Chess is a musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, formerly of ABBA. The story involves a romantic triangle between two top players, an American and a Russian, in a world chess championship, and a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other; all in the context of a Cold War struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union, during which both countries wanted to win international chess tournaments for propaganda purposes.
Source: Wikipedia
The Signature Theatre production marked the first major American revival of Chess since 1992, making it a significant moment in the musical's history. Director Eric Schaeffer consulted four different versions of Chess to create this streamlined, emotionally focused production.
In the musical Chess two great chess masters-one American, one Russian-compete to be the best in the world only to find that their greatest contest is for the love of the same woman. Amidst political intrigue and international conspiracies, American Freddie Trumper and Russian Anatoly Sergievsky (played by Euan) fight to take the queen in a romantic triangle that mirrors the heightened passions of the Cold War. Originally produced on Broadway in 1988, this Tony-nominated cult rock musical explores the classic themes of love, loss and betrayal. Chess features the hit single "One Night in Bangkok," and unforgettable songs such as "Anthem," "I Know Him So Well," "Nobody's Side," and "Pity the Child." Time Magazine called it "one of the best rock scores ever produced in the theater."
Source: Playbill.com
Washington Post: "Morton's glorious vocalizing makes you happy to be alive. In 'Anthem' and 'Where I Want to Be' and his final duet with Paice, 'You and I,' he lets us hear his rich, natural gift."
TheaterMania: "One of Schaeffer's smartest changes is to put Anatoly's thrilling first solo, 'Where I Want to Be' as the third song in the lineup... Morton's voice soars beautifully in the aria's higher passages, while still managing full rock-and-roll energy. The actor also does extremely well by his big first-act closer 'Anthem.'"
Due to overwhelmingly positive reviews and audience response, the production was extended through October 3, 2010.
From the original 2010 Signature Theatre production
Legacy Theatre, Branford, CT - April 13, 2025