kaelidancer
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A tricky question about the broadway version...Hi guys 'n gals 
It's looking like I may be directing a production of Chess in 2010, which is fabulous because it's my favorite musical of all time! However, I'm in the US, so I'm stuck with the B'way script.
I'm *mostly* okay with it... the evil endgame is unfortunate, but I really think if it's done well, it's still a strong show overall. However, a couple of things really really bother me. I mean really really. I know I can't change anything, but I'd like to think out loud here about a way to make it a stronger show, hypothetically.
First... the flashback at the top of act one, with Gregor. I personally think we shouldn't see Gregor until the Lullaby in act two. That way when Florence learns that it wasn't her father at all, it's more believable. It's been years since florence has seen her father... but for the audience it's only been a couple of hours! I'd rather the audience share Florence's 'clean slate' memory. So, I think perhaps I'd just have the arbiter sing Gregor's "The Story of Chess".
Second... the outcome of the game. Freddie has just 'gone metal' and had his big "Pity the Child" moment... it's a huge song and *should* be a moment of catharsis for the character... but as he wins the final game, it seems that nothing has changed in his psychology at all. I was pondering saving "Pity" until *after* the game, so he can have his breakdown then. I'd give him a moment with Anatoly as the game ends, and Anatoly sings "So I lose today, and tomorrow" ... let him realize that his win is meaningless compared to what his opponent has lost. Then have him sing Pity.
It may not happen, but I just wanted to share my thoughts here. I know that the B'way script is the subject of much debate and not a small amount of ire (I wish I could get my hands on the Sydney version!), and I was wondering if any Americans who have done the show have incorporated changes to the structure of the book like this (and are willing to admit it)? If so, what did you do differently?
Also: disclaimer again, I understand that changing the book in this manner without express permission is a violation of the contract with the publisher, don't do it etc etc... But discussion is certainly not under a contract... and I can dream can't I?
Kaeli
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Salome
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We cut Gregor appearing all together.
the broadway endgame is much more powerful than the original.
we opened with Arbiter singing "Story of Chess"
our script was a strong combo of broadway and austrlaia with a bit of the directors own vision thrown in.
also..the question of FLorence's father is never resolved. it may be him it may not. be.
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Brother Marvin Hinten, S.
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An alternate script prepared by a poster here named "Cadriel" solves most of these problems with the Broadway script nicely. Shoot him a note.
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kaelidancer
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| Salome wrote: | We cut Gregor appearing all together.
the broadway endgame is much more powerful than the original.
we opened with Arbiter singing "Story of Chess"
our script was a strong combo of broadway and austrlaia with a bit of the directors own vision thrown in.
also..the question of FLorence's father is never resolved. it may be him it may not. be. |
Well, it's heartening that others aren't afraid to make adjustments like that, then! As to the strength of the Broadway Endgame, I think we'll have to agree to disagree there.  But I'm biased.
I was in a production ten years ago, but I haven't had any contact with the Broadway script since then, so I'll defer to your memory as to Walter's revelation about the identity of Florence's "father." I do remember thinking that the moment wasn't as gutting as it could have been, since it was clearly the same actor.
Also: I'll see if I can't get in touch with Cadriel, thanks
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Salome
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when i played that scene with walter it was such a heart wrentchingm oment.
i dont bleieve you should EVER see Florence's father on stage. its best wen that is kept off stage. itworked well for us because Walter's lie that the man wasnt realy her father is more ambiguois that way.
when he says it to her in the script having already seen her father you know he is lying.
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Mazz
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I like having her father on at the very beginning, when Florence is a child.
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Salome
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that beginning scene with her father makes no sense.. there is a a war on..and there he is in the middle of it playing chess with his kid. it looks corny and unrealistic.
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Jekkienumber24601
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| kaelidancer wrote: | | Salome wrote: | We cut Gregor appearing all together.
the broadway endgame is much more powerful than the original.
we opened with Arbiter singing "Story of Chess"
our script was a strong combo of broadway and austrlaia with a bit of the directors own vision thrown in.
also..the question of FLorence's father is never resolved. it may be him it may not. be. |
Well, it's heartening that others aren't afraid to make adjustments like that, then! As to the strength of the Broadway Endgame, I think we'll have to agree to disagree there. But I'm biased.
