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Chess at The Kennedy Center

Much like Hamlet, Chess and I have a long and storied history too. But you know what? Maybe stories like ours do have happy endings.

Chess has one of my favorite scores of all time but I had never been fortunate enough to see a production of the show. I knew the reputation it has; the score is great but the book is awful. It'll never work commercially. But as soon as I heard The Kennedy Center was staging a concert version, I bought tickets. I didn't care, I needed to see this show. The terrific cast that was eventually announced only made it better.

And yes, it was an amazing night. Those voice (Raul Esparza and Ramin Karimloo in particularly) singing those songs! It was a dream come true.

Except for that book.

A new book was written for this concert, and I guess, for any other productions going forward. But look, it still doesn't work. And given that a) I saw a concert version and b) I didn't go expecting a fully-realized production, the book really didn't matter in this case. But if they have Broadway aspirations like the rumors state, they need to throw it out and start again.

Now, I don't think the book is the only problem per say. To begin with, the score is written in a way that is just murderous for singers. After Raul's incredible "Pity the Child," I turned to my boyfriend and asked, "How could anyone sing that eight times a week?" Of course I suppose Esparza and company were really pushing their voices to the limit because it was such a short run but there's no way someone could sustain a long run in the show with those vocal arrangements. (The 80s really wanted to just ruin voices, didn't they?)

Another problem is that the musical can't decide whether it wants to be a traditional book musical or be completely sung-through. There's a ton of recitative, which doesn't bother me at all but when there is spoken dialogue, it's jarring. It seems like Andersson and Rice are very protective of the score (and they should be, it's a gem) that they're not willing to part with any of the recitative but if you want some iteration of the book to work, you have to cut some of it. Turn some of it into dialogue. You're strong armed by it if you really want it to stay in the show.

Although that's definitely not the biggest problem with the book. The big problem is that it's never clear whose story it is. The first act belongs to Florence, and then suddenly act two becomes Anatoly's story. Freddie doesn't really have anything do in the second act but has a huge 11 o'clock number-esque song in "Pity the Child." Sveltana is tossed into the proceedings and is given an emotional ballad that is fit for a character that has more development. Why should the audience care? Especially since we're told Anatoly is in a loveless marriage with a woman who has turned his kids against him. Even the threat of the KGB murdering Sveltana doesn't make me sympathize with her. (It didn't help that Ruthie Ann Miles didn't make much of an impression in the role anwas vocally underwhelming.) But throughout the show, songs just happen out of nowhere. There must be a better way of sticking these songs into the book.

And what is Florence's deal? She's Freddie's girlfriend and chess coach who is also a Hungarian refugee with a father in the gulag? Is she great at chess too? Why doesn't she just play herself? And it's laughable how quickly she switches her allegiance from Freddie to Anatoly. And once she does, her character suffers. She is no longer an active player in the game (no pun intended.) And yet, this is a musical that was written around the original Florence, Elaine Paige. (Karen Olivio was given the last bow in this production as well.)

Can Chess ever work? I don't know at this point. Does it have to? No, I don't think so. Sure the original productions flopped but look at the life its had over the last thirty years. What other major flop has had such a long, successful life? Stories like Chess usually don't have happy endings.

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