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Post by stagebyte on Apr 18, 2024 19:56:35 GMT
On his tour tonight. Tim Rice revealed Chess is going to Broadway next year!❤️
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Post by Mark on Apr 18, 2024 20:31:33 GMT
Initial rumours I’d read had this as Ramin Karimloo/Lea Michele but with Ramin doing Pirates of Penzance it will either be a different cast or it will be in the autumn of next year (25/26 season)
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Post by stagebyte on Apr 18, 2024 21:54:56 GMT
Could we collectively pray for Josh Groban (kind of again)
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Post by max on Apr 18, 2024 23:17:41 GMT
I wonder if this paves the way for 'From Here To Eternity' on Broadway, if there's Rice-revival set in train. Come on Tim, push the newer project too.
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Post by BVM on Apr 19, 2024 8:33:19 GMT
I am POISED for this. Haven’t we been hearing about Chess’ triumphant return for years though?
Please not Groban though. He was SO wooden in the RAH version. I mean TBF everyone other than Adam Pascal and Queen Ellis were I guess.
Be amazing if they did it with no household MT names but assume Broadway being Broadway no one would go 😱!
Anyway. I’d love to see this. One of the best MT scores of all time.
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Post by anthony40 on Apr 19, 2024 8:42:57 GMT
On his tour tonight. Tim Rice revealed Chess is going to Broadway next year!❤️ I wonder if this will be a fully staged production, or a concert production? |
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Post by NorthernAlien on Apr 19, 2024 8:43:17 GMT
Ooooohhhhh. I have never seen this, but would love to do so!
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Post by danb on Apr 19, 2024 10:37:23 GMT
Anyway. I’d love to see this. One of the best MT scores of all time. Agreed. Musically, it’s a masterpiece. |
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Post by anthony40 on Apr 19, 2024 11:07:39 GMT
(For what it's worth) are you all familiar with Kristina? It was Benny & Bjorn's next musical after Chess.
It took some time as after Chess I guess their focus was on the Mamma Mia! musical.
It's about the Swede's immigrating to America. It's not as 'rock' based as Chess. It's more choral.
One or two really stand out numbers!
There was a concert version of this at the Royal Albert Hall over 10 years ago now, starring Russell Watson.
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Post by LaLuPone on Apr 19, 2024 11:18:19 GMT
If this ends up a thing and runs at the same time as Sunset, Old Friends and Smash, it will be impossible to resist a trip back to NYC.
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Post by danb on Apr 19, 2024 11:34:51 GMT
(For what it's worth) are you all familiar with Kristina? It was Benny & Bjorn's next musical after Chess. It took some time as after Chess I guess their focus was on the Mamma Mia! musical. It's about the Swede's immigrating to America. It's not as 'rock' based as Chess. It's more choral. One or two really stand out numbers! There was a concert version of this at the Royal Albert Hall over 10 years ago now, starring Russell Watson. I’ve never listened to it but perhaps I should. Thanks for the recommendation. Is it in English or Swedish (or both)? |
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Post by anthony40 on Apr 19, 2024 12:19:14 GMT
It's in English.
It was originally in Swedish. I remember it was playing when I was in Gotherberg in '95 at Christmas. I am an ABBA fan and remember at the time even contemplated purchasing a ticket but then came to the sudden realisation that I wouldn't be able to understand it.
From what I have learnt since, this was a full stage production.
Like Les Miserable it was reworked and translated- co-incidentally by Herbert Kretzmer- into English and there was a concert held at Carnegie Hall where the CD was recorded.
That concert version was what transferred to the Royal Albert Hall.
I can't remember how many nights it ran for but what I do remember was that I was in a higher/balcony seat and when you looked across the audience, it was sea of blonde heads. I reckon they have have called any Swede the Embassy had on record to attend! And more excitingly, both Benny & Bjorn were there in the audience, who were later called up onto the stage.
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Post by blamerobots on Apr 19, 2024 12:23:15 GMT
Chess is legitimately one of my favourite musicals. Murders vocalists though. Will be hoping for a strong cast.
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Post by Jon on Apr 19, 2024 15:16:08 GMT
Chess would have to be a non profit run as it would never do good business commercially
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Post by shownut on Apr 19, 2024 15:35:12 GMT
Chess would have to be a non profit run as it would never do good business commercially That's what they once said about a remount of FUNNY GIRL. Enter, Lea Michelle. |
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Post by BVM on Apr 19, 2024 15:54:32 GMT
Indeed. As I alluded to above, Broadway has a considerably bigger draw to names than we do.
Put the right (for the people, not necessarily the show) name in and they’ll flock to it!