I was in a production ten years ago, but I haven't had any contact with the Broadway script since then, so I'll defer to your memory as to Walter's revelation about the identity of Florence's "father." I do remember thinking that the moment wasn't as gutting as it could have been, since it was clearly the same actor.
Also: I'll see if I can't get in touch with Cadriel, thanks |
Broadway's endgame works if you cut the beginning crap and revert to the london version, with Molokov, Walter, and Florence singing "How straightforward the game"
I like your idea of saving pity after endgame, it would fix that problem better.
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Mazz
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| Salome wrote: | | that beginning scene with her father makes no sense.. there is a a war on..and there he is in the middle of it playing chess with his kid. it looks corny and unrealistic. |
Until he's dragged off kicking and screaming by the KGB.
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High-baritonne
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I kind of like the flashback they used in "Ungern' 56" from the Circus production! I feel more sorry for Florence then, and you feel that it actually happened. I have yet to see an act that make me believe the 1956 rebellion in Hungary were.
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Salome
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| Mazz wrote: | | Salome wrote: | | that beginning scene with her father makes no sense.. there is a a war on..and there he is in the middle of it playing chess with his kid. it looks corny and unrealistic. |
Until he's dragged off kicking and screaming by the KGB. |
which thne makes it look comical,melodramatic and like a parody.
also he isnt dragged off by the KGB he leaves with his own people..you never see them caught.
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Jekkienumber24601
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| Salome wrote: | | that beginning scene with her father makes no sense.. there is a a war on..and there he is in the middle of it playing chess with his kid. it looks corny and unrealistic. |
Plus that means you have to bring a 5 year old kid into the cast. Bad for obvious reasons. Good for selling tickets to the parents who want to show off their kid's 30 seconds of fame.
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Derekmckean
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| Jekkienumber24601 wrote: | | Salome wrote: | | that beginning scene with her father makes no sense.. there is a a war on..and there he is in the middle of it playing chess with his kid. it looks corny and unrealistic. |
Plus that means you have to bring a 5 year old kid into the cast. Bad for obvious reasons. Good for selling tickets to the parents who want to show off their kid's 30 seconds of fame. |
In the Broadway version, maybe when Gregor sings The Story of Chess, maybe simply time just stops. Literally between the prologue in which the Budapest rising happens and the number "The Story of Chess," there could be an unknown undefined "timeshift." Obviously, they are probably not playing chess when the uprising happens--unless they are kamikzis or something like that. Maybe it is left up to the audience to define that timeshift oursleves? Maybe when Gregor says "Florence" is the loving voice and starts singing the story of Chess it is at time period--this unknown time period we see only to find out that little Florence from who knows when did have a father at one time. At the beginning we do not even know who this man is--maybe he is just a guy with a great voice.
The other timeshift that can happen is which I call the stop time timeshift. That means we have an uprising--and then we stop time just so that Gregor can sing his song. But of course when they are playing Chess--it is all used in Metaphor.
Other options:
"Interpreted Dance." Have the people dress up like chess pieces and have no budapest uprising. Just have chess dudes and dudettes move their bodys to the overture. And then the Arbiter can start singing.
"Interpreted dance and have chess pieces sing the song." Same option as above but have the whole ensemble of chess pieces sing "The Story of Chess."
My favorite line from the American Version:
Freddie
He'd better come here to play chess!
(cut)
The version I saw which was at a local civic light opera place in San Jose, CA, had a nice set with the white and black chessboard that almost came over the orchestra pit--putting the board slantways so it comes to a point over the orchestra pits. At a step lower below--there was like maybe 25 feet of extra siding where they played the matches. The hotel room was on the chessboard......just cover up the squares. The set had walls on both sides and an upper level. Both walls had rows of televesions--3x3x3--so 9 televisons on both sides--for a modern kind of view and they also used the screens to show the airport garage which was literally the auditorums parking lot outside---they just recorded it panning back and forth. Also they could use the tv's to do close-up's on charcters. When they did a close up of Freddie saying "You'd better come here to play chess," the 3x3x3 television sets became one big screen and to show Freddie's close-up. There was also a small upper level at a slant--maybe a few yards or so that you could put the arbiter up there--as well as maybe 8 or more people up there. The sides of the walls had automatic doors so that the actor could exit the stage. Also during the arbiter song they did a lot of music video effects using the tv's.
