CHESS
And the one magical day, who should appear but Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus (The blokes from ABBA a.k.a. the token totty). They talked, the idea was thrown into the debate and Benny and Bjorn loved it! Thus the empire was forged.
And so they gathered together some of the meatiest singers of our age, gave 'em a load of songs and told them to sing their ickle hearts out (Puncture repair kit on stand-by). At the end of a long recording session, our brave heroes finally produced the CHESS concept album. In 1986 it went to WEST END, 1988 BROADWAY, 1995/6 THE CONCERT TOUR AND FINALLY IN 2002 SWEDEN. Where it is now, I do not know (or just haven't checked), but I do know that there are many fans out there putting on their own little shows, and I for one say "HELL YEAH!"
PLOT SYNOPSIS
We now jump to the opening cermony of the Chess tournament. Before the match the referee, a.k.a.The Arbiter, tells the players "I don't care if you're a champion, no one messes with me!". Next, the Russian and American diplomats enter the room, singing "These are very dangerous and difficult times". It seems they're quite happy to keep things civil, even in this time of war, so long as the opposition is sent home in total disgrace. The proceedings of the ceremony are then interrupted by the appearance of a the Merchandisers, a devoted team of salesmen and women, determined to sell their goods at any cost "Not a chance of you escaping from our wiles, we've locked the doors and blocked the ailes!". At this point the Arbiter gets annoyed and quells the masses by re-stating his position of authority.
Shortly after the game begins, it all goes wrong when the American attacks the Russian and storms out of the Hall. Molokov is outraged by this act and demands an explanation from the American's second, Florence, who desperatly tries to defend the American. Meanwhile, the Russian starts to wonder about his opponent "Through the elegant yelling, of this compelling dispute, comes the ghastly suspicion my opposition's a fruit". He then asks Florence if she's being paid to put up with this treatment. Florence gets angry saying "I'm not getting rich my only interest Is in something which Gives me the chance Of working with the best. During the debate the Arbiter relates the rules of the game and the group finish by saying "How sad to see, What used to be, A model of decorum and tranquility Become like any other sport A battleground for rival ideologies To slug it out with glee."
After this, the Arbiter declares the game is terminated. Florence is angry and finds the American. She demands to know what he thinks he hopes to achieve. The American merely replies I'm only teasing Soviets, With gentle bonhomie, And you've a better reason to be anti-them than me", in this he refers to Florence's heritage as a Hungarian, and the fact that Russia invaded Hungary in 1956, when she was only a child. Florence isn't impressed, saying There's a time, and there's a place" and that if he continues, their partnership is through. This seems to amuse the American, who asks Wouldn't your father have wanted you to stay in the game? Florence retorts by saying he would have, but not if he'd met the American in person. The American leaves, and Florence decides that Nobody's on nobody's side" and that she would probably be better off alone. As a way of apologising The American tells Florence to go find the Russian so that they can talk.
Florence eventually finds the Russian half way up a mountain in a pub. After a while, she realises that the American has changed his mind and isn't going to turn up, leaving her to deal with the Russian "Now with immaculate timing, I'm left to carry the can". She tries to find a way to explain to the Russian, but before she can, he says Listen, I hate to break up the mood, Get to the point, begin the beguine Haven't you noticed we're a protagonist short, In this idyllic, well-produced scene?" Florence tries buy time, but the Russian dosn't seem to concerned saying "Never mind him, I haven't missed him so far". As they talk they both realise that theirs is a mutual attraction and that they prefer not to have the American around. At this point the American finally appears. He has overheard the conversation and verbally attacks Florence "Set me up, pull me down and then exploit my condition". The insults countinue untill both he and Florence yell "Who'd ever think it, such a squalid little ending?". Florence finally leaves the American with him yelling "Be someone elses parasite!"
The next scene finds the Russian at the Embassy. He and Florence have fallen in love and he wishes to leave the country with her. The Clerks are less than impressed with his act saying "Oh my dear how boring, He's defecting, Just like all the others, He's expecting, Us to be impressed with what he's done here, But he, Hasn't stopped to think about the paperwork, His gesture causes". Despite their opinions the Russian gets his VISA. The first ACT ends with the Russian singing the praises of his homeland, vowing that wherever he goes he will always be there at heart "My land's only borders lie around my heart".
ACT II
It's now one year later and the next Chess tournament is being held, this time in Bangkok. As the players, including reigning champion, the Russian, prepare for the game, the American, in his new role as a newscaster, introduces the show. As he does, the locals try to tempt him, saying "it's a drag, it's bore, it's really such a pity, to be looking at the board not looking at the city" The American, however, is unimpressed by the city saying "One town's very like another, when your head's down over your peices brother". The locals don't give up even when he informs them "I get my kicks above the waist line, sunshine." The American leaves the locals to sing the praises of their city. He has other business to attend to.
