Wicked’s Idina Menzel and Rent’s Adam Pascal join Great Performances favorite, internationally renowned vocalist Josh Groban in a spectacular London concert revival of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ 1986 cult musical Chess, premiering Wednesday, June 17 at 9 p.m. (ET) on Great Performances (check local listings). Presented by THIRTEEN in 5.1 digital surround sound on PBS HD, and featuring diamond-sharp lyrics by Tim Rice (Evita, The Lion King), the hit-filled production (“One Night in Bangkok,” “I Know Him So Well,” “The Anthem”) was recorded in performance at Royal Albert Hall.
Watch a preview:
Great Performances is a production of THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG – one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers.
“A fantastic night” proclaimed musiccomh.com, while thestage.co asked “Is there an original pop musical stuffed with better melodies?” neatly echoing Time’s initial 1988 assessment: “One of the best rock scores ever produced.” Adding to the excitement is the 50-piece City of London Philharmonic, led by David Firman, and the 100-voice West End Chorus.
ABBA composers Andersson and Ulvaeus created their first musical theater work more than a decade before striking pay dirt with their phenomenon, Mamma Mia. It was the inspired idea of lyricist/librettist Rice to match the pair with his cold war tale: the East/West Chess Championship and the romantic triangle that develops between the Russian and American competitors and the beautiful woman who manages one and falls in love with the other. Chart topper Groban (Awake, Closer, Noel) sings the Russian player, Anatoly; Rent Tony and Drama Desk Award-nominee Pascal is the American Freddie, and Tony-winner Menzel (Wicked Witch Elphaba) is Florence, the woman between them.
Chess in Concert is a co-production of THIRTEEN, Reprise Records and Peppermint Pictures, in association with Heartaches Ltd. Directed for telecast by David Horn and produced by Austin Shaw, it was recorded at Albert Hall May 12, 2008. Hugh Wooldridge staged the concert adaptation.
Josh Groban includes among his many Great Performances appearances Josh Groban in Concert (2002), Josh Groban at the Greek (2004) and last December’s David Foster & Friends. Adam Pascal was most recently seen in the series’ My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs (2001). Chess in Concert marks Idina Menzel’s Great Performances debut.
Great Performances is funded by the Irene Diamond Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, Vivian Milstein, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, public television viewers, and PBS.
Yus – get a life.
I am glad that I am no the only one having an issue with finding this on local PBS stations. Look if Utah is gitting it on one of their stations, why isn’t our local SF kqed airing it? Look I like David Foster but enough…
I second the request for reairing the episode. The 2 HD showings was too little. Any chance a bluray HD version will be released? The HD presentation I saw (only caught part of the 1st broadcast and my alarm clock didn’t wake me for the early morning one) was amazing.
Lydia – get a brain.
Idina is incredible…I’m dragging today cause I stayed up late watching this last night…her voice is captivating ;)
I’m may not be an expert in music, but I know when somebody’s voice gets to my heart, of course I’m talking about Josh Groban, he may not have enough stage experience but for this to be his first musical he did an excellent job. May the Lord bless your voice and your heart, keep on doing the great work you always do. Go Josh.
This was a first for me and unfortunately I only cuaght it from the middle. It was wonderful. I would truly love to see it broadcast again. The entire csst was GREAT.
After seeing the performance on PBS, I ordered the DVD. It is as stunning as the broadcast and you can expose the subtitles that gives you the lyrics. I agree with everyone about ALL the actors and actresses. The music and lyrics are now apart of my interior!! Thanks to all who made this great art possible!
A wonderful and talented bunch of professionals having fun, mesmerizing the audience while enjoying a positively charged atmosphere. Kudos to all!!
I would love to see this on PBS again, SOON! It was such a great show, please show it again soon.
i get our broadcast from KCTS9 in seattle. would like to know next show for Chess the Musical.
I watched Chess In Concert last night for the first time and enjoyed it. The songs of Benny and Bjorn keep the show alive!
I saw this in its original form in 1986. It was wonderful then and wonderful now. This production was magnificent.
I’ve been a fan of CHESS since seeing it on Broadway. I have two versions of the cast CDs. I even saw a ‘revived’ version in a church on Riverside Drive in NYC. I was as blown as before. I don’t care how many versions there are. If I can see it being performed, I’ll be in the audience. I’d love to see it come back on Broadway sometime in 2010.
My son was in it in the orchestra. I loved the play. When will it be broadcast again?
Useful data and Superb style you got on your blog! I would like to say thanks for sharing your views and time in to the things you submit! Thumbs up
Really that is great performance! I am waiting for this performance with other Josh Groban fans.
I would love to see this on PBS again. A broadcast warning came on right in the middle of it. How disappointing. Also, I love the fact that PBS bleeped out the bad words. I know the words would be on the DVDs. Will it be possible to rebroadcast this wonderful show?
I never saw the stage show but have heard music from this show for years…it always sounded intriguing as it seemed to have such energy and power………..I happened to come upon the Great Performances show recently on a NH station and was lucky enough to hear it from the first act!!…….it was not listed in my Mass. members’ magazine so after the finale I went to the computer for even more information…….I agree with Millie that it should be rebroadcast and hope it is on a Mass. channel……..Thank you so much for sharing it……..
Not fair! I didn’t know Idina Menzel back then… I wish they could play it again! i don’t know where to find the dvd and I really wanna see this! Will they ever replay it?
After reading a few reviews about the movie I thought it would be worth a trip to the cinema or worth the download online to see it I’ve been waiting for this movie for a while I might just bite the bullet and end up seeing it, ill come back here and post my review, cheers .
What a wonderful musical Chess in Concert is. I’ve been going to the theatre for over 30 years and rarely have I seen something so sophistocated, and I felt the London Philarmonic Orchestra really amplified the brilliance of the score. It’s one of my all-time favourites in fact, right up there with Phantom of the Opera and Million Dollar Quartet.
Unfortunately I missed seeing Chess In Concert when it was shown by my cable provider, Comcast, in 2010 (for a very limited period in Central Florida). My cousin who saw it raved about it and recommended I see it the next time it’s shown. I’ve been following closely your weekly listing throughout 2011, but I’ve yet to see it listed. Will this concert be shown in 2011? If so, when? Thank you.
hurray! At long last!!!!!!!!!! Looking forward to this …Chess is fantastiic theater…Oh thank heaven for PBS and Great Preformaces…Im a native NYer living in Fl and miss Boradway..And With the recent PBS telecasts of Phantom, Le Mis and now Chess! And it being avilable on DVD there after…Keep it comming. its sad the Chess never recived the presentation here in the states like it did in the UK…Now all of us wil lget to see it in all of its glory…
Hi David,
Unfortunately this program aired in the Summer of 2009, so chances are it will not be re-aired. You can purchase the Great Performances program on http://www.shoppbs.org. Here’s the direct link below:
http://www.shoppbs.org/product/index.jsp?productId=3704424&cp=&sr=1&kw=chess+in+concert&origkw=Chess+In+Concert&parentPage=search
It’s on YOUTUBE as CHECKERS and it isn’t altered or anything.