If anyone has been to the retail store in california known as Wet Seal(female store)--it is that same idea they kind of use with the tv's.
When I saw the production more than 15-18 years ago, I saw it with Kim Straus. I am not not sure if I saw Ann Crumb as Florence. Actually, I think I did see Ann Crumb play Florence. Kim's voice was kind of so-so and struggling in the first act--but it got better during the second act.
I remember some of the Chess production I saw simply because it was nearly impossible to fall asleep during this musical. It like one of my favorite musicals now.
The OTHER OPTIONS are just that. they ARE NOT licensed options as they just came out of my head and some of your guys heads.
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Derekmckean
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Now this is a rhetorical question. I was just wondering if you agreed with the question. If Tim Rice wants to secure a "definite version" of chess which is really close to the london script, how can directors perform his definite version when in only the united states people are stuck to the broadway script because of copyright law? Because if people cannot perform the new definite version of chess, then isn't it really a "not definite" version? Because if it was "definite," then Tim Rice would make it happen so it would be definite. . Well, actually maybe not--because he has shown he cannot make things happen. But let's say if he could he would. Now since Tim Rice has no rights to do his definite version in the United States, should he stop calling it definite or only "the definite version which can only be done anywhere except the United States." Ya know what I mean? Wow. This was a long question.
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Derekmckean
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Here are the lyrics when just the arbiter sings it. Only the last few lines change.
cene 1: A Giant Chessboard
"The Story of Chess"
ARBITER
Each game of chess means there's one less
Variation left to be played
Each day got through means one or two
Less mistakes remain to be made
Each game of chess means there's one less
Variation left to be played
Each day got through means one or two
Less mistakes remain to be made
Not much is known
Of early days of chess beyond a fairly vague report
That fifteen hundred years ago two princes fought
Though brothers, for a Hindu throne
Their mother cried - for
No-one really likes their offspring fighting to the death
She begged them stop the slaughter with her every breath
But sure enough one brother died
Sad beyond belief
She told her winning son
You have caused such grief
I can't forgive this evil thing you've done
He tried to explain
How things had really been
But he tried in vain
No words of his could mollify the queen
And so he asked the wisest men he knew
The way to lessen her distress
They told him he'd be pretty certain to impress
By using model soldiers on
A chequered board to show it was his brother's fault
They thus invented chess.
(the chorus moves large chess pieces around the board and sings the above in
counterpoint during the following:)
Chess displayed no inertia
Soon spread to Persia, then west
Next the Arabs refined it,
Thus redesigned, it progressed
Still further yet
And when Constantinople fell in 1453
One would have noticed every other refugee
Included in his bags a set
Once in the hands
And in the minds of leading figures of the Renaissance
The spirit and the speed of chess made swift advance
Through all of Europe's vital lands
Where we must record
The game was further changed
Right across the board
The western touch upon the pieces ranged
King and queen and rook
And bishop, knight and pawn
All took on the look
We know today, the modern game was born
With such success
We see a game that started by mistake in Hindustan
And boosted in the main by what is now Iran
Reach every corner of the globe with nation
Squaring up to nation to determine, no holds barred....
Who owns, who made, who will parade
The champion of chess.
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Derekmckean
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Now here is an interesting way to open Act 2. Personally, I think it should be cut and go straight to One Night in Bangkok. But this is how the American version(tour) did it:
Scene 1: Freddie's Suite Doorway
(Florence bangs on his door)
FLORENCE
Freddie. Let me in, I have to talk to you. You have to give me a chance to explain.
Open the door, Freddie. I'm not helping Anatoly, you have to know that.
(Walter answers the door)
WALTER
Go away Florence, he's trying to sleep.
FLORENCE
Walter, you have to let me in, I have to explain.
WALTER
He saw the whole thing on television. Now leave him alone and let him lick his wounds.
FLORENCE
Freddie, where are you?
WALTER
No!
FLORENCE
Where is he?
WALTER
Since six-thirty last night, nobody knows.
FLORENCE
He's missing? We have to call the police.
WALTER
No. We can't afford the publicity.
FLORENCE
Walter, we have to find him. He doesn't know Bangkok....
(into phone)
Hello, front desk? Get me the American Embassy.
WALTER
I'm sorry, Florence. He's alone on this one.
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