Seeing what anybody thinks of it.

I had the bright idea to start a reworking of Chess with a song list. I welcome your thoughts. Wanna hear it? Here it go!

PROLOGUE: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY, 1956
Father's Lullaby (Apukad Eros Kezen) . . . . . . . . Gregor

ACT ONE: BANGKOK, THAILAND, 1972
The Story of Chess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arbiter, Guests, Staff
Freddie's Entrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Freddie
Press Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Freddie, Florence, Ensemble
Molokov and Anatoly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anatoly, Molokov
Where I Want to Be . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anatoly
Commie Newspapers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florence, Freddie
Argument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florence, Freddie
Merchandisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Walter, Ensemble
Difficult and Dangerous Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Molokov, Ensemble
Hymn to Chess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ensemble
Quartet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Molokov, Florence, Anatoly, Arbiter
Florence/American . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Freddie, Florence
Nobody's Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florence
Terrace Duet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florence, Anatoly
Who'd Ever Think It? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Freddie
One Night in Bangkok . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Freddie, Ensemble
Florence Quits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Freddie, Florence
Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anatoly, Ensemble
Anthem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anatoly

MIDLOGUE: KENNEDY AIRPORT, NY, EIGHT WEEKS LATER
The Arbiter's Song . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arbiter, Assistants

ACT TWO: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
Hungarian Folk Song . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ensemble
Heaven Help My Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florence
Winning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Walter, Freddie
You and I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florence, Anatoly, Svetlana
Let's Work Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Molokov, Walter
Freddie Goes Metal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Freddie
Someone Else's Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Svetlana
Pity the Child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Freddie
I Know Him So Well . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florence, Svetlana
Endgame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Entire Cast
You and I (Reprise) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florence, Anatoly
Anthem (Reprise) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florence, Ensemble

Il ove that you kept 'Lets Work Together" . I prefer "Bangkok" to be sung by Arbiter myself it makes more sense.

Well, I like what Cadriel did with it in his Broadway fix, by making it work as a number for Freddie. In its position, it becomes a weird bender Freddie has after he catches Florence with Anatoly. Gives the number more of a purpose in its Broadway setting.

As for "Let's Work Together," it was either that or "The Soviet Machine." Would've loved to do both, but I don't see how that would work exactly.

I like keeping the Budapest prologue from Broadway, but using Apukad there instead of Story of Chess!

Personally I'm working on a more London-based reworking, borrowing from Stockholm, Sydney and a little from Broadway. I'm also setting Act I in Bangkok and Act II in Budapest!

I really want to use the Apukad scene - I think it's really touching and gives Florence a little more of a stake in the action in Act II - but it's hard to fit into the London show structure.

EDIT: Actually...I should put my song list up as well, would love some feedback!

I've since reworked this slightly, arriving at Broadway by way of Sydney and London:

PROLOGUE: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY, 1956
Prologue . . . . . . . . . Orchestra

ACT ONE: BANGKOK, THAILAND, 1986
The Story of Chess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arbiter, Guests, Staff
What A Scene! What A Joy! / Press Conference . . . . . . . . . Freddie, Florence, Reporters
Molokov and Anatoly . . . . . . . . . Anatoly, Molokov
Who Needs A Dream . . . . . . . . . Anatoly
Commie Newspapers . . . . . . . . . Freddie, Florence
The Merchandisers . . . . . . . . . Walter, Merchandisers
Difficult and Dangerous Times . . . . . . . . . Molokov, American & Soviet Delegates
The Arbiter . . . . . . . . . Arbiter and Company
Hymn To Chess . . . . . . . . . Arbiter and Company
Chess #1 . . . . . . . . . Orchestra
Quartet / Model of Decorum and Tranquility . . . . . . . . . Molokov, Florence, Arbiter, Anatoly
Molokov and Florence . . . . . . . . . Molokov, Florence
Florence and the American . . . . . . . . . Florence, Freddie
Someone Else's Story . . . . . . . . . Florence
Cocktail Chorus . . . . . . . . . Company
Terrace Duet . . . . . . . . . Florence, Anatoly
Fanfare / Chess #2 . . . . . . . . . Orchestra
Florence Quits . . . . . . . . . Freddie, Florence
Nobody's On Nobody's Side . . . . . . . . . Florence
Fanfare . . . . . . . . . Orchestra
Embassy Lament . . . . . . . . . Embassy Officials
Anatoly and the Press . . . . . . . . . Anatoly, Reporters
Anthem . . . . . . . . . Anatoly

