Inc. All rights reserved. If Mama Mia left you with a craving for more ABBA in your life, don't miss Chess .
Chess tells the story of the game and the people who simultaneously play it and are played by it.
Pitting an American chess champion against a Russian contender in the world championship may make Chess seem like a period piece from the Cold War, but its strength lies in the emotional histories of the participants playing out against a backdrop of international mistrust. Love, power, money, and politics manipulate the contestants, moving them about like pawns. Sung in concert with a minimal set, this production lacks the lavishness of the original London version. But competent direction by George Quick, using movement and backlit character tableaus, more than compensates. The exceptional cast delivers the music with strength and passion.