Chess the Musical Definitely Isn't About Chess (Ft. Musical Hell)
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- Опубліковано 14 чер 2024
- Initially, chess the musical seems like it would be a pretty boring affair. But add in two world super powers holding 99% of the world's nuclear weapons, along with a catchy 80's pop song and suddenly...things become much more interesting.
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Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:40 Let's Get Chilly
5:45 The Power of Chess
08:05 Freddie & Anatoly
12:03 Nobody's on Nobody's Side
15:09 The Endgame
MY FRANNS! MY FRANNS SO TALENTED AND SMART!
Me having watched the Queens Gambit and Fredrik Knudson’s chess video: “you know, I’m something of a chess expert myself”
Twitter has started recommending chess topics to me after the sudden influx of chess related content I've gone through lol
Josh Groban sure has a knack for playing Russians in loveless marriages
And for stealing other peoples songs.
@@NostalgiNorden do you mean making covers
@@walterwhite4862 Ah… Josh Groban actually got a LOT of heat for stealing You Raise Me Up from an Icelandic songwriter and.. while this tends to happen in the world… there IS some credence to what the Icelandic songwriter was claiming
@@LizardsLore ok, didn't know about this
@@LizardsLorebut Josh Groban didn’t write You Raise Me Up. The person credited with writing the song is Rolf Løvland who presumably ripped off the Icelandic songwriter. It’s hard to say if Groban would have been aware of the original song
I get my kicks above the waistline, Sunshine!
My favorite line is the pun, “Some are set up / In the Somerset Maugham suite.”
@Chris: That was something my hubby and I joked about when we were dating.
@@kathyastrom1315that line could be Sondheim
Get Thai-d, you're talking to a tourist whose every move is among the purest.
One of my favorite musicals? Featuring the one and only Diva? It's a belated Valentine's miracle!
Chocolates are in the mail :P
Chess being a favorite musical of mine, this episode is what I've been waiting for since I found this channel.
I hope it didn't disappoint! :D
@@WaitintheWings Indeed it did not! The Cold War allegory side of the show is not one I dive into often, so it's cool to see you took that angle. And this is all just scratching the surface too, with the deep well of differing versions of the show.
I want to see an episode of Wait in the Wings that talks about why the Broadway production of Chess flopped.
oh i got this one: it was bad
@@jamiefidler9187 Yes, I know all the changes they made. I just want him to cover them.
@@EHH246 I'm a newbie, but I gathered they de-Abbafied it. What other atrocities did they commit?
@@GrainneMhaol they changed it from a sung through musical to a more "traditional" format. The plot was changed completely and the settings were switched. The characters followed completely different arcs.
And that's just touching on the changes from West End to Broadway. I don't know if it's ever been the same in more than one production.
If you look hard enough and can deal with the 1980s camcorder quality footage), many full versions are can be found on UA-cam.
I've never seen Chess, but a musical about the cold war seems interesting... also unrelated but I now need a cats inspired musical about the cuban missile crisis.
3:13 He said it! He said the title
*Points at screen like Leo DiCaprio*
A couple of points I would debate:-
Of course the Cold War was fought on battlefields; just not in the homelands of the two powers engaged in it.
Also, Anatoly had not fallen out of love with his wife, since he always intended to send for his family to join him in the US. This is central to the final drama, with the Soviet team offering him a deal to throw the game for them to be given permission to join him, otherwise they would never be allowed to leave Russia. Certainly in the version I know, there was never any other threat, during his time in Russia, of punishment or consequences when he was no longer at the top of his game. In fact, he would have surely been retired from competition but feted and trotted out as a hero showing what was best about the USSR and why Russians should strive to excel, as with former athletes, ballet dancers etc.
If, as someone suggests in the comments, this supposed fear was one of the changes in the US version, no wonder it failed, since not only would it be highly prejudiced and untrue, but make no sense in terms of the rest of the drama, particularly the ending. (spoiler alert) He returns to Russia, certain he will be allowed to be with his family, even after his defection.
That's heartbreaking, cuz he was most likely not allowed to be with them at all. They weren't exactly fans of defectors.