Meanwhile Florence is wondering where her relationship with the Russian is heading "The day that I find, Suddenly I've run out of secrets, Suddenly I'm not always on his mind." Not long after, in their hotel room, the Russian and Florence see a news report showing the Russian's wife, Svetlana, on route to Bangkok. Florence panics, asking what they should do. The Russian's reply only includes himself and his game, to which Florence retorts "It's always I this and I that, what ever happend to us?" The Russian gets angry and tells her to leave, if she that's what she really wants. Florence is now left to dream of a happier time with her lover and in a duet with Svetlana they sing "wasn't he good? Oh so fine? Isn't it madness he cant be mine?!" because each believes they have lost him to the other. Later the American approaches the Russian with an offer. If he'll throw the match, then he won't reveal to Florence that her father was in fact a traitor. The Russian refuses, not believing the American's claim. The American then goes to Florence and tries to persuade her to come back to him. Florence is disgusted, yelling "ARE YOU SICK? ARE YOU MAD? YOU STILL DONT UNDERSTAND WHY I LOATH YOU? WHY I LEFT YOU?" The American is left with the Russian and Florence only showing their pity "One more complication, Should be neither here nor there, I wish I had it in me not to care.
They leave the American, who recounts his history. He tells about his childhood, how his father left him and his mother. He grew up with Chess his only freind as the world ignored his pleas for help. Last of all he thinks of his mother "I'd never call, a crazy thing to do, just in case she said "Who?""
It is now the final tournament. As the players take their final places, each has something to say about the proceedings. Molokov sings the praises of his new player, Viigand, saying "how rewarding the game, when one can have faith in one's player". Meanwhile Svetlana confronts her husband, demanding to know whay he left her. He claims she never tried to understand him or his dreams. This is the end for Svetlana as she cries "LIAR!" at her husband. The Russian now realises that even if he wins the game he still loses everything. Finally as the choir sing the story of Chess, the Russian and Florence sing their final Duet "You and I, we had it all, we had everything, still we go on pretending, that story's like ours, have happy endings".
The show ends, but before the lights fade, the American approaches Florence with some News...
The American (Freddie Trumper)
At the start of the show, the American is the reigning world chess champion, come to defend his title.
He is easily angered and unstable, due to his broken childhood. He spends most the show acting just like a child, treating people as if they where mere toys. His reationship with Florence is (from his point) more of a anchor.
He knows that whatever he does, he has Florence to pick up the peices.
Yet, he treats her just the same as he treats everyone else, without any suspicion that she might leave him. By the end of the show, he's become a bitter man, who just wants to ruin as many lives as he can before the events reach a climax.
The Russian (Anatoly Sergievsky)
The Russian starts off as the challenger for the Chess title. At the start of the show, he gives the American the benefit of the doubt, even when he openly attacks the Russian. The Russian himself is trying to prove to the world that he's his own man and not (as Molokov would have it) a mere puppet of the U.S.S.R. After the first act we find out how desparate he was to be away from the people who wanted to control him, including (so he thinks) his wife, Svetlana. During the chess tournament, he meets and falls in love with Florence, and the two begin an affair, but both knowing it won't last forever.
Florence (Freddies second)
Florence's task is to maintain the diplomatic end of the Chess tournament. This isn't easy when her partner is unstable, constantly leaving her to calm the angry masses.
Though she claims to be staying with the American because he is the best player around, it also seems she feels a mother-son relationship. After the first round of the game, when the American assaults the Russian and disappears, she begins to doubt her position.
It's only after the American leaves her to handle the Russian does she realise that it's time she moved on. She also falls in love with the Russian, for which the American insults her and she finally leaves. Both she and the Russian leave the country together.
Years later she begins to doubt her relationship with the Russian when his past (Svetlana) catches up with him, leaving her to wonder how he really feels about her.
Molokov (Anatoly's second)
Molokov, like Florence, is there to handle the diplomatic role. Unlike Florence, his only aim is to win at any cost.
He claims to be the Russian's friend and that he's there to support him, when in fact he wants only victory, so Russia won't lose face in these bad times. After the Russian wins the tournment, he tells Molokov to leave.
Molokov is angry, so goes to the American and offers him a chance to ruin the Russian.
Svetlana (Anatoly's wife)
Svetlana doesn't appear until Act 2, when the American
brings her to Bangkok, where the Russian is playing.
Svetlana is angry and confused at her husband at leaving without any explanation.
Though she realises that their marriage is over, she finds herself wondering how things would have been if they had spent more time being husband and wife and not rivals.
The Arbiter (Chess referee)
The Arbiter's job is to moniter the Chess tournament. He does so with an iron fist, not letting anyone disagree with his word, no matter how much they threaten, plead or reason.
SONG LIST (based on London cencept album)
CD 1
1. Merano- Townspeople, American
2. The Russian and Molokov/where I want to be- Russian, Molokov
3. Opening Ceremony- Arbiter, Diplomats, Merchandisers
4. Quartet (Model of Decorum and Tranquility)- Florence, Russian, Molokov, Arbiter
5. The American and Florence/Nobody's side- Florence, American
6. Chess- Instrumental
7. Mountain Duet- Florence, Russian
8.Florence quits- Florence, American
9. Embassy lament/Anthem- Clerks, Russian
CD 2
1. Bangkok/One night in Bangkok- American, Locals
2. Heaven help my heart- Florence
3. Argument/I know him so well- Russian, Florence, Svetlana
4. The deal(no deal)/pity the child- Russian, Florence, Molokov, American
5. Endgame- Florence, Russian, Molokov, American, Svetlana, choir
6. Epilogue/You and I/ Choir- Russian, Florence, Choir
Some nice Chess Links-
Sir Tim Rice
A site about the man himself and his various works
Musicals.nu A site that knows all musicals
Chess:The Musical A very good Chess site, which has current show dates and locations
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