CHESS In Concert

[filkertom]

Next Wednesday on PBS. The day before, a DVD release. Idina Menzel as Florence is enough, man. That right there is enough. Josh Groban as The Russian? Yeah. I'm there.

What's your favorite song from Chess? Any version. The flippant answer is "the whole damn score", and honestly it's a good answer, because the whole damn score is spectacular, and whatever else anyone may ever say about the music of ABBA, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson created some music that I don't think anyone else could have, and Tim Rice's incredible lyrics make it one of the classic concept albums. Love love love Chess.

ETA: Heh. Didn't add the un-flippant answer. "Pity the Child". Damn, what a song. Damn.

Comments

[ericcoleman]

I only know the single ...

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Man, do I envy you. :)

[reynardine.livejournal.com]

My favorite song from Chess is "Someone Else's Story", which wasn't on the concept album but was part of the Broadway score. Although you're quite right, the whole damn score is CLASSIC.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Love that song as well. The Wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_(musical)) for the musical lists the songs from the show airing next week, and that one's in there (along with a few from the London production, e.g., "The Soviet Machine". Looks as if everything from the original is there, including the not-often-heard "Florence Quits". On the other hand, I am perplexed as to how they're going to do "Pity the Child" right after that, and then reprise it in Act II. I presume and hope that the song gets split.

[ladysoapmaker.livejournal.com]

I like that Musical. I actually got to see it in Columbus as part of the Broadway Series a lot of the local theaters do. I really like "one Night in Bangkok". It's been so long since I seen it or listened to the score I can't remember most of the other songs. I'll need to see if the local library will be carrying the DVD. Thanks for the heads up.

[kshandra]

"Nobody's Side" and "Mountain Duet" from the original concept album. One of my great regrets in life is that I never had the opportunity to sing the latter with my first lover. One of my great frustrations in life is that the karaoke versions available all seem to be from the Broadway version of the show, with which I'm just not comfortable enough to try any of them.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

YES, it's the London version... may have to nab that DVD.

One Night in Bangkok is the fave, although Nobody's Side takes honorable mention...

I get my kicks above the waistline, Sunshine!

[twfarlan.livejournal.com]

"I am the Arbiter/I know the score.
From square one, he'll be/watching all sixty-four..."

LOVE that musical. Thank you for pointing this out, Tom.

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

My favorite also. Imagine being him?

[orlacarey.livejournal.com]

Yayayayayayayayayayay!

Of course for some reason my Tivo doesn't see it but for that I'll buy the DVD

[morpheus0013.livejournal.com]

Did you look under "Great Performances?" That's who's actually running it on PBS; my TiVo couldn't find it under "Chess," but I have a season pass to GP so we were good.

[morpheus0013.livejournal.com]

I adore the hell out of this show. I've been waiting months to see this. And I must go with your flippant answer off the bat. I'm a huge Tim Rice junkie, aside from Ulvaes and Andersson's genius here.

From the concept album, my favourite song is probably "The Deal (No Deal)" followed by "Nobody's Side" and "Opening Ceremony" (I love love love The Arbiter.) From the Broadway version, it's "Nobody's Side" followed by "No Contest" and "You Want To Lose Your Only Friend." I'm looking at the song list for the new version and they appear to have either inserted numbers or broken previous numbers into pieces, so I won't know my favourites til next week. =)

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

As long as they don't screw up "Pity the Child". I don't know how that will work as a song and a reprise.

[ladysmith.livejournal.com]

Idina Menzel, Josh-frelling-Groban and ADAM PASCAL????

I'm there!!! Thanks for the heads-up! I'd have missed this otherwise!

[mimiheart.livejournal.com]

I just did a musical review and sang "I Know Him So Well"... and that's THE ONLY SONG I know from it. I'm going to have to watch this, because I really did like that one. (And if I can get the songs from the musical I'm doing right now out of my head, I'd be grateful.)

[wiliqueen.livejournal.com]

"Nobody's Side," just because it's the most fun to sing.

[cscottd.livejournal.com]

I love Chess!

My favourite song is, as you said, 'the whole damn score'... :) but I suppose if I have to choose just one song, it would be "The Arbiter".

My favourite recording is the original Concept Album, but I also really like some of the songs that were added later (such as "The Story of Chess" and "Someone Else's Story").

[laurel-potter.livejournal.com]

Never heard of it, sorry.

[voiceofkiki.livejournal.com]

"Someone Else's Story" is a fave, naturally.

However, my favorite by far has to be "I Know Him So Well." It's just brilliant. Especially John Barrowman's version. If you haven't seen it, direct your browsers here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62JAq6sXaE4

Thanks for posting this. Now I'll have to figure out which channel PBS is up here.

[ashnistrike.livejournal.com]

"Nobody's Side," no question. And this is the first time since we dropped our television service that I've even remotely regretted it.

*checks Netflix*

Oh, never mind, it's coming out on DVD. So I won't have to wait that much longer than everyone else to see it.

[smallship1.livejournal.com]

"Anthem."

I'm amazed nobody's mentioned it yet.