@@WobblesandBean They weren't, but what a coup for them to be able to say, " Look, our Chess hero tried life in the West and now, still at the top of his game and loved by Western supporters, he has chosen to come home and compete for us again." Surely, showing how he was welcomed back and treated as a returning hero would benefit them far more than punishing him? This happened with several returning defectors in the 1980s.
This is an interesting interpretation I’ve never seen any production that has done this. Which one did you see? I’ve only ever seen the deal to be related to Florence’s father, whether the release of information about him or the release of her father himself. In everything except the concept album, Anatoly returning to the Soviet Union is part of the deal.
@@CHESShireCat In the Danish Complete Cast version, Molokov tells Svetlana that if she convinces Anatoly to lose she "can have the life you want and anywhere you want it", adding the threat that if he wins "you're not going anywhere".
So even if it's not stated outright, it's certainly implied that there's a deal being made. If Svetlana can convince her husband to lose, she's free to do what she wants. And if Florence can convince her lover to lose, there might be an exchange of prisoners, one of which could be her father (as promised by Walter).
Anatoly returning never seemed to be a part of the deal. Indeed, he refuses any deal offered to him (backed, perhaps a bit ironically, by Freddy). He wins, because if he didn't he'd "be the same as him" (referring to Molokov). His voluntary return is supposedly to help Florence get her father back (hinted by both Anatoly and Walter) and perhaps to help his family as well.
@@chaoscarl8414 I haven’t listened to the Danish album in a hot minute so I don’t remember if Anatoly returning was part of the deal there. I’m still, however, completely baffled by the original comment saying that Anatoly hadn’t fallen out of love with his wife and planned on sending for them. He most certainly cheated on his wife with Florence. I’m sure he still cares for her as a person and doesn’t want to see her or his children used as pawns by the Russian government, but he still defected to be with Florence despite knowing full well the dangers that that would pose to his family.
someone talking about chess the musical????? HERE I AM
Enjoy us attempting to recap the cold war in 8 minutes lol
Fascinating overview of the historical setting and themes, did miss any talk on the actual production - possibly one of the most interesting production journeys from inception, West End to finally bomb on Broadway - but maybe that deserves its own episode? Can I hope and dream??
One of ABBA's many unique, surprisingly thoughtful pieces.
It's not ABBA though, it's just Björn and Benny.
@simonjohansson248 everyone has to correct everyone. Don't they.
@@simonjohansson248 two out of four ain't bad, besides some of the songs do have a bit of that ABBA feel to them.
I first bought the single “One Night in Bangkok”, which was a song I loved, but it was when I flipped it over and heard the very different “Merano”, I became intrigued and had to buy the Chess concept album, which immediately became a favourite!
Was it a 45? If so, awesome, I Love that Merano was on the back.
I just found Musical Hell’s channel a few days ago, and I’m so happy to see you do a collab!
Isn't she wonderful!? :D
IKR MUSICAL HELL has been on UA-cam FOREVER!!!!!!!! Such a legend I loved the collab
This is a very interesting, compelling, and well-produced video. I'm glad to see my favorite musical talked about in such detail! However, I think some anti-communist bias may be hampering your analysis. Interpreting Freddie as a positive example in favor of western individualism doesn't really sit well with me, considering that, in the Royal Albert Hall production, the last line we hear from him ("64 squares; they're the reason you know you exist") and the circumstances in which we leave him (having retired from chess less than willingly if his reaction to the line in Press Conference about "quitting for good" is to be interpreted as such, bitter and tired to shit of all the money and bullshit in the way of the game he purports to love (Talking Chess), etc.) are not exactly, as it were, an advertisement for life and times in the West. I don't see a very bright future in the cards for him, echoing more the eventual fate of Bobby Fischer there. As others have pointed out, the idea of Soviet chess players being killed or imprisoned for losing is quite a stretch, and not present in the concept album or Royal Albert Hall version at all, for good reason. The Kennedy Center production's inclusion of that detail has been critiqued and discredited as historically inaccurate. Furthermore, the positioning of "democracy vs. communism" when one describes an economic system and the other describes a manner of governing is concerning, as it implies that one cannot have democratic governing without capitalism. The unquestioning presentation of liberal capitalism as something to be desired and socialist collectivism as inherently suppressive fails to delve deeper into what exactly the Soviet Union had to say for itself, despite the flaws that are clearly on display in the musical and the history books. Also, maybe a minor point, but I don't understand the idea of Freddie "liberating" Anatoly, considering that he decides to return to the Soviet Union at the end of the show. This may be an issue of mixing your versions of Chess together while performing analysis, but it weakens the overall message you're attempting to portray and betrays ideological assumptions that should not be taken as a given. Obviously, however, this is such a weighty topic to get into in 20 minutes and I don't want to discourage critical thinking about the show. Having such a short amount of time, it's understandable that you may have had to condense certain talking points, and I did very much enjoy parts of the video. However, the current product here lacks the level of nuance and humanity that is so important to the story, characters, and symbolic meaning of Chess and I think that does both a disservice.
