Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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53 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Almost Unreservedly Excellent, June 11, 2009
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.
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
My First Round Of "Chess", June 18, 2009
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.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fantastic project to enjoy!, June 19, 2009
I've been looking forward to seeing this production ever since I heard about it over a year ago when it was originaly produced. I admit to being a Grobanite and am pre-dispositioned to automatically love anything he does. This, however, was so much more than I thought it would be!
Although this is shown as a concert, the simple stage sets makes it seem as if it were a full production with scenery changes. The characters are brought to life by the performers with some (unexpected) wonderful acting talent in addition to the vocals!
My only discontent with the finished product is the "nails on blackboard" voice of Idina Menzel. She has incredible power in her voice - her notes fill the hall with sound - but she overpowers the other singers and the nasally tone kept me constantly adjusting the volume down when she was singing. I know she's popular and has a huge fan base, and to be honest I was looking forward to seeing what the fuss was about. But it didn't do it for me.
The fun song "One Night in Bangkok" was also a mild disappointment. I remember well the original top 40 version of the song, and it was silly, fun and catchy. This one was - not.
Don't let my personal disappointments stop you from listening to this! Again, Idina Menzel has a huge fan base so most people will probably disagree with my critique. Either way, the rest of the show is so fantastic that it's worth a couple of cringes on a note here and there to experience the rest of this powerful musical.
Josh Groban steals it and holds it hostage, and it's in wonderful hands!
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