The Killers / Chess: The Musical

First of all; If you haven't seen/listened to Chess: The Musical, I highly recommend checking it out. Fantastic show, and especially for a chess enthusiast as well as a musical theatre enthusiast like myself. With extremely addictive beats, and tremendously clever "chessy" lyrics, I have no doubts in saying that you won't be disappointed.

Secondly, (and the purpose of this post), I found out today that my all-time favorite band, The Killers, plans to release an "all-covers" album in the near future AND one of them shall be of the song "One Night In Bangkok" from Chess! How exciting! :)

By the way, here's a link to hear the original "One Night in Bangkok" as well as another of my favorites from the show, "The Arbiter."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnqj31VPNoE  - O.N.I.B

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fyg0h6tk-MM   - The Arbiter

Listen for and appreciate the lyrics! :)

Does NO ONE think this is awesome?? :)

I. am. shocked...

I just watched Chess on DVD (the 2008 performance) and loved it!  Some call it a musical, but I found it to have more in common with an opera. 

I was intriqued by the recent annoucment that Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus will be working on a "new version" of the show:

http://www.theatermania.com/new-york/news/09-2009/new-version-of-chess-is-in-the-works_21333.html

Just found out that Chess: The Musical has its own webpage:

http://www.chessinconcert.com/index.html

Check out "From Tim Rice" for some interesting behind the scenes stories of this productions turbulent history.

"Chess lasted a mere eight weeks on Broadway. Normally, that would be that for the long-term future of a humiliated show, but for some reason this one has refused to roll over and die, even in America. The reason was of course the songs, which even our misconceived Broadway escapade had not managed to destroy. Actors and singers still wanted to have a bash at the wonderful melodies, especially in auditions, and directors felt that they could put up with the confusion of the plot (a) because every few minutes another great tune turns up and (b) they could re-write chunks of the story themselves as no-one allegedly in control of the show seemed to know what the official version was anymore.

I certainly didn’t. During the past 20 years I have seen Chess on dozens of occasions in many different countries, and no two versions have been the same. Sometimes Freddie wins, sometimes Anatoly wins. Sometimes the whole show is set in the Tirol, sometimes entirely in Bangkok. One (rather good) version was set in 1960s New York, and another backstage at a Chess concert in which the actors played actors putting on a Chess concert. By far the best and most successful foreign production (not surprisingly) was the Stockholm show in 2002 - 03.

...

I accept that the plot is complex – I prefer intelligent, or sophisticated, but I would say that, wouldn’t I? I know for sure that contrary to the views of some critics way back then, the story is certainly more than plausible. Many in the real world of chess have told me it is not complex enough, as any study of chess and politics over the past 50 years will illustrate – as will a quick look at the life and antics of the late Bobby Fischer."

All I know is that I liked the show so much, I just ordered the DVD from Amazon!