Feel better now?
@@tananario lol. if you think i’m wrong, prove me wrong
Anti-communist bias? Jesus.
you really upset some people lol. But you really got me thinking into some things I took for granted when watching this vid. Very well put. Esp. the bit about the false dichotomy between democracy v. communism.
I was thinking about this too. The way the historical events are discussed feels a little off. Reagan was no saint. The video comes to a surprisingly firm and unnuanced conclusion that the show demonstrates that individualism triumphs over collectivism, but in this case that seems like a massive oversimplification. You need both to make a functioning society. They win out in the end by working together after all! The triumph of opening a Mcdonald's in Pushkin square.. forgive me for being nonplussed. If the battle is really about morality and human rights then maybe discuss.. you know.. the human rights side of things. As it is, it kind of seems like morality has been weirdly conflated with neoliberalism and little else matters. Like you said there probably wasn't time to do the topic justice, and it was an interesting video outside of that!
I think the most powerful part about "Endgame" is the perspective the Russian takes in that song.
It's the climatic act of the musical where everything culminates into where - pun intended- all the movie pieces meet and it's up to the Russian to act on them and here Anatoly becomes almost a villain.
He laughs at the people who thought him as a mere pawn, scorns at the idea of love, reject the two women of his life, and rejects the idea of a normal life. He is going to win this chess game no matter how many people he is going to be hurting in the end.
Growing up, Hastings High School was my high school's biggest rival. Once, for a musical showcase, my classmate performed One Night In Bangkok and the whole audience laughed at that 1 lyric. Great video 🖤🖤🖤
That is quite interesting, I just literally came home from "Сhess" and here you are releasing this video. May be you should also talk about diffrent versions of musical (e.g. in Moscow version Sergeevsky says that chess is not just a game for him, it's a purpose of his life and he means that)
Or how many different variations on the musical there've been over the years, including some major edits to the storyline and character motivations, as well as rearranging the orders of the songs, additions and removals, etc. The original cast recording states that it was a work in progress, and the latest recording shows it's still very much in workshop mode. It's a fascinating history that I'm rather shocked wasn't given even a passing note...
He said essentially that in the version our English Amateur production followed. The score we used had far more Russian-style harmonies than the original recording too, which I loved. The trouble with it evolving so many times is that I can't find a recording of this version, so I'm always disappointed, even by favourite artists singing the songs.
@@tamagothchic there is a clip of it here on UA-cam under " musical shachmati " ( written in Cyrillic, of course)...
“A strong supporting cast” :zoom in on David Bedella:
Oh yes very good 👏♥️
Murray Head was a star! You can not tell me otherwise!
Sure everyone knows his brother more( giles on Buffy fyi) but I like Murray Head's odd singing style.
Same, it was odd. He seems to be pushing but unsure. Unsure how he got through that many performances if he did belt.
The both of you are my favorite musical content creators all over UA-cam and this was definitely worth the wait.
I've attended multiple productions of Chess, possibly my favorite musical, and was fascinated how each production differed in its narrative and presentation. After listening to the concept album, I saw the Broadway production, and followed that by various productions in NJ community and regional theater. Unlike many, I enjoyed the Broadway version that relied heavier on dialog, it's mobile tower set and even the depressing but metaphoric "sacrificed pawn" finale. The cuddlier versions where Florence was reunited with her father varied from saccharine to acceptable. Paper Mill Playhouse's version had a beautiful bridge scene and a great sustained note leading to the Russian's return for the final game and I also saw versions where the Russian and American would trade being victors. It's nice that the creative team have agreed to a final, definite version of the musical.
