CHESS Previews- Page 12

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/1/25 at 12:15pm

MemorableUserName said: "Jordan Catalano said: "Also (and gonna put it in the spoiler box even though it’s been discussed already)

 

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Who plays Florence’s Father at the end?

"

Earlier in the thread someone said

 

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Mark Jacoby

Reddit concurs."

It is. He had a binder made for him on the first day of rehearsals that I rooted out when looking to see who the understudies were for which role.

Why he isn’t credited I don’t know, especially since they don’t hand out a cast slip at the end that tells us who played the role (kinda like what they did for Sophia Ann Caruso in BLACKBIRD)

[MDWHIT57]

Posted: 11/1/25 at 12:49pm

 

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SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

First my credentials: NONE.  But I’ve loved the 1984 Concept version and subsequent performances on YouTube at the expense of ANY other version by FAR.  Nothing and no one could touch that orchestration or story for miles. And NO, it didn’t need a ‘book’ at all.  Never did.  So, I was ready to hate this.  I was so wrong. I LOVED it!!!  I came for the music.

Story: Excellent.  The first classified briefing I ever got as a young Cold-War Army officer was about Able Archer.  The degree to which the US and USSR would stoop; even using the context of ‘sport’ to play political chess can’t be overstated.  Anyway, I loved the book!  It was an enjoyable yarn and well done!  Here are two small criticisms of the story:

1)      The story doesn’t need the Florence-Daddy thing.  Completely contrived.  If they need to trim the show, lose “Someone Else’ Story” (a non sequitur) and lose the reunion.  Nothing would suffer.  In fact, people who know about kids will tell you it’s unrealistic, comical and distracting.   

2)      I missed “The Argument” which, in the original version gives context for Anatoly’s motivations and sets up “I Know Him So Well.” Those could be much stronger in this new version. 

Otherwise, the humor, the narration, and the script were GREAT and pretty seamless to me.   My wife thought the writing for Florence was a bit clunky. But I’m standing by what Danny Strong did here and he should be super proud of it!  If I’m just one of the ‘great unwashed’ who doesn’t understand things enough to hate them, so be it.  I really think the book had many more good points to it than bad.

Staging & Choreography: It was cool.  Super 1970s without the orange (for which I’m grateful!)  It’s a Rock Opera and was never intended to have a realistic set.  It’s fine just like this.  Did anyone point out they did most of that stuff while wearing suits?!  The Soviet Machine exhausted ME to just watch!  WOW that was amazing.  Bangkok was sufficiently naughty, so I loved that too.  One criticism:

1)      Lose the bed.  It’s campy and weird.  The appearance of the bed literally made people laugh. While setting up the fastest costume change ever; it’s pointless and jarring.

Performances:

                Bryce Pinkham – OWNS this show. He deserves his own bow! He crushed it in every sense of the word.  Should receive top billing.

                Nicholas Christopher – All I wanted was for this role to be delivered with at least the power and aplomb of Tommy Korberg.  No words. Can’t even express my admiration and appreciation for Mr. Christopher enough.  His is a deeply rare talent and I’m humbled by his performance and what it did to my heart.  This made the trip worth it in its entirety. 

Aaron Tveit – Nothing could have prepared me for how brilliant he was!  Each iteration of Pity the Child was moving.  Such an A-hole; and loved him so much! His voice is perfect!  Someone said they lowered the key for his songs.  Lies. No, they didn’t.  The way his character was written and performed down to the meds was spot on and unexpectedly poignant.  As I said, I came for the music. Didn’t expect the tears.  

(Related to Aaron Tveit’s songs - Without spoiling things I came to this show praying for one very specific musical moment.  During Mr. Tveit’s performance exactly 1/3 of that dream came true. I was so moved by his performance (actual tears by the end of the 1st verse) that I wasn’t that upset.  And then in an unexpected fashion, the other 2/3rds of the dream were realized in what I can only describe as an out-of-body experience.  If the orchestra saw the guy in the far right on the Mezz losing his mind…. That was me.  And I can only say a profound THANK YOU! Oh My Gosh I can’t explain this well enough at all.  Now, keep doing that and bring the keyboard up in the mix just a little bit!) 

