From: kbos@carina.unm.edu (K. Mitchell Bose)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Re: CHESS: What really happened on stage?
Date: 27 Jan 1993 02:36:19 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
NNTP-Posting-Host: carina.unm.edu

Okay, it seems as though whoever wrote up the original summary isn't going to
repost, so I guess I'll have to do something.

Here, as I remember it now (with a little help from the libretto), is the
general staging of CHESS, in the Prince Edward Theatre, on July 8, 1988.

****
The lights rise on a checkerboard stage, approximately 20(?) feet square, 
decked out in black and white.  The cast of the show (possibly only the Chorus,
as the number is about right) is dressed as chess pieces, and set up in standard
fashion to begin a game.  The piece "The Story of Chess" begins, after the
familiar theme, of course, and while the song is performed, the chorus simulates
a game of chess, slowly at first (smiling too sweetly? naah...), but gaining
speed as the song progresses.  I can't for the life of me remember if it was a
chorus of voices or if one king simply soloed.  At any rate, I'd be willing to
bet that the one king (the white king, I believe) is the Arbiter in costume.

At any rate, the game finishes at the same time as the end of "Story/Chess", 
and in short order, the scene changes to your typical mountain village, with
locals in finery, and banners heralding the Championship, and singing and 
dancing, and flowers, and a cake, and...you get the idea.  Suddenly, the love-
fest and reverie is disturbed by the entrance of the American, and his entourage
behind him.  The American is in blue jeans and Ray-Bans, and proceeds to go far
in demolishing the festivities set up for his arrival.  He then exits, having
succeeded in his aim of making a show.  Left without anyone to laud and toast,
the citizens proceed to lavish their attentions and gifts on a passing hiker,
who is understandably befuddled by the situation.  :)

From here, we move into scenes with the American, and scenes with the Russian,
scenes being facilitated by the fact that the whole 20' stage is on hydraulics,
so that it may be raised, lowered, tilted and rotated.  It is rotation that 
occurs here, as dressing for the "Where I Want to Be" number goes on while 
another scene is progressing in front.  Now that I think of it, a lazy susan
style assembly might have been employed for this exchange.

The next big scene is the Opening Ceremony (or the Arbiter's number).  The 
Arbiter is prim and proper, as are his assistants (female), in conservative
outfits.  
*NOTE:  I forgot to describe the playing area.  In the center, of course, is
 the chess board, with seats for the Russian and American on either side.  The
 seconds' tables for the players are on either side, long tables at which sit
 five or six Chorus members in conservative suits (either American looking or
 Russian looking, as appropriate.)  Above the main stage is a huge display of
 64 banked television screens, descended from the ceiling for appropriate 
 numbers.  The display right now is set so that each TV screen contains a 
 computer representation of each square, as appropriate.  Also, on each side
 of the stage, there are is a bank of 16 screens, upon which is displayed a 
 4-screen representation of the playing surface, with other info like time
 elapsed, moves made, etc.  Okay, back to the music... :)
As I said, the Arbiter begins singing in a prim and proper fashion.  On the 
refrain [...I'm on the case], however, he opens his jacket wide, to reveal an
outrageous sequined ensemble.  The heretofore conservatively dressed assistants
jump up on the tables for the refrain, as well, revealing deeply slit skirts,
shaking everything in sight.  The lighting goes from standard indoor lighting to
strobe and disco lighting, flashing purple and green.  On the other verses, of
course, the Arbiter et al. go back to their dignified pose.  The other note is
that when the merchandisers come on stage, the tables are cleared and several 
corporate logos on banners descend from the ceiling.  Also, the hard-rock style
anthem from the Arbiter [...Don't try to tempt me...] is cut.  The song goes 
straight to [...Don't you find it rather touching...]

After this, and Quartet (a standard staging in the hall) comes the "Nobody's
Side" medley.  The scene is not The American's suite, but the broadcast booth
at the hall.  IT appears as though this staging takes a cue (or at any rate is
similar) the the American version in that the refrain [1956...] is sung softly
by the American rather than by the Chorus.