PS, thank you for making this video!
If the execution of this intriguing storyline could be figured out and settled on and the right cast and director found, Chess could make a roaring comeback onstage and could make and epic film, I believe.
Check out the Scandivanian versions of the musical👍🏻 Both the completly rewrittrn swedish one, and the even møre rewritten Norwegian one, they are incredible👍🏻
That Crazy Ex Girlfriend/End of the Movie reference at the end on morality was sleek af
Chess was the first professional theater performance I ever attended (London 1986.). It has been a mild obsession ever since. I crave anything done by Tommy Korberg, Elaine Paige, Helen Sjoholm. I resisted the RAH Chess in Concert but have come to appreciate it for the immense talent that performed it. I do all I can to introduce young people to this show. Your video will help in that effort. Thanks.
I totally demolished my Gen X mom's entire perception of One Night in Bangkok by telling her it's from a fucking musical about CHESS.
My two favorite musical channels coming together? I'm sold!
I saw Chess on Broadway in May, 1988. While the story had been turned into quite the overwrought mess, it retained the glorious music and I was captivated by Judy Kuhn and David Carroll. The staging was also phenomenal. If only they hadn’t tried to force more emotion into the story by adding the drama surrounding Florence’s father. The story as originally conceived was much more evocative of the Cold War and U.S./Soviet relationship. The rewrite for Broadway was just soap opera. At least we got a great new song ("Someone Else’s Story") out of the Broadway version.
This is my new favorite youtube channel! Very accurate and insightful videos that sum up each video with what we can learn from this!
Very good work, could have used more One Night in Bangkok though
Two nights in Bangkok and the world's my... clamshell?
@@GabrielaDay Three nights in Bangkok and the world’s my lobster?
@@Redsoxfan910 Four nights in Bangkok and I'm YOUR lobster
Chess AKA that musical with that absolutely amazing new wave song
No, we all know what brought down the Berlin Wall was the first airing of Fraggle Rock in the Soviet bloc.
I love this musical, it is my garbage and I wouldn't have it any other way
Who else was singing Chess songs under their breath while watching Queen's Gambit
I saw the revival of this show at the KenCen in 2018. It was insane. I overheard other guests commenting on how convoluted the story was, but we all went wild as soon as the opening notes of the Arbiter hit
Glad to see this musical getting more attention. Sad there is no actual music from the musical in the entire video.
I cannot express how much I didn’t know I NEEDED this in my LIFE! ❤️🙌 Thank you!!! 💕💕💕💕
Happy to help! :D
I can't thank you enough for introducing me to this amazing musical, which I have since inhaled on Spotify and seen in different slime tutorial versions. To be honest, I only really knew of it as the show that 'I Know Him So Well' came from, the one that half of Abba composed, and dismissed it as a mere gimmick. But my God, how wrong I was. It's amazing in story and music, barely a tune I'm tempted to skip. It's my new obsession.
as soon as he started giving the background for chess, i had flashbacks to the same notes that i had to take about the cold war just a week ago.
I just found your channel recently and this video just proves that subscribing to you was the right move. I've loved this musical for many years and even my theater geek friends don't know it and have no interest in knowing it. I tried explaining it to one friend and she said, "So, it's basically a lesson in how not to right a hit show?"
this video has sent me down a 3 day long chess rabbit hole. i've now watched both the '03 and '08 concerts and have the solos on rotation in my head. i hope you're happy XP
I never saw the original 80s version of Chess, but listened to the soundtrack over and over. I saw a touring show in the 90s that changed the story quite a bit. They added more romantic plot points and switched around plot points. Wikipedia has a bunch of notes on the changes between the various touring versions in the 90s.
Your channel has introduced me to so many musicals I never knew existed. Thank you! Also a LOT of people in Germany actually do credit David Hasselhoff for inspiring them to keep chipping away at the Berlin Wall. It’s nice to see him doing better these days
well that is definitely a US public school version of the Cold War lol
I literally gasped when I saw who you were collaborating with on this video! I love and respect both of your channels so much. Can't wait to watch this- I already know it will be an incredible video.
Chess, being my favorite musical of all time (being in a chess the musical discord and creating an hour long analysis of the musical motifs with my sister) deserves a big video like this. It’s basically my child and seeing people tear it apart makes me upset, I love it because it’s performed differently basically every production with massive script and story changes (also homoerotic chess rivals go brrrrrr) a video like this about the productions themselves from a non-negative standpoint makes me VERY happy.
My director worked on this show, I had no idea it was this big
I hope he directs it in my hometown again
Oh Yay I've been waiting for this!!!
Dear Creators!
Thank you so much for your hard work. It is a really good summary of the topic. I am currently writing my BA thesis on Chess (and the Swedish version of it) and the whole video is extremely helpful for me. If you let me, I would like to use some of your ideas in my thesis. (By properly mentioning your video as a source, of course.)
Thanks again. :)
I would be honored! :) Thanks for the kind words
The (second) crossover I’ve been waiting for
Strange though you didn't mention all the very different versions of the show that were produced along the years, with their very different endings : even Tim Rice talked about the original very confusing narration in the opening of the great 2009 concert (definitive ?) version.
Everyone has their own opinion of course, but glad you have 'definitive ' with a question mark. I'm pretty sure nobody would say that the first version to hit Broadway was the definitive version.
Nice video, but communism isn't the opposite of democracy. That's like saying capitalism is the opposite of monarchy; it's mixing economic system and political system.
You're right, it's nonsensical. Still, we are pretty much indoctrinated from birth to act like communism is the opposite of everything Americans hold (supposedly) dear: democracy, freedom, capitalism, etc. No matter how irrational. To this day I see conservative pundits dismiss everything to their left as "communism" or "socialism" like it's a national pastime.
I saw this show only once' and it remains one of my favorite musicals. The problem is it is rarely staged. Thank you for the memory.
I might have been lucky as I've seen it four times. Twice in the original English and twice translated into Danish.
Definitely in my top 5 favorite musicals with great music and vocals. The 2009 concert DVD was great, but I still want a movie.
I actually love this show, because of every metaphor it represents and that you touched on (and yep, "One Night In Bangkok" is still a great song from my Boomer Coming of Age) The only thing that could outplay this show for the "Yeah? take THAT!" that I lived through during the height of the Cold War would be if this gang reunited and wrote a musical about the "Apollo-Soyuz" mission. (flashbacks must include Titov setting John Glenn's carport on fire because he couldn't wait to go to a real American Bar-B-Que. Greatest U.S./Soviet teamwork extinguishing an actual fire in Cold War history.)
My local College theater company has a long relationship with Tim Rice. Back in the day, they performed "Chess" in Washington, DC. They revived it a few years ago...and of course I had a conflict and could not go. Not only did I miss a play I've always been intrigued by, the people who went in my place will never forgive me...they hated it! Ah, well!
I saw this show in DC a few years ago starring Raul Esparza, Ramin Karimloo, and Karen Olivo. A great production that got me really interested in both this show and the Cold War.
The world IS my oyster...
That's very shellfish of you to say
I think you mean the woild is ya erster
Brilliant musical score! Has stood the test of time!
Ugh, when One Night in Bangkok gets in my head... It refuses to get out.
Diva...can't believe you got to leave your court to do this video. Must've felt great not to have to do your usual skewering of a musical. I am such a fan of the music. The 2009 concert is awesome, and is now considered by Tim Rice as the definitive version.
Is there a way to see this musical? I am assuming there isn't a pro shot for this....
I really adore this musical. I really want there to be a Broadway revival, ideally with Ramin Karimloo as Anatoly and Samantha Barks as Florence. They were excellent when they did this show together in Japan!
A really good, intelligent review of my favourite musical. I'll always treasure my memories of being a small part of an amazingly good amateur production of it. (People dragged reluctantly to see it, despite hating the West End version, because eg a spouse had links to someone in the cast, came away loving it. I take no credit for that!)
