Chess licensing question

[CATSNYrevival]

Chess licensing question#1

Posted: 3/12/13 at 1:39am

Samuel French now seems to be offering two versions of Chess for regional companies to license. The Broadway version is still available as it has been in the past, but now they're also offering what they're calling the "UK Version."

I'm curious to know if this is the original London libretto, the Albert Hall concert libretto or the more recent UK tour libretto. Does anyone know?

http://www.samuelfrench.com/p/9840/chess-uk-version

[Whileshesleeps]

Chess licensing question#2

Posted: 3/12/13 at 12:11pm

The UK version you're talking about was published in 1993 when the show became available for UK amateur groups to perform.
It is basically the original London production 1986 - 1989 but with some minor lyric tweaks in a couple of songs (not sure why or what difference they made) in songs such as The Deal (No Deal).

It also gave reference to Someone Else's Story being possible to swap for Nobody's Side or used elsewhere in the production in Act 2, or to sue Nobody's Side at the end of the show (as in the UK Tour 1990/91. Also it mentions a scoring being available for You And I/The Story Of Chess/You And I (reprise) as used on the original concept album to close the show if wanted.

The opening message from Tim Rice almost gives artistic license to cut and paste as wanted by directors.
Musically the 2001/2 Danish Cast Complete Recording followed the score faithfully as set out in this book.

It's not that different from the Royal Albert Hall Chess In Concert version or the subsequent UK actor/musician tour. The only things that differed was that both add an Overture and extended Quartet as performed on the Broadway Cast recording and use Someone Else's Story immediately after the TV Interview scene in Act 2. The recent UK tour didn't use the Merano song but used the middle section Freddie's Entrance "What a scene, what a show...." song.

[darquegk]

Chess licensing question#2

Posted: 3/12/13 at 12:58pm

I'm happy to see both versions of the show are available to license now, and I LOVE that Tim Rice allows carte blanche with the show's structure.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Chess licensing question#3

Posted: 3/12/13 at 5:40pm

I think that someone other than Tim Rice needs to be given that kind of carte blanche. He's been too close to the project for too long to know what's good for it anymore. Namo will no doubt joke about it, but I have ideas for fixing some key problems with the various versions of the show, and will be glad to explicate them if people are interested in hearing one person's opinion.

Formerly gvendo2005
Broadway Legend
joined: 5/1/05

Blocked: After Eight, suestorm, david_fick, emlodik, lovebwy, Dave28282, joevitus, BorisTomashevsky, Seb28

Updated On: 3/12/13 at 05:40 PM