Lea Michele – Definitely a star.  She was good.  Her choice not to hold the 32 count note in crescendo for Nobody’s Side was noted, however.  The crowd loved her.  My wife and I just missed Elaine Paige I guess.   That’s an unfair criticism Ms. Michele does not deserve.  Why? Because she clearly could have done it!  So, why doesn’t she?  My dream is that she’s reading this; realizing how good she really is and saying quietly, “Challenge accepted.”

Bradley Dean and Sean Allan Krill: EVERYTHING They did landed and landed well!  Both also deserve their own bows.  I was in government/intel for many years.  Not sure how Mr. Krill channeled those guys so perfectly, but it was hilarious and brilliant!

Hannah Cruz – She broke our hearts with He’s a Man He’s a Child.  This one paralyzed us.  I was at once indicted and my wife was simultaneously seen with this one.  It’s the song we didn’t know we needed.  Tears. And Ms. Cruz’ performance for this and the balance of the show was worthy of her own bow and I hope the start of a mind-blowing career for one of the most transcendent people on the stage last night. 

The MUSIC: There aren’t sufficient words for me to praise the performances, production, scoring or sound-reinforcement enough.  The Ensemble did things in Anthem I’d never imagined and that too was a nearly out-of-body experience.  This show is musical nirvana and I’m not sure that Benny and Bjorn REALLY ever realized just how jaw-droppingly good it is.  We owe them, together with Eljas, Usifer and Weinberger a profound debt.  Dear Jakob Reinhardt: I love you.  You gave me a gift last night and I’m forever grateful.

Questions people have had:

1)      Will my seats on the extreme right or left of the Mezz Suck?  No.  You won’t miss enough to upset you. 

2)      What was that dude doing at the apron of the stage on house left during that performance? I think he was cautioning someone about their cell phone in the 2nd row and then stayed because he was either trying to get them kicked out or just watching them.  It was weird.

Guess the whole thing is a spoiler.  :)  DANG I loved this show!  

Updated On: 11/1/25 at 12:49 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/1/25 at 1:26pm

Ok thx for confirming that. And now I’m just curious how they get around the rules to not even pass out a slip. Maybe Kad knows. 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 11/1/25 at 2:27pm

I stopped reading after you said to cut “Someone Else’s Story”! 
 

MDWHIT57 said: "

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

First my credentials: NONE. But I’ve loved the 1984 Concept version and subsequent performances on YouTube at the expense of ANY other version by FAR. Nothing and no one could touch that orchestration or story for miles. And NO, it didn’t need a ‘book’ at all. Never did. So, I was ready to hate this. I was so wrong. I LOVED it!!! I came for the music.

Story: Excellent. The first classified briefing I ever got as a young Cold-War Army officer was about Able Archer. The degree to which the US and USSR would stoop; even using the context of ‘sport’ to play political chess can’t be overstated. Anyway, I loved the book! It was an enjoyable yarn and well done! Here are two small criticisms of the story:

1) The story doesn’t need the Florence-Daddy thing. Completely contrived. If they need to trim the show, lose “Someone Else’ Story” (a non sequitur) and lose the reunion. Nothing would suffer. In fact, people who know about kids will tell you it’s unrealistic, comical and distracting.

 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 11/1/25 at 9:08pm

I colleague I much respect went this afternoon and adored it. She's a long time Chess fan, and feels this iteration delivers. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/1/25 at 11:48pm

Just got out about an hour ago and was trying to gather my thoughts.

- The show is more or less frozen at this point (per Bryce at the stage door) and so the next two weeks is going to be perfecting the technical elements.

- Lea delivered a MUCH better “Nobody’s Side”…but shifted her bad habit of skipping notes and getting ahead of the music with “I Know Him So Well”. 

- Aaron has got the acting part of Freddie down, but I don’t think the vocals are ever going to soar when they need to, which I look at “Pity The Child” (the full version) as the example. He’s not a rock tenor and they tried to cater the orchestration to his strengths, but it’s just completely lacking the power that this cri de coeur needs. Even when he went for the higher notes, it was uncomfortably pitchy at times. 

