chess in Concert will be directed by J. Scott Lapp, with Musical Direction by John Mario Di Costanzoand choreography by April Henry. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The ancient game becomes a metaphor for romantic rivalries, competitive gamesmanship, super power politics and international intrigues. The pawns in this drama form a love triangle: the loutish American chess star, the earnest Russian champion and a Hungarian American female assistant who arrives at the international chess match in Bangkok with the American but falls for the Russian. From Bangkok to Budapest the players, lovers, politicians, and spies manipulate and are manipulated to the pulse of a monumental rock score.

Michael McCorry Rose leads the cast as the Russian, Anatoly Sergievsky. Originally from San Diego, Michael now lives and works in New York. He was most recently seen on Broadway in the Tony Award winning musical A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and prior to that as "Fiyero" in Broadway's Wicked. Regional credits include Paper Mill Playhouse, Yale Rep, Primary Stages and Capital Rep. In the role of Freddy Trumper, is Louis Pardo. Credits include Hair at The Hollywood Bowl, Jamie in The Last 5 Years, Jerry in The Full Monty and Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar. Rena Strober joins The Barn Stage Company in her debut as Florence Vassy. She made her Broadway debut as Cosette in Les Miserables and went on to travel the country as Tzeitel in Fiddler on The Roof with Topol and Harvey Fierstein. Local audiences may remember her as Tonia in Zhivago at the La Jolla Playhouse. In the role of Svetlana Sergievsky is Elizabeth Brackenbury who studied at The American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. She has performed numerous times at the Hollywood Bowl in Showboat, The Music Man and Mame and sang with Roger Daltrey of The Who for his induction into the Hall of Fame. Daniel Guzman joins the cast as Alexander Molokov. He has been seen on Broadway in Cyrano the musical and Les Miserables. National Tours include Camelot (Dinadan), Jesus Christ Superstar (Herod), Les Miserables (Grantaire). San Diego favorite Jon Lorenz joins the cast as Walter de Courcey. Jon was recently seen as George in Ion Theatre's acclaimed San Diego premiere of Sunday In The Park With George. He co-created San Diego's long-running hit 80s musical, Mixtapeand last year's acclaimed production of Oz: An American Musical Fairy Tale at Lamb's Players Theatre. Edred Utomi rounds out the principle cast as The Arbiter. Regional credits include Cecco in Peter Pan, TJ in Sister Act, Shrek the Musical (Moonlight), Jim in Big River (Performance Riverside), Rudolph...Reindeer Nat'l Tour (McCoy Rigby). The rest of the company includes Shafiq Wahhab, Ethan Park, Kelsie Piini, Ariana Ramirez, Amanda Restivo, Shealyn Sailors, Jeffrey Ricca and Tanner Vidos.

Directed by J. Scott Lapp (Peter and The Starcatcher at The Barn Stage Company, Rain at Old Globe, The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Papermill Playhouse and La Jolla Playhouse, Bonnie & Clyde on Broadway and Murder for Two at Broadway Asia), now in his second season as Artistic Director of The Barn Stage Company. The creative team for Chess in Concert includes John Mario Di Costanzo (Conductor/Musical Director) a veteran opera conductor serving three seasons as Music Director of the legendary Tri Cities Opera of Binghampton, NY. Rachel Pfeifer Green (Choir Director) will lead the choir of Chess. April Henry (Choreographer), recent credits include Up Here at La Jolla Playhouse, the National Tour of Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer with McCoy Rigby. The Design team includes Matthew Herman (Scenic/Projection Design), Curtis Mueller (Lighting Design), Costume Design by Erica Palay. Carmen Quinones is the StageManager.

Opened yesterday, September 1 at 8pm, and continues Friday, September 2 at 8pm, Saturday, September 3 at 8pm and Sunday September 4 at 2pm. at The Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main Street, Temecula, CA. 92590. Tickets: $30/$45/$60. Can be purchased by visiting www.TheBarnStageCompany.com or www.TemeculaTheater.org or by calling the Old Town Community Theater Box Office at 1-866-653-8696.

Edred Utomi (The Arbiter)

Center: Michael McCorry Rose (Anatoly Sergievsky) and Louis Pardo (Frederick Trumper) with the Company of CHESS IN CONCERT

Rena Strober (Florence Vassy)

Michael McCorry Rose (Anatoly Sergievsky) with the Company of CHESS IN CONCERT

Louis Pardo (Frederick Trumper) with the Company of CHESS IN CONCERT

Rena Strober (Florence Vassy) and Michael McCorry Rose (Anatoly Sergievsky)

Daniel Guzman (Alexander Molokov) with the Company of CHESS IN CONCERT

Jon Lorenz (Walter de Courcey) and Daniel Guzman (Alexander Molokov)

Elizabeth Brackenbury (Svetlana Sergievsky)

The Company of CHESS IN CONCERT