Chess in Concert
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Movie Reviews of Chess in Concert
Movie Review: from a newbie's eyes...
Summary: 5 Stars
Now, when I first heard about this, I had almost no clue what Chess was. I had balked at the idea for some time, actually. But upon hearing that Josh Groban, Idina Menzel AND Adam Pascal were going to be performing this together, my, uh, fangirl side went into overdrive, being huge fans of all 3 of them, and I started to look up everything on Chess. It began to sound very interesting to me. I watched Murray Head's music vid for One Night in Bangkok, and that was it. I knew I had to see this. Unfortunately, PBS wasn't too eager to show it again where I was, so I took a chance and bought the DVD. I can say that I am very happy I did.
I have already read a lot of reviews on here about the DVD, and I am a little surprised to see how many people were so hard on Idina. I didn't see anything horrible about her performance at all. I liked her performance of "Nobody's Side" and "I Know Him So Well" the best. Perhaps someone to better match Josh's rich tone of voice would have been a little better, but Idina was perfectly acceptable, considering that she's quite a bit older than Josh...
Now I go to the supporting characters. I will start with Kerry Ellis. What a revelation she was! And I will agree that she was used WAY too little in the show. But she nailed it in whatever little time she had. I will greatly look forward to hearing her in bigger roles.
Another highlight for me in the supporting cast was David Bedella as Molokov. He gave a very delightful and believable Russian accent without going over the top, and it was simply pleasurable to see him in each scene despite his rather sinister character.
Marti Pellow as the Arbiter...His big song has become one of my favorites from the show. After hearing other versions of it, I will not be so harsh about him as others have been because like Idina, he was acceptable for the part in this situation. But I have seen Raul Esparza do the song on Youtube and I think it would be a great deal of fun to see him in that part. But Marti is a fine Arbiter as well.
Now for my favorites. Josh Groban. That goes without saying. I always knew he was an amazing vocalist. It was also a refreshing change to see him act a role. My mother and I both agree that he completely hit the nail on the head with "Anthem" and "Where I Want to Be" (2 of my favorites.) His performance in Chess is a simple reminder to all his fans of his immense talent.
The other favorite...Adam Pascal. Oh. my. God! I have followed his stuff since I became a Renthead at 15, but this was absolutely MINDBLOWING! He could not sound more different from Josh, but he has an equally powerful voice, if not better at times. His moments where he sings to Josh and Josh back to him work surprisingly well. The only time his performance wasn't his absolute best was "One Night in Bangkok." I personally liked Head a little better. But even that was an absolute pleasure. My absolute favorite song in the show has to be "Pity the Child." Here Murray Head does not do better. Adam NAILS it, doing things with his voice I had never seen him do before. It may be one of the finest moments in his career.
In conclusion, the concert of Chess is something I highly recommend to everybody, if not for Josh and Adam alone, for everyone, minor flaws and all.
Movie Review: Captivating story, deeply affecting music, superb cast
Summary: 5 Stars
Since its debut in 1984, Chess has been relentlessly reworked in productions and recordings around the world. In its liner notes and introduction, Tim Rice explains that "Chess in Concert" was produced to be the definitive version. However it may be reworked in the future, this is the vision of its creators. Having never seen or heard any of the prior productions or recordings, I have no frame of reference for comparison. Judging this production on its own merits, however, it is a breathtaking success.
To be fair, there is plenty to nitpick. As a concert, there is very little in the way of staging. A large screen reveals setting changes and is used for other effects. Whereas there are some hokey chess square graphics, the screen was largely used to good affect. The chorus' participation particularly in "Merano" was a bit over the top. Yet how else could they create a sense of fanfare? You pretty much have to go all the way if you attempt it at all. Is that rapping I hear in "One Night in Bangkok"? Rap can certainly fit naturally into a musical (e.g. "In the Heights"), but here it sounds too contrived (someone trying to be edgy). Despite this, that chorus is awfully catchy! The modern choreography for "The Arbiter" was equally jarring on first pass (it has grown on me since, however). The dancers have some truly beautiful choreography throughout. Regarding the story itself, the character of Florence Vassy seems insufficiently developed. Knowing she lost her family and that she follows her heart does not seem to be enough for such a pivotal character. Finally, the ending leaves a lot in the air. No tidy conclusions here.
