CHESS Previews- Page 6

[getatme]

Posted: 10/17/25 at 11:40pm

THDavis said: "bryan2 said: "Please not Rachel in Evita for the win! Evita is another no set and people running around in their undies

just a rehash of the Sunset presentation down to the HOLDING a note way to long for no reason and paint all over the male lead at the end (blood , paint whatever)"

Which note was held for too long? If it isn’t “the truth is I NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEver left you…”, I don’t think it’s a fair comparison to the masturbatory AIWNSG that Nicole won for. 🤣"

It's "I'm THEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIR savior" in Rainbow High.

Regardless, Evita isn't coming this season.

[twotrey]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 6:34am

EricMontreal22 said: "Which begs the question... why not just go back to the original London, almost entirely sung-through version? It ran three years (granted with an insane set design and staging back when that was a key reason to go to London musicals) and no one seemed all too bothered about the intricacies of the stories beyond the basic plot points until Trevor Nunn decided that he wanted to be able to start fresh for New York and not with the ideas he was left with from Michael Bennett...

"

The 2008 Royal Albert Hall version reverted to more or less the London sung-through original (with "Someone Else's Story" added), and at the time, Tim Rice, both on stage at the concerts and in the CD/DVD liner notes, said that that would now be the "official" version.  Not long after that, that version became available for US licensing for the first time (in addition to the Richard Nelson Broadway version, which remained available), and I did see both staged and semi-staged productions of that version here in the States.  But then out of nowhere a few years ago came the new Strong version.

[MDWHIT57]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 9:54am

I love this post.  And I'm really too dumb to answer the hard questions - all of which are really good by the way.  

[kdogg36]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 10:04am

Auggie27 said: "Maybe the ultimate lesson will surface: leave the effing songs alone, move 'em downstage, back em with a good band, and a majority will be happy. We knew that 20 years ago, but okay."

I happen to agree with you, but there's not exactly a consensus on this, especially (and obviously) among the creators. If Tim Rice really liked the London version the best, I imagine that's what we'd be seeing on Broadway this fall. (Thank you for your always well-considered thoughts on Chess and on theater in general, by the way!)

Updated On: 10/18/25 at 10:04 AM

[HaveAGoodShow]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 11:13am

What, pray tell, does Casey Garvin do in the second act of CHESS?

Toggle with a spoiler warning if you'd like.

Updated On: 10/18/25 at 11:13 AM

[ER765]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 11:29am

I am thinking about purchasing the “partial view” seats in Orchestra Row J (seats 21 & 23). 

Can anyone confirm exactly how obstructed the view is? 

[EvaLupone]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 1:24pm

Hi! I sat in P21. I can’t imagine that being two seats over and six rows back would make much of a difference. When I bought my ticket (on the day they went on sale), P21 was listed as unobstructed and it really was. The only thing I “missed” was Aaron and Lea’s first entrance, and even then, it was just a split-second delay compared to the other side of the theatre. On the bright side, from that seat I actually got the first view of Nicholas! There isn’t much action on the far ends of the stage, so you should be perfectly fine.

 

[AndrewLlloydWebersButler]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 6:52pm

Saw Chess Thursday night. It definitely delivers.

Nicholas/Aaron/Lea all have incredible voices and each deserves the giant rounds of applause. Each is a star in their own way. The book is much clearer than it ever has been. I saw the mess on Broadway many years ago. I hope they dig into the love story more because right now Molokov and Walter have better chemistry than the lovers and you never see any love between Freddie and Florence. By the time we meet them, they are already about to break up.  But singing? Nicholas blows the roof off the joint. Lea is great, but her voice is smaller than Idina or others previous. Hannah Cruz is a triumph and He Is A Man works well on her. The song is long. There is a lot of standing and singing but I guess everyone is there for the music. The set and lighting gives concert vibes. Kevin Adams paints the most beautiful beams of light. The video work is nothing new but does some cool tricks. There is a dream love triangle ballet on a platform that was the most beautiful thing I have seen onstage. The dances and ensemble work is pretty awesome and comes as a respite from an otherwise concert like night. Audience was on fire and I wish it well! 

I sat rear orchestra left-band was fantastic. 

Updated On: 10/18/25 at 06:52 PM

[always bway]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 7:29pm

HaveAGoodShow said: "What, pray tell, does Casey Garvin do in the second act of CHESS?

Toggle with a spoiler warning if you'd like."

Casey Garvin, Michael Olarigbigbe, Sara Meahl dance a pas de trois by Loren Latarro that is stunning. They are wearing very little !  But the dance is elegant and modern. It adds a layer to the show that leans toward opera/ballet. 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 10/18/25 at 9:14pm

"I hope they dig into the love story more because right now Molokov and Walter have better chemistry than the lovers and you never see any love between Freddie and Florence. By the time we meet them, they are already about to break up..."

Wait, what? Not a ringing endorsement for the fixed book. Strong has had 5+ years and two well-platformed Encores! styled readings to hone and discover unexplored nuance; it's hard to fathom a major changes during previews. But who knows? I keep reading, "the book is still a problem but--" and then we circle back to the songs and how well they're sung. As I opined earlier, maybe that is enough. .