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Post by stagebyte on Apr 19, 2024 16:15:22 GMT
On his tour tonight. Tim Rice revealed Chess is going to Broadway next year!❤️ I wonder if this will be a fully staged production, or a concert production? He said a full production. Was humorously frank about the previous Broadway flop originally but hoping Broadway is ready now |
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Post by stagebyte on Apr 19, 2024 16:16:53 GMT
If this ends up a thing and runs at the same time as Sunset, Old Friends and Smash, it will be impossible to resist a trip back to NYC. I’ll be there with you. |
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Post by Jon on Apr 19, 2024 17:02:58 GMT
Chess would have to be a non profit run as it would never do good business commercially That's what they once said about a remount of FUNNY GIRL. Enter, Lea Michelle. The difference between Funny Girl and Chess is that Funny Girl ran longer in its original run. |
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Post by theatrefan62 on Apr 19, 2024 18:04:24 GMT
Funny Girl has had the Lea connection for years. It was the case of the perfect star for the perfect show at a time when the audience who watched Glee could also afford tickets.
It would be a real test of her star power to put her in Chess.
Not impossible, but it will need Merrily style casting to sell tickets.
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Post by stagebyte on Apr 19, 2024 20:58:56 GMT
Chess ran for 3 years in the West end. Maybe Broadway has evolved a little in this time? Success of shows like The Queen’s Gambit has shown there’s an appetite for it. Back then it just seemed a weird premise for a musical.
Hadestown has shown how tastes differ though between continents. The original run in the UK was a TodaysTix fave and heavily papered. It went to Broadway and won loads of awards (nothing here) and is now back and a hot ticket among young people particularly.
I am looking forward to a huge sweeping production of Chess. The score is glorious and I need to erase the memory of the hideous Craig Revel Horwood professional production I saw last. Elaine and Murray it was not.
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Post by blamerobots on Apr 19, 2024 22:38:44 GMT
The original Chess WE staging is burned into my mind, I can't imagine a production of Chess that ISN'T using a chessboard on stage as a motif as everyone is literally played against each other. I'd fly to Broadway just to see Chess alone. I missed the concert at TRDL due to illness and I've always kicked myself for that. I oddly enough also think of it similarly to Hadestown in its concept album origins! (although I suppose HT was a production before that... nvm)
I used to think Chess worked best as a concert piece or in short run, frankly as a vehicle for "check out my voice" because God Tommy could hit that Bb4 every night and I'd be on my feet in seconds, but if it had a rotating cast like they do sometimes in international productions there could be a real draw... and time for adequate vocal rest  |
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Post by stagebyte on Apr 20, 2024 7:20:56 GMT
but if it had a rotating cast like they do sometimes in international productions there could be a real draw... and time for adequate vocal rest [/div][/quote] God forbid they do that in the UK. We’d probably end up with Alfie Boe. |
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Post by BVM on Apr 20, 2024 7:27:37 GMT
but if it had a rotating cast like they do sometimes in international productions there could be a real draw... and time for adequate vocal rest [/div][/quote] God forbid they do that in the UK. We’d probably end up with Alfie Boe. [/quote] 🤦🏻♂️ |
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Post by singingbird on Apr 22, 2024 12:57:37 GMT
(For what it's worth) are you all familiar with Kristina? It was Benny & Bjorn's next musical after Chess. It took some time as after Chess I guess their focus was on the Mamma Mia! musical. It's about the Swede's immigrating to America. It's not as 'rock' based as Chess. It's more choral. One or two really stand out numbers! There was a concert version of this at the Royal Albert Hall over 10 years ago now, starring Russell Watson. Kristina was obviously a total labour of love for both Benny & Bjorn, but weirdly I've always found it heavy going, despite Benny probably being my all time favourite composer (musical theatre and beyond, and not just ABBA). Even the big solos (You Have To Be There, Gold Can Turn To Sand) have a by-numbers feel about them, which is weird considering how original B&B's songs usually sound. Chess is an incredible score, with wonderful music and lyrics and, unlike many people, I even adore the story and characters - I think it's really honest and intelligent, and easily the most complex and nuanced of all the sung-through musicals. I doubt it'll ever have a long run again... there have been so many attempts at new productions and it's never really caught on, but that doesn't stop it being brilliant! For anyone who likes the Chess score, may I heartily recommend Hjälp Sökes (Help Wanted) - B&B's third original musical. It's never had an English language production and is totally unknown over here, but there is a wonderful Swedish sung cast CD, and you can watch the whole show on YouTube, as it was televised in Sweden. It's fairly straightforward to follow what's going on if you read a synopsis, and the score is just stunning. It isn't through-sung, like Kristina and Chess, so there's much less music, unfortunately, but it's still 100% worth it. |
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