- Bryce still has the groaner jokes about current politics in the show, but he only used the phrase “Cold War musical” twice, down from at least five times last week - so it improved in the sense that I didn’t feel I was getting a constant hand-holding reminder.

- The “One Night In Bangkok” opening lyric is indeed changed to “Bangkok. Such a pretty city…” and it wrecks the rhyme. Also, still bitter about no homoerotic choreography - Bangkok just appears awfully Protestant for a sinful city.

- Nicholas Christopher continues to have a full throated command of his role and is clearly the main attraction of this show. His “Anthem” soared and some of the audience lept to their feet before it was even over. I don’t know how he does that, but it also does put Aaron to shame at times. It’s one of those comparative scenarios where I know Nick could rip up “Pity The Child”, but Aaron would flounder in singing “Anthem”.

- Hannah Cruz felt like a stronger Svetlana this time around. I’m not sure what/if they beefed anything up for her, but she definitely seemed like she was more than just a plot device this go around.

- I’m inclined to agree that “Someone Else’s Story” feels woefully out of place in this now presumably final version of this iteration. It feels slapped on at the end and doesn’t actually help tie up any plot.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 11/2/25 at 9:47am

Using "Someone Else's Story" as 11th hour epiphany is troubling on several levels. Craft wise, its lyrics are too generic and anodyne, without a sharper new vocabulary or imagery to express new thoughts. Worse, it's yet another instance in which the leading female ruminates on relationships rather than carving out agency or separation from a narrative that makes her needs - and ambitions (does she have any?) subsidiary. In 2025, this repetitive point - all of Florence's songs cover the same emotional terrain -  makes the show feel a study in male privilege, since the two men and the ways their goals are met carry the story. Okay, some argue, it's about that privilege. Welcome to the world.  But then why doesn't someone raise the issue? The someone to do so would be Florence. But that would require an 11 o'clock spot that doesn't retread her plight, her view of her predicament, and further reference her codependency to high maintenance men.

Finally, moving songs around jukes them and jukes the show, and no book can solve that. Aren't we still dealing with a theater piece inadequately shaped from the ground up?  Maybe audiences will go and enjoy those rapturous songs and give up on seeking a satisfying tale that compasses them. Open question. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/2/25 at 10:13am

Auggie27 said: “Finally, moving songs around jukes them and jukes the show, and no book can solve that. Aren't we still dealing with a theater pieceinadequately shaped from the ground up?Maybe audiences will go and enjoy those rapturous songs andgive up on seeking a satisfying tale that compasses them. Open question."

The show has been juked around for years because of the ever evolving book. If you change the book, it’s likely that the songs will also be restructured to fit that (and vice versa).

Honestly, I’m not even sure who is seeing CHESS for the story other than discerning theatregoers and acolytes of the show. Without the cast they currently have and the fact that the songs have had crossover appeal for decades, it may just as well fold now as it did in the 80s since a musical about a board game not many people have a mastery of used as an allegory/parallel for the Cold War doesn’t scream of commercial appeal. Arguably, I think the new book has “dumbed down” the story enough where the audience can easily digest it vessel for the thrilling score.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 11/2/25 at 10:43am

Agreed, fully. Never has "it is what it is" been more apt. This is Chess. It's clear enough. Enjoy the songs.

 

(I will contextualize my unabated bitchin' about the juke aspect with a subjective gripe about shoving numbers hither and yon, turning again to craft. If Judy Kuhn's I Want Song becomes Lea Michele's "Send in the Clowns," the show was unlikely to ever arrive at a satisfying organic structure.)

[shomeika]

Posted: 11/3/25 at 2:16pm

I am a huge ABBA fan for over four decades. I adore their music but am not a fan that worships all of their work. I have favorites, and can admit any missteps. Mamma Mia! was corny as hell, but it knew it and provided a great time. ABBA's latest album Voyage was mostly mediocre at best, although their London concert stage show (avatar concert ABBA Voyage) was unlike anything I've seen and was absolutely out of this world. A must see. No joke.

