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Chess in Concert (2008)
Musical picspam time! The last time I did this it was JC Superstar -- today we are going to stare at screencaps from the musical production currently devouring my mind: the recent production of Chess in Concert. (Next time it will totally be my cracktastic version of Joseph & the Technicolour Dreamcoat, fair warning.)
There are a few vids up on YouTube but I decided against embedding them because the sound quality makes me want to weep bitter tears.
Be warned: as with most musicals, my love for Chess is deep and nonironic and unabashed and involves capslock.
One day I will see a production like this in the Royal Albert Hall. ONE DAY.
Although I prefer Judy Kuhn's voice for Florence, Idina Menzel has exactly the right desperate, expansive, finely-controlled stage presence. In spades.
Josh Groban is basically SPOT ON my mental image of Anatoly...
...and Adam Pascal is a pretty damn perfect Freddy. He's got the right confident smarminess that can melt instantly into something more raw (his rendition of Pity The Child is incredible).
One of my favourite things about this production is the fact that the chorus looks like they're having such an awesome time. I love that Chess has these two scene-setting songs that have NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with the actual plot, but are insane and chirpy and fun. MERAAANO!
Where breathing in can turn you on
Where water tastes like wine
Okay, so, there's this guy called Marti Pellow who plays the Arbiter --
There's no gambit I don't see through
-- and I have never heard of him or seen him in anything before, and he is not the best looking person on stage by a long shot, but believe me when I tell you that I would hit that harder than the fist of God.
From square one I'll be watching all sixty-four
PURPLE SHIRT. WHITE GLOVES.
*coughs*
Okay, okay, I'm done.
I see my present partner in the imperfect tense
Nobody's Side is my favourite song in this musical. Hands down.
I love the way the chess games are blocked, with the board at the top and the dancers far downstage.
In Soviet Russia, chess plays YOU.
Sorry.
A battleground for rival ideologies to slug it out with glee
A Model of Decorum and Tranquillity is my second-favourite. I love well-arranged quartets <3
I hope he pays you what you're worth.
At least she's a good-looking spy.
Check out that lighting, man.
Let man's petty nations tear themselves apart
My land's only borders lie around my heart
'ANTHEM'. SO FANTASTIC. Apparently people get very disapproving about this on YouTube, but whatever; it's my personal opinion that Josh Groban's wistful, romantic voice is very well suited to the song.
Random scene-setting song #2: One Night In Bangkok! I find it hilarious that this is the only song most people know, when not only does it have bugger all to do with anything, it sounds nothing like most of the musical's other songs.
I'd let you watch, I would invite you
But the queens we use would not excite you
FREDDY YOU PRAT <3
Menzel & Groban manage some pretty amazing chemistry for people who look weirdly like siblings so, uh, props to them.
Then again, Pascal & Groban aren't far behind. And they can do it from a distance, too.
Is being homeless affecting your game?
This is when Molokov takes the Soviet delegation to a seedy bar and sings smirkingly to them about how their new player is a perfect blond MACHIIIINE and they're going to stomp the defector Anatoly into the dust with their little steel-toed bootses. There's a piano accordian. Also teensy tiny shot glasses. I LOVE YOU MOLOKOV.
The story is: the girl is me
KERRY ELLIS <3 It's an Elphaba reunion up in here! Kerry, dear, you're amazing, but I wish they'd given you a dress that looks less as though it's about to fall down.
If Anatoly wins, life is going to be very rough for you and your children.
I'd say the female characters in this musical get a rough deal, but, really, everyone does unless they're a COMPLETE BASTARD. Though Svetlana does drive home the fact that Anatoly is a pretty, tragic, exhausted, noble-minded...adulterer.
(Oh, yeah, they gave him a new tie and shirt for the second act <3<3<3)
Is there no one here who's not a politician?
(Walter = also amazing in the smarmy stakes.)
Just be smart, partner.
I don't know what it is about Adam Pascal and his ability to blatantly undress everyone else on stage with his eyes, but hot dang.
I call this the We May As Well Fail The Bechdel Test With Spectacular Flair song.
I want to talk chess.
Chess?
sjdkhdsh best scene ever. FREDDY/ANATOLY/CHESS is of course the only truly canonical ship.
But we go on pretending
Stories like ours have happy endings
;_;
So, uh, yeah. Hunt it down. It's fantastic, and I'm pretty sure it exists on DVD.