Despite these qualms (which really are minor), the production succeeds brilliantly where it needs to most. The cast was superb. Adam Pascal fully commits to the role of Freddie Trumper. Josh Groban is equally convincing as Anatoly Sergievsky. They are in top form vocally and all three leads (including Idina Menzel as Florence) should be commended for portraying their flawed characters so sympathetically. The other major characters were also played with verve and passion. Kudos also to the dancers and soloists who have prominent roles and perform admirably.
Equally as important, the score is largely phenomenal. There are beautiful ballads and powerful anthems. The melodies are instantly catchy but complex enough not to lose their appeal after repeated listens. They strike a strong emotional chord - equal to any other I have experienced in musical theater. The crescendo in "Endgame" where a man firmly resolves to remain true to himself though he fails everyone and everything else is simply compelling drama. Several of the songs grip the heart in one way or another.
One highlight exhibiting the genius of the story is "The Deal". Here, in his silky smooth voice, the Arbiter narrates the political and emotional wrangling of the characters as just another game of chess. The device is ingenious, the devious interactions are captivating. "Nobody's on nobody's side," indeed.
If unlike me you love a previous version of Chess, you may not benefit from this production. If you are new to Chess, however, prepare to be blown away by an engrossing human drama.
Movie Review: Chess in Concert
Summary: 5 Stars
I watched "Chess in Concert" last night as PBS featured it on "Great Performances." I imiagine that I will now have to purchase both the DVD (Since I don't imagine it will ever be turned into a regular feature film) and the CD, which will be the third different version in my collection.
I fell in love with the show when I first heard the original concept album with Murray Head, Elaine Paige and others back in 1984 when it was first released, and it is still the version I listen to most. I saw the original Broadway cast featuring David Carroll and Judy Kuhn in one of its 48 performances at the Imperial Theater in NYC. That production was very underrated and should have run much longer, but it was the same season that NYC got "The Phantom of the Opera" which swept the Tony Awards. When David Carroll sang "Anthem" to end Act I, he had the audience out of their seats cheering and applauding even before the song was finished, something I only saw one other time (Jennifer Holliday's "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from "Dreamgirls"). I also saw a nice production of it by the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera in the 90s. One can only imagine what it would have been like had Michael Bennett not become ill and having to withdraw from staging it...Trevor Nunn did it instead.
Which brings us to this version of "Chess in Concert." As Tim Rice explains at the beginning, it has been a work-in-progress, and they have tightened up the book quite a bit, keeping the best of the songs on both of the CDs I do have. The plotlines regarding Global TV were not there originally which give the character of Freddy more to do in Act II. However, the Broadway version had a slightly different ending regarding the Soviets' release of Florence's father who supposedly had been imprsoned since the 1956 Hungarian uprising--they gave her an old man who turned out not to be her dad at all. This version leaves it up in the air at the end.
There have now been reprises put in which were not there at first, as well as a couple of new songs I previously did not know. The performances here are quite fine, with Idina Menzel being the standout as Florence. Her character now has the weight of that of Anatoly, which makes the romance between them more plausible. Josh Groban as Anatoly does well in his acting debut, and Adam Pascal is good as well.
And the staging of some of the big numbers ("The Story of Chess," "The Merchandisers," and "Bangkok/One Night in Bangkok") is excellent, given the concert setting, using the choir and dancers effectively.
Anyone who is into this show will want to purchase the DVD for their collection, as well as the audio CD.