MIDLOGUE: KENNEDY AIRPORT, N.Y., EIGHT WEEKS LATER
Prelude . . . . . . . . . Company

ACT TWO
Golden Bangkok . . . . . . . . . Orchestra
One Night In Bangkok . . . . . . . . . Arbiter and Company
Heaven Help My Heart . . . . . . . . . Florence
No Contest . . . . . . . . . Walter, Freddie
You and I . . . . . . . . . Anatoly, Florence, Svetlana
The Soviet Machine . . . . . . . . . Molokov, Cronies
A Whole New Board Game . . . . . . . . . Freddie
Let's Work Together . . . . . . . . . Walter, Molokov
I Know Him So Well . . . . . . . . . Florence, Svetlana
Pity The Child . . . . . . . . . Freddie
Lullaby (Apukad Eros Kezen) . . . . . . . . . Gregor, Florence
Endgame . . . . . . . . . Anatoly, Freddie and Company
Walter / Finale . . . . . . . . . Walter, Florence
You and I (reprise) . . . . . . . . . Anatoly, Florence

Still some futzing to do with the unfolding of Act Two (the positioning of "Heaven Help My Heart" is really bugging the hell out of me), but I think I'm close.

Very much like moving "Nobody's Side" back to its Broadway placement- it's always been my favorite place for the song and it works great if you're positing Florence as the main character.

Not confident on "Commie Newspapers" instead of "How Many Women"- the latter's a better song and it seems odd to have it positioned after "Press Conference". I'd like to hear your reasoning for the Opening Ceremony arrangement as well- I'm not sure I've seen "Arbiter's Song" placed last before. Does this incorporate the negotiations scene from London/Sydney as well?

A shame to lose the Budapest setting- it's always been my favorite of the various Chess locales (lots of potential thematic richness there) and gives probably the best setting for "Heaven Help My Heart". I'm also wary of including "Soviet Machine"- I think it damages the morality of the show by making Molokov the out-and-out baddie and basically is rendered redundant by "Let's Work Together". I've only ever seen it be useful in displaying a post-Wall Soviet Union (ala Sydney), but since you're placing the show in '86 (which I think is a good year to use) it renders that moot.

Are you planning on using a heavy libretto, or is it gonna be more song-driven?

I see "Commie Newspapers" as being the morning after the press conference before they head to the arena. Yes, the press would be writing about him before he reaches the match, but I like the idea of Freddie being completely oblivious to what could have been a PR nightmare at the press conference and assuming (in his paranoia and egotism) that the newspapers are filled with Reds and that's the reason they're writing about him in such a negative fashion. It's also a nice opportunity to show that Freddie and Florence have a relationship at all, lukewarm though it may be at this point.

Keep in mind as well that this is all in flux. I'm starting with a song list to help me figure out plot basics before I dive into the workings of the book.

So... inspired by a conversation with a friend, and the posts above in this thread, here's yet another iteration:

PROLOGUE
Prologue . . . . . . . . . Orchestra
The Story of Chess . . . . . . . . . Arbiter and Company

