Variety (New York) · Wednesday, 31 January 1990 (Page 87)

Off-Broadway Review

Miami Beach

Show out of town: Chess, rewritten as a romance against the backdrop of glasnost for a daring big-budget tour in the wake of the show’s 1988 Broadway flop, appears on the verge of becoming the musical its creators long had hoped it might be. By Zink

Tom Mallow, in association with William H. Kessler Jr., Michael M. Weathery and Robert R. Larsen, presentation of a musical in two acts, from an idea by Tim Rice. Music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus: lyrics by Rice; book for Broadway production by Richard Nelson, revised by Robert Coe. Directed by Des McAnuff; choreography, Peter Anastos, Wayne Cilento; scenery, David Mitchell; lighting, Ken Billington; sound, Gary Stocker; costumes, Susan Hilferty; musical supervision, Steven Margoshes; orchestrations, Anders Eljas, additional arrangements, Danny Troob; musical director, Johnny Bowden; music consultant, Paul Bogaev; Casting, Julie Mossberg and Brian Chavanne. Production stage manager, Mark S. Krause. Tour direction by American Theater Prods. Produced in association with Pace Theatrical Group. Opened January 9th, 1990, at the Jackie Gleason Theater of the Performing Arts, Miami Beach. $US35.50 top.

Ensemble: Edward Conery, Dina Dailey, Valerie Depena, Justine DiCostanzo, Tom Flynn, Timm Fujii, Philip Hernandez, Kim Lindsay, Pat Moya, Brenda O’Brien, Steve Ochoa, Thomas James O’Leary, Tom Rocco, Carol Denise Smith, Larry Solowitz, Vernon Spencer, Nephi Jay Wimmer, Susan Wood, Michael Gerhart, Malinda Shaffer.

Songs: The Story Of Chess; What A Scene, What A Joy; The Russian And Molokov; Where I Want To Be; Arbiter’s Song; U.S. Vs. USSR; Arbiter’s Song (reprise); A Model Of Decorum And Tranquility; You Wanna Lose Your Only Friend; Nobody’s On Nobody’s Side; Terrace Duel; Who’d Ever Think It; Pity The Child; No Consent; So You Got What You Want; Heaven Help My Heart; The Reporters; Anthem; One Night In Bangkok; You And I; Where I Want To Be/You And I (reprise); What A Scene (reprise); Let’s Work Together; Story Of Chess (reprise); I Know Him So Well; Endgame; Finale; Someone Else’s Story.

Chess an often-modified story ranging from chaotic to passé in its London and Broadway versions, has a vivid narrative that generally supports and frequently enhances the music and Tim Rice’s emotional lyrics. The finale in particular is a twin-scene panorama of sight and sound that wraps up the musical in a bittersweet, semi-tragic coda.

In Robert Coe’s new book, adapted from Richard Nelson’s Broadway version, superpower politics have been reduced to a fuzzy cyclorama surrounding a romantic triangle. The American chess player’s female second, who falls for the Russian contestant, is clearly the musical’s leading force. Her decisions and involvements drive the world-championship chess match, its politically charged environment and the easily grasped plot.

Musical numbers have been rearranged to feed into the characters and their motivations, mostly for the better. One scene had been eliminated by the show’s second week in Miami, which trimmed about 15 minutes for a 2 hour-and-32-minute length, with intermission. Additional shuffling and minor trims should help further.

The brassy and pretentious orchestrations to Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ highly rated score are nevertheless spare for a musical of such ponderous physical dimensions. The arrangements throw considerable weight toward the principal singers who, though occasionally carried away by the melodic and lyrical forces at their disposal, help bring the show’s romance to the surface.

Carolee Carmello shines in the pivotal role of Florence, the American’s second. Her romantic ballads and torch songs, from Heaven Help My Heart to the new finale, Someone Else’s Story (written for Broadway but dropped prior to opening), are grabbers. John Herrera is a classy romantic lead in every respect. Barbara Walsh turns the minor role of the Russian player’s wife into a vocal showcase. Stephen Bogardus flogs the angry, egotistical American champion’s bitterness into a controlled frenzy.

The only significant musical disappointment is One Night In Bangkok, whose funky staging and choreography strips away the song’s aggressive rock appeal.

Chess is high-tech and complex, mixing live and taped video on a 16-screen TV monitor (with freezes, split-screens and other effects) and offering a barrage of rear-projection slides, flown-in sets and backdrops, an incessantly moving battery of wagons and props, and a proscenium scaffolding that offers rock concert lighting and sound.

Originally budgeted at $US1.2-million, the show tripled in cost once into production.

Longterm commercial concerns still hover around Rice’s complex and intellectual verses, which are considerable baggage for the production’s mostly operatic delivery. This may not be a problem in sophisticated markets, but crisp, clear acoustics will be a must along the planned 40-week tour to prevent audiences from missing key plot and motivational information. Transcribed for ABBA World

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