There are a few vids up on YouTube but I decided against embedding them because the sound quality makes me want to weep bitter tears.
Be warned: as with most musicals, my love for Chess is deep and nonironic and unabashed and involves capslock.
One day I will see a production like this in the Royal Albert Hall. ONE DAY.
Although I prefer Judy Kuhn's voice for Florence, Idina Menzel has exactly the right desperate, expansive, finely-controlled stage presence. In spades.
Josh Groban is basically SPOT ON my mental image of Anatoly...
...and Adam Pascal is a pretty damn perfect Freddy. He's got the right confident smarminess that can melt instantly into something more raw (his rendition of Pity The Child is incredible).
One of my favourite things about this production is the fact that the chorus looks like they're having such an awesome time. I love that Chess has these two scene-setting songs that have NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with the actual plot, but are insane and chirpy and fun. MERAAANO!
Where breathing in can turn you on
Where water tastes like wine
Okay, so, there's this guy called Marti Pellow who plays the Arbiter --
There's no gambit I don't see through
-- and I have never heard of him or seen him in anything before, and he is not the best looking person on stage by a long shot, but believe me when I tell you that I would hit that harder than the fist of God.
From square one I'll be watching all sixty-four
PURPLE SHIRT. WHITE GLOVES.
*coughs*
Okay, okay, I'm done.
I see my present partner in the imperfect tense
Nobody's Side is my favourite song in this musical. Hands down.
I love the way the chess games are blocked, with the board at the top and the dancers far downstage.
In Soviet Russia, chess plays YOU.
Sorry.
A battleground for rival ideologies to slug it out with glee
A Model of Decorum and Tranquillity is my second-favourite. I love well-arranged quartets <3
I hope he pays you what you're worth.
At least she's a good-looking spy.
Check out that lighting, man.
Let man's petty nations tear themselves apart
My land's only borders lie around my heart
'ANTHEM'. SO FANTASTIC. Apparently people get very disapproving about this on YouTube, but whatever; it's my personal opinion that Josh Groban's wistful, romantic voice is very well suited to the song.
Random scene-setting song #2: One Night In Bangkok! I find it hilarious that this is the only song most people know, when not only does it have bugger all to do with anything, it sounds nothing like most of the musical's other songs.
I'd let you watch, I would invite you
But the queens we use would not excite you
FREDDY YOU PRAT <3
Menzel & Groban manage some pretty amazing chemistry for people who look weirdly like siblings so, uh, props to them.
Then again, Pascal & Groban aren't far behind. And they can do it from a distance, too.
Is being homeless affecting your game?
This is when Molokov takes the Soviet delegation to a seedy bar and sings smirkingly to them about how their new player is a perfect blond MACHIIIINE and they're going to stomp the defector Anatoly into the dust with their little steel-toed bootses. There's a piano accordian. Also teensy tiny shot glasses. I LOVE YOU MOLOKOV.
The story is: the girl is me
KERRY ELLIS <3 It's an Elphaba reunion up in here! Kerry, dear, you're amazing, but I wish they'd given you a dress that looks less as though it's about to fall down.
If Anatoly wins, life is going to be very rough for you and your children.
I'd say the female characters in this musical get a rough deal, but, really, everyone does unless they're a COMPLETE BASTARD. Though Svetlana does drive home the fact that Anatoly is a pretty, tragic, exhausted, noble-minded...adulterer.
(Oh, yeah, they gave him a new tie and shirt for the second act <3<3<3)
Is there no one here who's not a politician?
(Walter = also amazing in the smarmy stakes.)
Just be smart, partner.
I don't know what it is about Adam Pascal and his ability to blatantly undress everyone else on stage with his eyes, but hot dang.
I call this the We May As Well Fail The Bechdel Test With Spectacular Flair song.
I want to talk chess.
Chess?
sjdkhdsh best scene ever. FREDDY/ANATOLY/CHESS is of course the only truly canonical ship.
But we go on pretending
Stories like ours have happy endings
;_;
So, uh, yeah. Hunt it down. It's fantastic, and I'm pretty sure it exists on DVD.
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Question: Is this musical easy to stage? Our theatre department is looking for low-budget options.
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I do know there are a couple of different versions of the musical in existence, with some songs included/excluded and different variations on the ending.