Chess. Sigh. I've seen regional versions of Chess, and had almost no clue as to what the hell was going on. The music sure packed a punch, but what was all this about, and why should I care and why am I falling asleep and checking my watch? I had zero clue or concern as to what was going on in previous Chess performances. All the political intrigue and wife swapping and drama over a board game? But Lord knows those melodies and arrangements were otherworldly! Thanks Benny and Bjorn.  I blame  Rice for the original book flaws.  

Back to the revival. I did understand this new version of Chess thanks to the enhanced Arbiter role, which is a miracle in itself. Bryce Pinkham was outstanding. But I don't like the way he spoke directly to the audience and spoke of current day topics. (RFK, Biden, "man that was hot"!). This completely took me out of the story. His role can be a snarky narrator without references to current day politicians or events. I think the producers could cut the current day jokes and the speaking directly to the audience because imo that actually made fun and light of the convoluted book / show itself. They need to stay in the 1980s where the story lies. I think critics will take issue with this as well.

I didn't expect to empathize with Freddy, but I did. OMG! He was struggling with some major personal issues at a very stressful time, as well as mental illness. He was a jerk, but there was good reason for it. Stress does that to us! Heart wrenching to me. I felt very bad for the character, and I do feel like he truly evolved by the end. Aaron was in great voice.

Anatoly/Nic was composed and was stellar in his role. He broke loose on Anthem. That song, coupled with the visual of him shirtless was worth the ticket price. JFC!

Florence/Lea was in great/fine form and sounded great. I liked her. Svetlana likely had the best Russian accent of the cast (along with KGB dude). She was good.

Orchestra was great.

The first act felt a tiny pinch too long, but not horribly so. However, I truly don't know that any other song could be cut.

Odd note, during intermission and trying to get to the bathrooms, the usher staff was yelling and screaming military style, really scolding people standing in the wrong area trying to find the toilets. I had to pee but that sh!t stressed me out so I went back to my seat. Ha!

The ensemble sang and danced their sexy selves and asses off. I thought it odd that they all wore formal grey business suits the whole time, but since they sat on stage for the entire duration of the show, if they were all in individual colorful attire, it would be very distract visually from the leads. I guess? Yet why were they on stage the whole time?

The set reminded me of a Chicago and Next to Normal hybrid. It was in an amped up concert style. It worked, but I may have preferred a more traditional set.

At the end, I liked this version of the show which says a lot. It was an entertaining few hours. It may have been an odd topic for a musical but they worked it out. Those songs, those melodies!

Updated On: 11/3/25 at 02:16 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 11/3/25 at 2:32pm

I also noticed the staff yelling directions to the newer restrooms and at first was like, "Why"? But as I approached the doorway and headed into that new area with the restrooms and a bar, I noticed people were not listening to them and getting into the wrong lines. So I was ok with the yelling.

As mentioned in my thoughts on the show, I was OK with the Narrator/Arbiter cracking the jokes and speaking directly to the audience because in the beginning he kind of made it clear, at least to me, that he was telling us a story about past events in the present. So, for me, it was fine to reference current day topics. JMO

[shomeika]

Posted: 11/3/25 at 2:52pm

uncageg said: As mentioned in my thoughts on the show, I was OK with the Narrator/Arbiter cracking the jokes and speaking directly to the audience because in the beginning he kind of made it clear, at least to me, that he was telling us a story about past events in the present. So, for me, it was fine to reference current day topics. JMO"

 

I hear ya.  If he was ONLY the narrator and nothing else it might have worked (for me) but he also was the arbiter in the show (dual roles of sort) so yeah the current day jokes and knowledge was irritating and cringe.  ONLY my opinion. I am sure everyone else loves that.  

 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 11/3/25 at 3:45pm

I had no issue with the nattator / arbiter being played by the same person.  I don't even think I would have a problem if the actor were not as good as Bryce Pinkham.  I guess that I am in the minority in that I loved the book.  It added some humor to a show that can be turgid, even with the great music.

The biggest surprice for me this time was the realization that Florence is not much of a character / role, other than having some great songs to sing.