Movie Review: CHESS CONCERT -HAUNTING AND EMOTIONALLY STUNNING
Summary: 5 Stars
OK, so every performance of Salome or Madame Butterfly will never compare to the productions at Santa Fe Opera in the 1966 season....yes, they were my first live opera performances. Ah and Tosca! But, life goes on, and True Art Lives Forever and is forever reinterpreted for the next generation. Yes I was a great fan of ABBA, and had heard of 'Chess' but was not familiar with any of the songs except 'One night in Bankok'. Imagine then, last year flipping through channels, I stopped on the local PBS station to see Adam Pascal singing 'Pity the child'. Love at first sight and sound. Then Edina singing 'Nobody's on nobody's side'. Then Edina Menzel with 'Heaven Help my Heart'. Then Josh Groban and 'Anthem'. My God, I thought, where has this music been? Where have I been? So I waited for the DVD, ordered on Amazon, got it about 5 days, and showed it to my best friend. We both sat in amazement as the show unfolded. Tears, laughter, amazement and joy are what this production gives you in 245 minutes. You will see a Josh Groban you never knew. You will hear Edina Menzel and Kerry Ellis and the chorus in emotional duels, the dancers punctuating the action; a spectacular orchestra - rock infused. And Adam Pascal steals the show and makes you love him in spite of himself. Yes I bought the CD also, for the car. I then found the 1984 concept album/CD used from an Amazon dealer. But except for Elaine page I was disappointed. So you see, all is relative. I have shown the dvd to several friends, pop, rock, classical alike found it spectacular...I usually show it without any introduction, and then after the first act (Josh's Anthem) tell them they have been listening to ABBA...by then they are hooked. I have had to explain to the 40- somethings 'the cold war', Bobby Fisher, world Chess, etc for context. I have watched and listened for more than a year - countless viewings on my bigscreen lcd/surround sound, and it remains in my car cd player. Everytime I hear/see something new. I am obsessed with the music; it is complex and classical in compostition, motifs recurring and reprise for several numbers (pity the child); crank up the volume, and you will be astounded. For the Chess old-timers: open your minds and ears. This performance was given twice in London; I can't imagine the joy, but you can see it in the audience.Movie Review: Simply amazing!
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw the Actor's fund production of Chess in Concert in 2003, and this production is a VAST improvement, not only in the production value, but also in the story line. The cast was, for the most part, amazing!! Adam Pascal was born to play Freddy, the arrogant American champion. Josh Groban was superb as Anatoly, the level headed an subdued Russian champion. David Bedella was great as Molokov, and Kerry Ellis was also wonderful as Svetlana. But unfortunately, this is where the good moves as far as casting stop. Marti Pellow was fine as the arbiter, but in comparison to the amazing Raul Esparza (who played the arbiter in the one night Actor's fund performance), Pellow was just ok. I know Idina Menzel is a superstar of the stage and she was phenomenal as Elpheba. However, she did NOTHING in the role of Florence, she was for me, the biggest dissapointment of this production. Her acting was mediocre at best. After watching it, I wished that Kerry Ellis had been given the part of Florence instead. Josh Groban did a better job at acting and he practically has no acting experience. I was even disappointed in Idina's singing. I think "Nobody's Side" is a great song and it should be powerful, but her version of it was just cold, no fire...it just fell flat. Other than that, the music in Chess is always fantastic and it didn't disappoint. The orchestra and the choir were incredible!! The vocal stand outs in my opinion were Josh Groban and Kerry Ellis. The performance of `Anthem' and `Where I want to be' by Groban, literally gave me chills. Kerry's "Someone else's story" was great!!! I think Tim Rice did an amazing job at reworking the book. The show made more sense that it ever has. I think it could be better if a few more lines of dialogue are added to clarify points and make the story line flow better, but it was really, really great!!!!!!! Overall, this was AMAZING!! I've only seen it on PBS, and I will definitely be buying the DVD!!!!!!!