Jump to content

CHESS musical


Jim Colyer

Recommended Posts

After Swedish ABBA broke up in 1982, Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvaeus teamed up with Tim Rice of Jesus Christ Superstar fame to write a musical about the game of chess. It was based on the Bobby Fischer matches with Russian Boris Spassky.

Chess is an unlikey subject for a musical, and it proved difficult. It was a success in London's West End but bombed on Broadway in 1988. CHESS later toured the U.S. and was well-received. I saw it in Louisville, Kentucky. Despite problems with the story, the soundtrack of CHESS contains some great music. One Night In Bangkok by Murray Head was a #3 hit in the U.S. I Know Him So Well & Heaven Help My Heart are very ABBA-like. Anthem & Pity The Child show Benny & Bjorn's ability as composers. As CHESS moved around the globe, the story was rewritten and the song sequence changed to suit the country in which it was being staged. Still, CHESS has endured because of its ABBA connection and its excellent soundtrack. I wrote a piece about CHESS. http://jimcolyer.com/papers/entry?id=30

post-37-1115594077.jpg

Edited by Jim Colyer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

CHESS went to Broadway in 1988. Its run was short and its reviews not very good. The Broadway cast recorded a soundtrack. Tim Rice still wrestles with the storyline, trying to improve it.

post-37-1116875842.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Our picks

    • Wait, Burning Man is going online-only? What does that even look like?
      You could have been forgiven for missing the announcement that actual physical Burning Man has been canceled for this year, if not next. Firstly, the nonprofit Burning Man organization, known affectionately to insiders as the Borg, posted it after 5 p.m. PT Friday. That, even in the COVID-19 era, is the traditional time to push out news when you don't want much media attention. 
      But secondly, you may have missed its cancellation because the Borg is being careful not to use the C-word. The announcement was neutrally titled "The Burning Man Multiverse in 2020." Even as it offers refunds to early ticket buyers, considers layoffs and other belt-tightening measures, and can't even commit to a physical event in 2021, the Borg is making lemonade by focusing on an online-only version of Black Rock City this coming August.    Read more...
      More about Burning Man, Tech, Web Culture, and Live EventsView the full article
      • 0 replies
    • Post in What Are You Listening To?
      Post in What Are You Listening To?
    • Post in What Are You Listening To?
      Post in What Are You Listening To?
    • Post in What Are You Listening To?
      Post in What Are You Listening To?
    • Post in What Are You Listening To?
      Post in What Are You Listening To?
×
×
  • Create New...