Product Details

• Actors: Josh Groban, Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal, David Bedella
• Directors: Hugh Wooldridge
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (PCM Stereo)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Reprise Records
• DVD Release Date: June 16, 2009
• Run Time: 145 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (93 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0028SVXVM
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,586 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Starring multiplatinum artist Josh Groban, Tony-winning Idina Menzel (Wicked) and Tony nominated Adam Pascal (RENT), Chess In Concert revives the eclectic yet wonderfully pop 1984 concept album featuring the music of ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and lyrics of Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar, The Lion King, Evita). Recorded at London's Royal Albert Hall in May 2008, this spectacular Chess In Concert - introduced by Rice and with the 50- piece City of London Philharmonic and 100-voice West End Chorus - finally fulfills the promise of the popular cult musical.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost Unreservedly Excellent, June 11, 2009

By 

Anonymous (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chess in Concert (DVD)

Four items make this a must-have. The first is Josh Groban singing the classic "Anthem", where, as the Russian chess champion, Anatoly, he avows his love for his homeland. As Anatoly's discarded wife, Svetlana, the amazing Kerry Ellis totally nails "Someone Else's Story." There's "The Story of Chess", where the Chorus perform Tim Rice's witty take on the evolution of the game. Finally, the Quartet, where Florence (Idina Menzel), Anatoly, his minder Molokov and the Arbiter deplore how chess has sunk from "a model of decorum and tranquillity" to "a battleground for rival ideologies to slug it out with glee."

Having seen the original London West End production in 1986 with Elaine Paige, I was lucky enough to witness this superb 21st Anniversary production in the Royal Albert Hall, London, last year. Tim Rice has tightened up the plot of love and betrayal played out in the setting of chess championships in the Cold War. Florence, who manages the American champion, falls for the Russian; complications - political, ethical, personal - ensue. From the moment the outstanding Chorus bursts into "Merano" - blending chess with commercialism as a tiny Central European town prepares to welcome the world - right to the devastating "Endgame" and final twist, the dramatic pace never lets up.

In this DVD, hopefully the sound difficulties of this production will have been ironed out. As to the cast - they were fantastic!! Groban is a revelation: a brilliant actor as well as singer. Kerry Ellis was a showstopper. As Florence, Idina Menzel, (so good in Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast), was too strident for my taste, lacking subtlety and roundness in acting. ("Heaven Help My Heart" doesn't register, and "Nobody's Side" pales away.) However, her "You and I" with Groban still tugs the heartstrings: "we go on pretending / Stories like ours Have happy endings."

The wonderful David Bedella (Jerry Springer: the Opera), makes a great, sinister Molokov. And Adam Pascal gives his charismatic ALL as Freddy, the tormented American bearing luggage from the past: "Pity the Child." Marti Pellow (of pop group Wet Wet Wet) was a disappointment as the Arbiter, a little under-performed I felt.

Rice's lyrics are trenchant, tender, intelligent, witty. The music, by Benny and Bjorn of ABBA, is a perfect rock score, conveying all the emotions and tensions necessary and fully matching the lyrics.

In the main, this is a superb production of a classic and underestimated musical.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm a purist, and this was better than the original, December 11, 2009

By 

D. Ricci "goozleberry" (Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chess in Concert (DVD)

I love Broadway musicals. I love them in their original form. I winced when the changed the lyrics in Oklahoma and deleted songs in The King And I for the sake of movie audiences. Don't mess with the original, that's my creed.

I have to find a new creed. This concert version of Chess messed with the lyrics, added songs, moved songs and changed the plot of one of my favorite musicals of all times. And I'm thrilled. It was a masterful retelling of the original story. Almost every change, every expansion, every redirection helped the story. My one minor quibble was that they sang *Endgame* before the game was over. But that was minor. The filler, the backstory, even the moving *The Story of Chess* to the beginning of the show were all moves that were beneficial to the show.

Chess has always been a bit of a Broadway oddity, with it's unconventional plot and occasional oddly arhthmic song. It is hard to understand unless you read the synopsis carefully. It's dated too, being a product of the Cold War. But those problems were swept away by the masterful rewrites and edits. Yeah, I missed a favorite line or two, but the ones that replaced them were just as good, probably better than the originals.

And no doubt they brought the top talent to this piece. Groban and Menzel nailed every note and sang with emotion and lungpower. Adding a bit more grist for the Soviet wife and inventing the role of the Broadcaster were not just filler. They were sweetners. I knew the musical back to front, but now, I understand it better. If you are a fan of Chess or of Brodway at its best, I recommend this in my most enthusiastic terms. If you can watch it without tears, you are a better man than me.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My First Round Of "Chess", June 18, 2009

By 

Aubrey Ward III (Englewood,NJ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chess in Concert (DVD)

I've heard of "Chess" but never got around to seeing a live production or listening to a soundtrack. As an ABBA fan I was always curious what kind of musical Benny and Bjorn would produce since their ABBA pop-rock tunes were so incredible. Then PBS announced a special concert version of "Chess" featuring Josh Groban, Idina Menzel and Adam Pascal. So I watched it....

Wow! "Chess In Concert" really looked and sounded impressive. The only thing was I had trouble with the diction. I had to put the captions on to truly understand what was happening on stage. Once I got to view the lyrics with the vocals I was very impressed and kinda blown away by it all.

I'm not a "Grobanite" but I have to admit that Josh Groban (Anatoly) did a good job both vocally and dramatically. Adam Pascal (Frederick) never disappoints me. I could listen to his raspy rock voice all day long. Same with Idina Menzel (Florence). No, I'm not a "Grobanite" but this "Renthead" was very pleased to see the original Maureen and Roger share the stage again.

I also liked Kerry Ellis as Anatoly's wife, Svetlana. Ellis has a really neat voice that seems to be very sweet but with a touch of edginess (and what an irony that both Menzel and Ellis played the role of Elphaba in "Wicked"). The cast had a nice mix of classical operatic voices and rock opera wailers. The score is the same way with a blending of ballads, anthems, and toe tapping dance tracks.

Aside from the lavish staging (including a huge on-stage orchestra and a small army of choir singers), the powerful vocals and the dramatic score the story of "Chess In Concert" was easier to follow than I thought it would be. It's your basic love triangle scenario with Frederick losing his partner, Florence, to Anatoly except that Anatoly is already married with kids. Then things get more complicated because of politics, greed and chess tournaments.

Overall, even if you don't buy "Chess In Concert" then you should at least rent this or catch it on public television because this is a sensational performance by a large assortment of talented singers and dancers. One way you can identify a good musical is if you're caught humming the tunes after the show is done. I've got at least five on my mental IPOD as we speak (The Arbiter, Nobody's On Nobody's Side, Pity The Child, One Night In Bangkok, I Know Him So Well). "Chess In Concert" is good.