Licensing Company: MTI
Chess (2017 UK Version)
At the height of the Cold War, two chess masters meet in Bangkok to battle for the world championship, but their greatest contest is for the love of one woman. In this groundbreaking rock musical, the ancient game becomes a metaphor for romantic rivalries, competitive gamesmanship, super-power politics, and international intrigue. From Bangkok to Budapest, the players, lovers, politicians and spies manipulate and are manipulated to the pulse of a monumental score that includes “One Night in Bangkok” and “Heaven Help My Heart.”
Chess (2017 UK Version)
PROGRAMMED INSTRUMENTS
Keyboard 1
Keyboard 2
Keyboard 3
$170.00
At the height of the Cold War, two chess masters meet in Bangkok to battle for the world championship, but their greatest contest is for the love of one woman. In this groundbreaking rock musical, the ancient game becomes a metaphor for romantic rivalries, competitive gamesmanship, super-power politics, and international intrigue. From Bangkok to Budapest, the players, lovers, politicians and spies manipulate and are manipulated to the pulse of a monumental score that includes “One Night in Bangkok” and “Heaven Help My Heart.”
PROGRAMMING NOTES
This licensed version of Chess is based upon the 1986 London West End Production. Keep in mind that this version is licensed by MTI and is not available in the US. Although very similar to the London Stage Version that is licensed by Concord Theatricals there are some changes and the typeset books are much cleaner, accurate, and easier to read. Some of the differences in the LSV and the 2017 UK version are:
There are 3 separate keyboard chairs in this show, all of them integral to the sound of the show. The materials provided are typeset and have been cleaned up tremendously from the original handwritten books offered by Sam French in years past.
Keyboard 1 is the main piano book but it also contains many of the iconic 80’s synth sounds from the score (leads, pads, and bells) as well as orchestral padding with strings, harp, celeste, and brass just to name a few. And of course who can forget the ever popular “Spiro” patch? Although this book is not as difficult as many other Keyboard 1 books in the musical theater canon, it will require an advanced player who can navigate the various patches as well as the many keys and time signatures.
Keyboard 2 is more of the “String” padding book and it includes a few more synth elements to augment Keyboard 1 and 3. Some of the orchestral sounds include strings, woodwinds, guitar, xylo, harp, and percussion. The synth elements are unique and important as well and include patches such as ‘Spiro”, “Finessel”, and “Torim”.
Keyboard 3 is primarily a synth book that includes many elements from the 80’s synthesizers that were used in the original production. These patches include synth brass, bells and pads, synth marimba, glass strings, synth guitar, and bass, and the ever present Spiro polysynth just to name a few. There is even some B3 Organ and plenty of harp moments as well.
ORIGINAL MUSICAL EQUIPMENT USED
Yamaha DX7
Roland Juno 106
ORIGINAL MUSIC TEAM
Music by: Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus
Lyrics by: Tim Rice
Based on an idea by: Tim Rice
Musical Director: Paul Bogaev
Music orchestrated by: Anders Eljas
Music arranged by: Anders Eljas
Assistant Orchestrator: Steven Margoshes
Musical Supervisor: Paul Bogaev
Original 1988 Broadway Orchestra
Conductor: Paul Bogaev
Associate Conductor: Nicholas Cerrato
Keyboards: Steven Margoshes, Robert Gustafson and John Mahoney
Concert Master: Sanford Allen
Violin: Dale Struckenbruck, Jue Yao, Sandra Billingslea, Stanley Hunte and Katherine Livolsi
Cello: Mark Shuman and Roberta Cooper
Flute, Piccolo, Clarinet: David Weiss
Oboe, English Horn, Clarinet, Flute: Edward Zuhlke
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Flute: Charles Millard
Bassoon, Clarinet, Baritone Sax: Peter Simmons
Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Piccolo Trumpet: James Hynes
Trumpet, Flugelhorn: Richard Hammett and David Rogers
Trombone: Clint Sharman
Bass Trombone: Richard Blanc
French Horn: Russell Rizner
Drums: Tom Oldakowski
Guitar: Kevin Kuhn
Percussion: Nicholas Cerrato
Bass: Hugh Mason
Music Contractor: Mel Rodnon Music Management, Inc.
Music Preparation: Larry Abel and John Knapp
SHOW DESCRIPTION
The collaborators on Chess are giants of rock music and rock musicals, and here they have created a complex rock opera that played to full Broadway houses and standing ovations. In this musical, the ancient game becomes a metaphor for romantic rivalries, competitive gamesmanship, super-power politics, and international intrigue. The pawns in this drama form a love triangle: the loutish American chess star, the earnest Russian champion, and a Hungarian American female assistant who arrives at the international chess match in Bangkok with the American, but falls for the Russian. From Bangkok to Budapest the players, lovers, politicians and spies manipulate and are manipulated to the pulse of a monumental rock score that includes “One Night in Bangkok” and “Heaven Help My Heart.”
VIDEO
MTI Access Code
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