Chess is a musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, formerly of ABBA. The story involves a romantic triangle between two top players, an American and a Russian, in a world chess championship, and a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other; all in the context of a Cold War struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union, during which both countries wanted to win international chess tournaments for propaganda purposes. Following the pattern of Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita, a highly successful concept album of Chess was released in 1984.
The premiere of the musical provoked an overall mixed to favourable verdict from the critics and, according to Variety Magazine, "one of the bigger West End mob-scenes in recent memory". Most of the naysaying notices had comments ranging from "far too long" and "shallow, improbable story masquerading as a serious musical" (The Sunday Times) to The Guardian's conclusion, "A musical is only as good as its book, and here one is confronted by an inchoate mess."
Other newspapers posted raving reviews. The Daily Telegraph wrote that the show "gift-wrapped and gorgeous...compels admiration", The Times noted that "it turns out to be a fine piece of work that shows the dinosaur mega-musical evolving into intelligent form of life" and Today called it "gripping, eye-catching.. nearly a major triumph". Michael Ratcliffe wrote in Observer that "operetta plot which would have delighted mature Lehar is dramatised in a buoyant, eclectic and stirring theatre-score" and called Körberg "the indisputable star of the show". Sheridan Morley in International Herald Tribune complimented show's "remarkably coherent dramatic shape ... staging of considerable intelligence and invention".
The first theatrical production of Chess opened in London's West End in 1986 and played for three years. Chess came seventh in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the United Kingdom's "Number One Essential Musicals.Chess Musical Tickets are available at Sold Out Ticket Market at nominal rates.
Chess Musical Tickets at Sold Out Ticket Market
Ticket Market for Chess Musical Tickets
The premiere of the musical provoked an overall mixed to favourable verdict from the critics and, according to Variety Magazine, "one of the bigger West End mob-scenes in recent memory". Most of the naysaying notices had comments ranging from "far too long" and "shallow, improbable story masquerading as a serious musical" (The Sunday Times) to The Guardian's conclusion, "A musical is only as good as its book, and here one is confronted by an inchoate mess."
Other newspapers posted raving reviews. The Daily Telegraph wrote that the show "gift-wrapped and gorgeous...compels admiration", The Times noted that "it turns out to be a fine piece of work that shows the dinosaur mega-musical evolving into intelligent form of life" and Today called it "gripping, eye-catching.. nearly a major triumph". Michael Ratcliffe wrote in Observer that "operetta plot which would have delighted mature Lehar is dramatised in a buoyant, eclectic and stirring theatre-score" and called Körberg "the indisputable star of the show". Sheridan Morley in International Herald Tribune complimented show's "remarkably coherent dramatic shape ... staging of considerable intelligence and invention".
The first theatrical production of Chess opened in London's West End in 1986 and played for three years. Chess came seventh in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the United Kingdom's "Number One Essential Musicals.Chess Musical Tickets are available at Sold Out Ticket Market at nominal rates.
Chess Musical Tickets at Sold Out Ticket Market
Ticket Market for Chess Musical Tickets
It's ABBA-tastic! It still cracks me up that "One Night in Bangkok" ever became a radio pop hit, with Murray Head's ridiculous American accent and all...
ReplyDelete- - - - - - -
Jack@PCS
chess sets and more