[darrenzieger.livejournal.com]

Agreed. "Anthem," by a wide margin.

I'm not as enthusiastic about the show as many of you seem to be; the good stuff is extraordinary, but most of the songs dealing with the relationships between the characters (as opposed to song like Anthem or Pity the Child, which deal with the inner lives of the individuals) seem very forced and much less interesting musically - generic pop songs, well wrought by immensely talented guys, but completely detachable from the show itself.

Interesting (at least to me) side note - I first heard "Anthem" at cast party for a musical produced at my University in 1987 (I provided the orchestral arrangements); the performer was Raul Esparza, who just got passed over for his 3rd Tony award a couple nights ago; He also introduced me that day to a song called "I Don't Believe in Heroes Anymore," from an obscure show about standup comics called "Three Men Naked from the Waist Down." It's the only really memorable song from that show, but it is one of my all time favorites. Later on, he provided the real highlight of the day for me -- premiering one of my own songs, from a musical I was working on at the time.

Courtesy of YouTube, Here's Raul performing "I Don't Believe in Heroes Anymore (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B004AqkDbXU)." I can't find "Anthem," but here's a priceless clip of him performing "Defying Gravity (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnryROEX-VA)
," that same evening, in a moment of spontaneity, unrehearsed, reading the sheet music over the pianist's shoulder.

In the original key. How the f--- does he hit those high notes?

Now, if I can just remember who was operating the camcorder at that cast party, and get a copy...

[/fatuous aside]

[sibylle]

It's gotta be "One night in Bangkok" for me.

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

It's the only one I can remember off hand, need to find a copy of the album and listen to the rest ...

... I did see the original London production of Chess, and I remember loving it.

[poltr1]

It's been years since I've last listened to the full score. I think I borrowed it from the library. But what sticks out in my mind is "One Night in Bangkok", mostly because it was released as a single.

Looking forward to seeing (and taping) next week's show. I just hope there won't be pledge breaks.

[shrewreader.livejournal.com]

"Where I Want to Be" -- Followed closely by "Nobody's Side" and the "Embassy Lament," because, really, there's not much that's cooler than using typewriters for percussion.

[knightwork.livejournal.com]

Just ordered the DVD and 2CD set from Amazon - I'll have to invest in an antenna (or rabbit ears) to watch, and I'm not sure of getting PBS in my area. Thanks for the heads up!

[happyfunpaul.livejournal.com]

I made the mistake of reading all the other replies first... now I can't decide!

I was going to say "Embassy Lament" and "A Model of Decorum and Tranquility", but then folks reminded me of six others and... ack, fine, I pick "entire concept album plus 'Someone Else's Story'"!

The real interesting question with Chess is how to stage it given that there's no correct way... the original order of the concept album doesn't really work as an entire play, but neither of the two productions I've seen really worked fully either. I have, however, come to two basic conclusions: (1) Chess needs to be set during the Cold War, and (2) the main character is actually Florence, not the Russian nor the American.

[markbernstein.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for posting this. I'll set the DVR.

(How do I know I need to set the DVR? Because right now, Wednesday night is "So You Think You Can Dance" night. :) )

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

First of all, +1 on "All of it." I've been in love with this show since I bought the original album back in 1984.

If I *had* to pick, I might pick "Mountainside Duet". Or I might pick "You and I." Or I might, like you, pick "Pity the Child". Or I might pick "I Know Him So Well" or "Nobody's Side".

But the one I find myself singing in the car is "Heaven Help My Heart". Dear lord, I've *lived* that song.

ETA Bragging: I've seen the play staged four times.

[eleri.livejournal.com]

ZOMG SQUEEEEEEEEE!!!

I remember my 14th? 15th? birthday, my aunt took me shopping, and what I wanted was the chess soundtrack.
And my junior high class of <10 listened to is all the way to Victoria on a road trip for school. Teacher kept making us turn the volume down on certain parts, though.

I *USED* to be able to hold that note on Nobody's Side, too.

*squeesqueesqueesquee*

[eleri.livejournal.com]

WTF! *NEITHER* PBS Station in Seattle is showing this in June, at all.

[capt-video.livejournal.com]

I wore out two copies of the soundtrack on tape before I owned a CD player. For me, "Pity the Child" and "The Story of Chess", although "One Night in Bangkok" continues to be a favorite (bought the single in collage, couldn't figure out the odd second side... "Anthem", until I realized it was a musical!)

I've seen "Chess" preformed live once... during intermission, the theater manager came out to announce that the Berlin Wall had fallen! It's a great memory!

[theturbonerd.livejournal.com]

Definitely "Anthem". I swear I'm going to sing that one in front of an audience sometime, somewhere.

I also love "Quartet", "Mountain Duet", and of course "Pity The Child".

Back in college the pizza place my friends frequented had "One Night In Bangkok" on the jukebox. I noticed that the side-b of the single was "Merano". Every once in a while just to mess with people I would queue up "Merano" to play 3 or 4 times in a row... all seven glorious minutes of it. The looks on most of the faces was priceless.