I wanted to know more about the troubled broadway production
I don’t know if you know this or planned for it but the main musical event of Moscow in 2021 is Chess the musical. It got adapted and translated into Russian to be preformed at the MDM theatre for an audience at the over side of the conflict with to see for the first time
Im loving these new series, a more in depth look at plot, history and artistic goal...but i do miss history details of the actual production, the plot is seemingly brilliant on paper and talk but what about the show that is more or less lost except it cult stat among theatre fans but not up to a Rocky Horror cult heights. Chess has always puzzled me over all...lol
"Morality"
Cuts to the aftermath of one of the most imoral things Rebecca has ever done.
You know what? Thank you for finally explaining how the heck this was written
I heard that the original London preview was more of a traditional musical with moments of spoken dialogue as opposed to a sung through musical.
Two of my faves pairing up!!! CAN I KEEP MY SHIT TOGETHER!?!?!?!?
Thanks for the video! This gives an appreviation for the musical as the verion i saw - where the orchestra were dressed as bondage themed chess pieces - seemed to miss the entire the point of the musial.
I started school in Queens in '78 in one of those useless "gifted" cohorts, and the pressure on those of us who could grasp the game to play well was intense, even at seven and eight years old. Searching for a new Bobby Fischer to save 'Merica from Red Communists.
I wish there was a better recording of the West End production; it was magnificent.
I love one night in bangkok but had no clue it was from a musical, makes sense why it makes so little sense as a radio song
oh they sure have a battle field, IN OTHER COUNTRIES
god i love this musical so much. i so wish that it had more of a following.
Alas, poor Bobby, I knew him so well, Horatio. o.o
Ok but you guys are psychic because it’s my birthday today and this is one of my favorite musicals of all time!!!
Happy Birthday! Let’s talk about communism!
@@WaitintheWings Took Russian history and language classes a few years ago, so LET’S 😂
I read it as ”Chese the musical” and got very confused for a second
probably my fave musical, definitely the score I've listen to the most
15:35 Why is nobody writing a show for Hasselhoff so he can bring that jacket back??
*scribbles furiously*
Amen! That jacket could carry a show without The Hoff, though
I did not know about this musical!
“Maybe I’m on NOBOOOOODY’s SIDE!”
Well, damn. You might have convinced me to finally listen to 'Chess'.
Say what you will, but One Night in Bangkok still slaps
6:33: Protegé? Prodigy, I suspect.
please please please cover 25th annual putnam county spelling bee!! it's the musical my now husband and i met each other through, and my absolute favorite!!
"America's here, you Uncivilized Swine! You're welcome!" Now that's just too understated for Freddie
Weird I am working on a Chess The Musical fanfic and here you release a video about it and on my birthday no less. Thank you. I guess the Fanfic Gods are telling me to get back to work.
Have Freddie date one of the Dynamos from Mamma Mia, wouldja?
@@jacobfeldman364 Lol! Well Freddie is a teen prostitute in the 70's in my fic but there is an important scene coming up that is set in a disco so there might be an appearance cameo by three familiar ladies.
Also because Freddie Trumper is the type who not only bites the hand that feeds him but gnaws it off, he will have a few choice phrases about a certain Swedish quartet.
Oh in case you are curious, it is on Archives of Our Own and it is called Knight and Pawn under my pen name Auburn Red.
Tim Rice was digging around for pathos while writing Freddy's charachter and the best thing he could come up with for the back story was "my parents dont appreciate my chess genius" - oh im sorry, are your parents cool you nerd?
The album was very successful in the uk . I played it to death it’s just really hard to stage
I absolutely love this musical!!!
It's a complicated story but ... the characters are great, the songs are wonderful and you can follow the story! That's something that amazes me every time cause ... the story IS komplex. - (And I adore "Anthem".)
Completely my favorite musical, and there are so, so many reasons.
Chess is one of those soundtracks I wore out as a kid. Such a great album and I hope to see it revived one day! 😊
I got a Chess Ad during this video 😃
06:08 oh how my Polish ass laughed in that moment oh boy. Good joke dude, good joke.
Wow, the ending of the real life players was depressing.
Don’t kid yourselves. 16:49