ACT ONE: BANGKOK, THAILAND, 1984
What A Scene! What A Joy! / Press Conference . . . . . . . . . Freddie, Florence, Reporters
Molokov and Anatoly . . . . . . . . . Anatoly, Molokov
Who Needs A Dream . . . . . . . . . Anatoly
Commie Newspapers . . . . . . . . . Freddie, Florence
How Many Women . . . . . . . . . Florence, Freddie
The Merchandisers . . . . . . . . . Walter, Merchandisers
Difficult and Dangerous Times . . . . . . . . . Molokov, American & Soviet Delegates
Hymn To Chess . . . . . . . . . Arbiter and Company
Chess #1 . . . . . . . . . Orchestra
Quartet / Model of Decorum and Tranquility . . . . . . . . . Molokov, Florence, Arbiter, Anatoly
Molokov and Florence . . . . . . . . . Molokov, Florence
Florence and the American . . . . . . . . . Florence, Freddie
Someone Else's Story . . . . . . . . . Florence
Cocktail Chorus . . . . . . . . . Company
Terrace Duet . . . . . . . . . Florence, Anatoly
Who'd Ever Think It? . . . . . . . . . Freddie
Golden Bangkok . . . . . . . . . Orchestra
One Night In Bangkok . . . . . . . . . Freddie and Company
Fanfare / Chess #2 . . . . . . . . . Orchestra
Florence Quits . . . . . . . . . Freddie, Florence
Nobody's On Nobody's Side . . . . . . . . . Florence
Embassy Lament . . . . . . . . . Embassy Officials
Anatoly and the Press . . . . . . . . . Anatoly, Reporters
Anthem . . . . . . . . . Anatoly and Company

MIDLOGUE: KENNEDY AIRPORT, N.Y., EIGHT WEEKS LATER
Prelude . . . . . . . . . Company
The Arbiter . . . . . . . . . Arbiter and Company

ACT TWO: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
Hungarian Folk Song . . . . . . . . . Company
Heaven Help My Heart . . . . . . . . . Florence
No Contest . . . . . . . . . Walter, Freddie
You and I . . . . . . . . . Anatoly, Florence, Svetlana
A Whole New Board Game . . . . . . . . . Freddie
Let's Work Together . . . . . . . . . Walter, Molokov
I Know Him So Well . . . . . . . . . Florence, Svetlana
Pity The Child . . . . . . . . . Freddie
Lullaby (Apukad Eros Kezen) . . . . . . . . . Gregor, Florence
Endgame . . . . . . . . . Anatoly, Freddie and Company
Walter / Finale . . . . . . . . . Walter, Florence
You and I (reprise) . . . . . . . . . Anatoly, Florence

I should probably throw a cobbled-together lyric plot out there at some point. A synopsis with lyrics or something.

Final version of my revision of this show, as of May 2016:

ACT ONE

PROLOGUE: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY, 1956
Lullaby (Apukad Eros Kezen) ....................................Gregor

MERANO, ITALY, 1984
Merano ....................................Freddie, Florence, Company
Press Conference ....................................Freddie, Florence, Reporters
The Russian and Molokov / Where I Want to Be ....................................Molokov, Anatoly
Opening Ceremony ....................................Arbiter, Diplomats, Merchandisers, Company
Quartet (A Model of Decorum and Tranquility) ....................................Molokov, Florence, Arbiter, Anatoly
How Many Women ....................................Florence, Freddie
Someone Else's Story (I) ....................................Florence
Der Kleine Franz ....................................Ensemble
Mountain Duet ....................................Florence, Anatoly
The American and Florence / Nobody's Side ....................................Florence, Freddie
Chess ....................................Instrumental
Florence Quits ....................................Freddie, Florence
Embassy Lament ....................................Embassy Officials
Anthem ....................................Anatoly

ACT TWO

BANGKOK, THAILAND, EIGHT WEEKS LATER
Bangkok ....................................Instrumental
One Night in Bangkok ....................................Freddie and Company
Heaven Help My Heart ....................................Florence
No Contest ....................................Freddie, Walter
Argument ....................................Florence, Anatoly
Someone Else's Story (II) ....................................Svetlana
A Whole New Board Game ....................................Freddie
Let's Work Together ....................................Walter, Molokov
The Deal (I) ....................................Arbiter, Molokov, Svetlana, Florence, Walter
I Know Him So Well ....................................Florence, Svetlana
The Deal (II) ....................................Arbiter, Freddie, Anatoly, Florence, Walter, Molokov, Svetlana
Pity the Child ....................................Freddie
Endgame ....................................Anatoly, Freddie and Company
Epilogue: You and I / The Story of Chess ....................................Anatoly, Florence and Company
Anthem ....................................Instrumental