B'way/Off-B'way Review: Chess; Practice

Aaron Tveit (c.) and cast in Chess.
Credit: Matthew Murphy

The big question is does the first Broadway revival of Chess solve the cult musical’s previously impossible problem of the messy book dragging down the magnificent, memorable score? The short answer is no, but it does provide powerhouse singer-actors (Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele, Nicholas Christopher, Hannah Cruz) the opportunity to display their impressive vocal chops and limning skills. Is it worth sitting through the Cuckoo-for-Coco-Puffs script to get to those compelling, stirring songs by Tim Rice and the Abba team of Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus? That’s a matter of taste. It was rough going for me for the show’s nearly three-hour running time, but when the stars opened the mouths to vocalize, I forgot the melodramatic excesses and lame jokes in Danny Strong’s new book.

Chess is one of those shows that just won’t die. It began life as a 1984 concept album like Rice’s collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita. A fully-staged 1986 adaptation played London’s West End for three years, but a highly revised Broadway version closed after only two months in 1988. Ever since, the property has re-emerged in regional revivals, concerts, and recordings. The reason for Chess’s long game is the brilliant score. The sexy, catchy “One Night in Bangkok” was a Top 40 earworm. The sweet ache and passionate regret of “You and I” has always brought me to tears. “I Know Him So Well” is a tender duet expressing reflection over a failed love affair with gorgeous intertwining vocal lines. “Someone Else’s Story” is another beautiful ballad, heartbreaking in its simplicity.

Aaron Tveit and Lea Michele in Chess.
Credit: Matthew Murphy

The crazy story arc which contains these wonderful songs involves chess masters, affairs, the 1956 Soviet invasion of Hungary, the CIA, and the KGB. Plus this new version by Strong asks us to believe the fate of the entire world hangs on the chess matches—there are two of them, one for each act—with US and Soviet commanders poised to press the nuclear button depending on who emerges victorious. 

Strong has streamlined the crowded storyline (but not enough) and treats the material with a satiric, almost campy tone, with the Arbiter character transformed into a devilish narrator who constantly reminds us we’re watching “ a Cold War musical” and laying out the subtext in case we don’t get it. This narrator device removes us from the romantic-triangle aspects of the story and inserts contemporary groanworthy quips about RFK Jr. and his brainworm, Joseph Biden running for a second term, and just the mention of our current president (Tveit’s character name is Trumper, get it?). It doesn’t help that Bryce Pinkham, who has been a delight in previous musicals such as A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Holiday Inn, delivers every line like a WWF ring announcer. He’s at full volume and intensity from his first entrance and has nowhere to go but over the top. Michael Mayer’s direction does flow smoothly with David Rockwell’s sleek, ultramodern set and Kevin Adams’ flashy lighting providing for swift, cinematic transitions. Mayer and choreographer Lorin Latarro also effectively employ a top-notch chorus to move the story along and provide background.

B'way Update: Chess Revival; Ragtime Casting

Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele and 
Nicholas Christopher will star in Chess.

Tony winner Aaron Tveit (Moulin Rogue), Emmy nominee Lea Michele (Funny Girl) and Nicholas Christopher (Sweeney Todd) will star in the first Broadway revival of Chess at a Shubert Theater TBA this fall. This musical about an international romance against the backdrop of a world chess championship match will feature a new book by Emmy winner Danny Strong (Dopesick) and music and lyrics by ABBA's Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus and Tim Rice. Tony winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening) directs.

Chess began life as a concept album released in 1984. The show opened in London's West End in 1986 and ran for three years.  The original Broadway production was much changed from the British edition and opened on Broadway in 1988 with a new book by Richard Nelson. It only ran for 68 performances. The show has been presented in varying forms in revivals and concert versions in Australia and Sweden. The score which features such hits as "One Night in Bangkok," "I Know Him So Well," "Pity the Child," and "You and I," is regarded as the show's strongest point with the book cited as a stumbling block.

In additional news, Lincoln Center Theater has announced additional casting for its revival of Ragtime. Joining the previously announced Tony® nominee Joshua Henry (deBessonet’s Into the Woods, Carousel), Olivier® and Grammy® nominee Caissie Levy (Hair, Frozen), and Tony Award-winner Brandon Uranowitz (Leopoldstadt, LCT’s Falsettos) are Colin Donnell (Anything Goes, NBC’s “Chicago Med”), Nichelle Lewis (The Wiz), Ben Levi Ross (Dear Evan Hansen, Gatsby at A.R.T.), Tony Award-winner Shaina Taub (Suffs, Public Works’ Twelfth Night at the Delacorte), John Clay III (New York, New York), and Rodd Cyrus (Encores! The Light in the Piazza).