(You should also look into Bare (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bare,_a_Pop_Opera) because I love it immensely and I want everyone in the world to stage it. And it's about Catholic high school students, so there are no expensive special effects required :D)
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Epiphany (http://www.sendspace.com/file/bb5oq7) (the dream sequence opening number)
Auditions (http://www.sendspace.com/file/mtl4nr) (lkzsdkzsjdhsDH SHAKESPEEEEEARE)
Are You There? (http://www.sendspace.com/file/5gwzme) (my favourite)
911! Emergency! (http://www.sendspace.com/file/zns38i) (boppy. awesome.)
Give me a day or so and I can get you the whole thing, if you're interested. But listen to these and let me know what you think :)
ETA: Okay, I have to include Cross (http://www.sendspace.com/file/ca4ton) just in case the upbeat nature of the previous songs gives the impression that this musical won't break your fucking heart, because it will.
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HE DIES.
AUGH.
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Ta dah! (http://saiyajin.nu/kelsey/stuffu/Bare/)
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The Company -- Merano (http://www.sendspace.com/file/jy3et9) omg this song is ridiculous. you have to google the lyrics for the full effect, because they go by a bit fast
Judy Kuhn -- Nobody's Side (http://www.sendspace.com/file/fuxr4c)
Quartet (A Model of Decorum and Tranquility) (http://www.sendspace.com/file/0o01l0)
Tommy Körberg -- Anthem (http://www.sendspace.com/file/i5ftz1)
*bounces*
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I LOVE CHESS SOOOO MUCCHH!!
I saw a semi-amateur performance of it last year at the royal theatre! It was goood!!
Where is this from? Do you have a recording/ video type thing!? Can I hass!?
I love Soviet Machine and the arbiter!!
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I love love love the original recording, but it is so quiet. They need to remaster that sucker, because Chess really needs to be blasted. I have many others, ahaha, but that one is my favorite. Maybe because it's the first complete one, but I also think the singing is phenomenal.
*flails* I can't even. I went to Denmark to see this show. I love it so much. You never know how it's going to end, and I can't say that about a single other musical I know. Oh Tim Rice, why did you sell your soul to Disney? :( I saw David Bedella (Molokov) play Caiaphas in a little touring production of JCS, and he is one of the best I've ever seen, and you should see him hit those low notes. Whew. He is not quite as stunning as Molokov, but still. I was excited about that, even with so many stars in the cast. I've never seen Anthem done in a concert of random showtunes without the preface, "This song is really important to me, because I'm from ________." The country doesn't seem to matter, which I guess is the point. Just. Chess. <3!
Is this a bad time to mention that I went to see this production at the RAH? >.>
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I have given up hating you for the musicals you've been to. It would be a full-time job if I kept at it :D
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I still haven't seen Anthony Warlow, so imo you will always have the better deal.
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I think at this point you should just mail me all the musicals you have :D Or maybe, um, give me a list? Soundtracks good, actual performances doubleplusgood.
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There is a DVD of this production, btw-- here (http://www.amazon.com/Chess-Concert-Josh-Groban/dp/B0028SVXVM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1257808047&sr=8-1) on Amazon US, and a matching CD. It was just released stateside in June or July, I think.
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I might see if I can find the DVD for sale here in Aus, and ask for it for a Christmas present. I want it in full HD glory.
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oh this is so crazy,
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IS THERE A FANDOM. IS THERE SLASH. AJA.
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I'VE NEVER READ ANY BUT I KNOW IT GETS REQUESTED EVERY YEAR FOR YULETIDE AND THAT THERE'S AN ARCHIVE? Sandrine recced fics here (http://community.livejournal.com/rareslash/296901.html) and here (http://yuletidetreasure.org/archive/66/anintriguing.html) and here (http://qsagent.org/misc-bangkok.html) on her post.
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The concert is a thing of beauty!
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I have a tiny kernel of an idea that might one day become a Florence/Anatoly/Freddy fic in my head, so I'll have to see where that goes.
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Your fic idea makes me want to get out the pom-pons and do a 'Write it! Write it' chant! *g*
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:D Chant duly noted.
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Nobody's Side is completely wonderful. My favourite song too. Other favourite numbers You & I, Where I Want To Be, Anthem and I Know Him So Well. :)
Thanks for posting these photos. And Chess in Concert can be bought on Dvd, just check the website :)