Friday, January 25, 2008; Posted: 11:10 AM – by BWW News Desk
Michael Riedel of the New York Post has added more fodder to the possibility that the up-coming concert version of Chess — at Royal Albert Hall May 12 and 13 — may lead to a West End or New York revival.
Riedel reports book-writer and lyricist Tim Rice would “like to bring the concert to Carnegie Hall later this year, and he hopes it might lead to a West End or Broadway revival” if all goes well.
Rice has been quoted: “Rather than set up a £20 million production, we want to see how it holds up at the Albert Hall before we move ahead for an incredibly expensive production in a theatre,” according to a previous article from WhatsOnStage.com… “It’s unlikely that the casting process for a new West End production of Chess would follow in the footsteps of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s searches for a Maria and a Joseph…. Rice remarked that, ‘If it was cast on television it would be called ‘I Want To Know Him So Well’ or ‘One Night In Shepherd’s Bush’. I don’t think so.'”
The 21st Anniversary concert of Chess The Musical will be presented at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Monday May 12 and Tuesday May 13, 2008. Chess features a book and lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, (formerly of ABBA). Idina Menzel and Josh Groban are rumored to star in the production.
“The story involves a romantic triangle between two players in a World Chess Championship, and the woman who manages one and falls in love with the other. Although the protagonists were not intended to represent any specific individuals, the characters’ personalities are loosely based on those of Victor Korchnoi and Bobby Fischer,” explains the Royal Albert Hall website, “Chess is a cult musical, which is hugely popular with musical theatre fans and the general public alike. It was voted in the All-Time Top Ten in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the United Kingdom’s ‘Number One Essential Musicals’ and features the chart successes One Night In Bangkok and I Know Him So Well.”
Here is the full story.
Chess the musical is great. I saw it 3 times back then. Everyone should see it at least once.
We know that Idina Menzel,Josh Groban and Kerry Ellis will “star” in Chess at the Albert Hall in London in May,BUT who will be the Freddie Trumper?The Bobby Fisher character is central to the success of this show.He is the most interesting “player” in the story,sings some of the best songs including the best of all “Pity the Child”I just hope Adam Pascal can be got to reprise his roll from the 2004 benefit.Where he was the star.Maybe his old “Rent” partner Idina can coax him into doing it!