In the next scene, the Chess theme plays while the matches begin.  Passing time
is noted by the TV displays, which show games movin in rapid succession.  The
American is losing slowly, and both players fidget as the theme plays.  Think
about the general headlines that went on during the Spassky-Fischer matches and
you've got the idea.  Finally, the American bursts out of his chair and stalks 
off.

After a scene change, we go to the Mountain Duet.  The back half of the stage
rises enough to let the audience in on the locale - no other scenery is apparent
anywhere, nor props.  'Nuff said; the staging is just a severely raked stage.

Some more scenes with the lazy susan assembly ensue, including "Florence Quits".
The Russian wins the match and decides to defect to Britain.  The scene at the
Embassy ("Embassy Lament") is like something one might expect from British
political satire, and is best left without my feeble attempts to recount it.
As might be expected, "Anthem", the end of the first act, is staged at a press
conference to announce the Russian's decision to defect.

****

"One Night in Bangkok" is staged with heavy emphasis on neon and shock value.
Scantily clad women (and men dressed as women) prance around stage, while a
television news crew, led by the American (who has retired and is now covering
the match for the news) does a report on the city, the site for the next year's
World Championships.  The interesting thing about the scene, which is amazing,
is that the song "One Night in Bangkok" is spoken, not sung.  Also, the TV
cameras are live, and the audience sees the American on the banks of TV screens
around the edge of the stage.

The television screens are next used during an interview between the Russian (
now British Russian) and American, wherein the American breaks the story of the
wife the Russian left behind.  The interview takes place on stage and is
telecast live over the banked screens.  Several conventionally staged scenes
take place now, the most interesting of which is a strategy session in the
chambers of the Soviet player (the new one, to distinguish him from the Russian)
and Molokov.  It's interesting to me because a song sung here isn't on the
album.  As I recall, I loved the song.  It might have been added later, but I
wish I could remember it.

The Deal is the next big number, and features the rotating, banked stage, with
flashing orange/red/yellow squares, like in Saturday Night Fever.  The four
soloists are laid out in a rectangle, with the American and Russian at the 
corners, and Molokov and Florence about a knights move from the edges.  The
stage rotates throughout the number, allowing us to see the chorus and everyone.

For those who don't know, right now the Russian is winning big, though he and
Florence have split.  Molokov and the American are trying to use Florence's
father (held by the Russians) as a wegde to get the Russian to lose the match.
It doesn't work.

Anyway, the other interesting scene comes right before the Endgame.  The
American has had his little tantrum ("Pity the Child") and has gone to a temple
in Bangkok to quietly meditate.  He happens upon the Russian, who has also gone
to ease his soul.  In a song not on the album, the two strike up an accord, and
play a friendly game of chess on a portable travel board.  The American shows
the Russian a move or two.  The two become allies, tentatively.

"Endgame" is staged on the chessboard, which is raked sharply, as well as being
tilted about 45 degrees.  The Russian's seat is at the lower corner of the stage
in front of the chess table, at the forwardmost point of the stage.  We do not
see the Soviet player.  As the Endgame theme goes on, the Russian wins the 
match handily to defend his title.  

The rest of the show, with the Epilogue and love theme [...You and I...], is
staged conventionally, on what is mostly a bare stage.

*****

Whew.  There it is.  Note that I've left most of the plot out, except for things
that might be different that whatever the concept book or libretto says.  I
don't care how much anyone begs, I'm not typing in the entire musical. :)

If there are errors, they might very well be mine, but the show also made a few
changes.  Post, and I'll try to recall what the case is.  Any numbers I didn't
mention ran in more or less the order they were presented on the CD, with no 
noteworthy staging effects, just typical dressing and blocking.

Oh, and if, by some chance, this gets saved by someone who wants to repost it
at a later date, just make sure I get credit for it. :)  This was a bear!!!


-- 
Kurt Bose (as in Daisy, not Rose) * kbos@carina.unm.edu * Walks: not that sexy.
Me: "The relationship just didn't work.  She had this...Chaplinesque quality."
Lisa: "You mean, you didn't like her because she was always being funny?"
Me: "No. [pause] I didn't like her because she was a little tramp."