I’ve noted over my years on the net (I’m a dinosaur) that while Chess was a flop AFAIK, it’s lived on through fans on the net. Is this the case here? I mean, you can pull up Napster and find a decent selection of songs from it.
I prefer London over Broadway, myself.
Curious thing to note: the current boy-band fad (particularly the “band” five) seems highly derivative of the song One Night in Bangock.
picmr
Saint Zero, your last line kind of captures things. From what I’ve read, it was a hit in London but laid an egg on Broadway (and I think a later Australian production did well also). If you know both versions, you know how much it was changed for the American run. And with the people who worked on the different versions, it’s been tied up in contractual disputes for years too. I think the fan loyalty is partly like any cult following, combined with indignation that it was butchered and never given a fair shot in the States.
I saw a touring production years ago that kicked ass, and even the M.I.T. musical theater guild did it earlier this year, so it’s not dead yet. I’ve also read that they’re trying to reconcile all the changes into one definitive version and bring it back to Broadway.
I saw it on Broadway. It blew chunks.
I’ve never seen Chess myself, but I have heard the London album and I like the music. But I enjoy a great variety of musicals and grew up listening to ABBA. So I’m probably just weird.
Well, I 've already made the dirty confession to liking ABBA so this is nothing for me. I’ve had the London soundtrack for over eight years now. It’s awesome and I’m not surprised that the American version flopped. I don’t think you could re-create that cast. But that’s just MHO.
Friend of mine owns both versions on CD, the american version does blow. I wish I knew more of the story. Heck, I’m not sure who wins. I think it’s the american.
Ummmm…They play twice, IIRC. You want I should read up on the synopsis tonight and leave you know? Your wish, as they say…
I love Chess. I wish they’d bring it back
to Broadway. I don’t think it’s ever been
out of production sonewhere in the world
For the record, there’s a live concert CD
of the show, and one of those cheap C.C.
productions CDS. Individual songs have
also been done in German, Swedish (duh!),
Japanese, and Hungarian (the best recording
of One Night in Bangkok).
is there one online? I’ve got the lyrics sheet for the london version, but that doesn’t tell me much.
And don’t forget, Bennie has (had? did it close?) a musical out in London called Mamma Mia, all based on ABBA tunes. (Mamma Mia, here it comes again!)
I dunno. BUT, I do have the cd at home and it does have a good synopsis. If you’re at all curious but don’t want to spend the dough on it, you might check out your library’s collection of cds. They just might have it for you. Don’t want to go to the trouble? I’ll still read up on it for you…
Mamma Mia is currently the hottest ticket in London,
and productions are planned for Toronto, Austraila
and hopefully Broadway in 2001. Though a lot of
people say it is absolute crap, a lot seem to like it.
Benny & Bjorn also did a musical in Swedish called
Kristina from Duvemla, which is being translated into
English with hopes of bringing it to Broadway. If
all three (Chess, Mamma Mia, and Kristina) hit
Broadway in 2001, B&B will join the exclusive club
of people who have three or more shows running on
Broadway at the same time (currently, it’s Andrew
Lloyd Webber, Frank Wildhorn (for about two months)
and Chess’s other third, Tim Rice.
There’s a website that keeps track of all the places CHESS is playing. I am still on their “alert” list although I keep meaning to unsubscribe.
I saw a student production here are the University and lord it was bad bad bad. The story is fine, the music’s okay, but the production values of this showing… cringe
I might go look, or I’ll look around the net more. I’m sure I can dig up something.
Thanks tho!
Yeesh. I’ve read the summaries for three different versions. I like the music from the London version, all plots suck, but the broadway one sucks less, and that Prince William version is just hideous.
Sheesh. Least I can listen to the music.