Desert Stages Theater presents Chess
Mark S.P. Turvin
mspt@goldfishpublishers.com
Received 12/28/03

For A Musical With All The Right Moves
See Chess at Desert Stages, Jan 9-Feb 1

Power…politics…love all come into play in the dramatic musical CHESS on stage at Desert Stages Theatre, January 9 to February 1, 2004. Performances are 7:30 pm Fridays and Saturdays; 6PM Sundays. Tickets are $15 in advance ($14 seniors/students) and $18 day of show.

This compelling Broadway musical by ABBA’S Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, lyricist Tim Rice and playwright Richard Nelson uses the game of chess as a metaphor for romantic rivalry and political game-playing during the Cold War—a time when suspicion and distrust dominated the two ideologically-opposing superpowers, USA and Russia.

It is the World Chess Championship. Reigning World Chess Champion, Russian Anatoly Sergievsky, is being challenged by precocious showman Freddie Trumper of the United States. Joining the American Team as Second is Hungarian-born beauty Florence Vassey, who escaped her communist country after the Hungarian Uprising of 1956. When Anatoly professes his love for Florence and defects to America, the three become pawns in a bigger game being played by their countries.

“ We look at the game of chess and think it’s an extremely sedate game played in a Gentlemen’s Club—but that’s not it at all,” says Director Gerry Cullity, Artistic Director for Desert Stages Theatre. He adds: “You have two people whose outside appearance may seem calm, but there’s a frantic mêlée going on inside these genius’ heads. In their minds, they are reading each other’s styles; calculating possibilities several moves ahead. Then they may make one tiny move—like the move of a pawn.” The surfacing of a challenger to challenge a World Chess Champion is also a huge world event. “In 1972, when Bobby Fischer of the U.S. challenged Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union—and the nearly 25 years of chess supremacy held by the Soviets—it was a media circus,” explains Cullity, “That match sparked the idea for the creation of the musical Chess by Tim Rice.”

“ The game of chess parallels the chess match we play with each other in our attempts to manipulate and control,” explains Cullity. “In the musical “Chess” the manipulation inside the game echoes the world outside. This happens on many levels: in the game of America versus the USSR; in the game of falling in love; in the physical game of playing chess; and in the game of celebrity and the media’s frenzied appetite for it. These worlds will collide and the players, who began the match by thinking themselves kings; end up being pawns.”

Jonathan Bowersock of Phoenix is Anatoly, Jeff Davey of Mesa is Freddie and Jessica Godber of Scottsdale is Florence in this riveting tale. From capitalist Bangkok to communist Budapest, these talented players make their moves to a stunning and memorable score that includes the international hits “One Night in Bangkok” and “I Know Him So Well”.

For reservations, please call the Box Office at (480) 483-1664. Desert Stages Theatre is located at 8473 East McDonald Drive, at McDonald Drive and Granite Reef Road, in Scottsdale. Visit www.desertstagestheatre.com for more information.

Index of Web Pages: