Latest news with #ChesstheMusical
Otago Daily Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Talented cast put on spirited performance of ‘Chess'
CHESS THE MUSICAL Musical Theatre Dunedin Mosgiel Coronation Hall Thursday, May 15 A large and committed cast put their all into a spirited and entertaining performance of Chess the Musical for Thursday's opening of the show at a packed Mosgiel Coronation Hall. The production team, comprising director Greg MacLeod (who also oversees set and costume design), musical director Bridget Telfer-Milne, choreographer Olivia Larkins, production manager Heidi Hayward, have achieved great things with a talented cast. Created by Tim Rice and songwriters Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, in the 1980s, Chess the Musical focuses on the love triangle between American grand master Frederick Trumper (Ben Thomas), his second and lover Florence Vassy (Anna Langford) and Russian grand master Anatoly Sergievsky (Max Beal) at the height of the Cold War. All three are in very fine voice throughout the show, with Beal and Langford's duet of love song You and I and Thomas' leadership of the ensemble in hit song One Night in Bangkok among the highlights. They also work hard alongside fellow principal cast members and the ensemble to tell the story mostly in song — as Chess the Musical has only a small amount of spoken dialogue. Providing sterling support are fellow principals Jack Archibald as Soviet spymaster Alexander Molokov, Alex Gourdie as his American counterpart Walter de Courcey, Joshua Larkins as The Arbiter, and Sophie Whibley as Sergievsky's abandoned wife Svetlana. The 22-strong chorus and dance ensemble are kept very busy throughout the performance, tackling multiple quick changes, and dancing their way through a lot of complex stage business, all while singing strongly. Providing excellent musical support for the action from the orchestra pit is a 13-member band/orchestra, conducted by Telfer-Milne. Costumes are wide-ranging in style and evocative of the era, while the set is adaptable to allow many quick scene changes and includes two large, mobile screens to add highlights. All in all, Musical Theatre Dunedin's production of Chess the Musical is a complex, high-energy, and entertaining look back at the Cold War and the heyday of international chess. Bravo!
Otago Daily Times
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
‘Chess' offers standout performances
Leading cast members in Musical Theatre Dunedin's production of Chess the Musical. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Global geopolitics were centre stage in Mosgiel's Coronation Hall on Thursday evening. The full house for Music Theatre Dunedin's fabulous presentation of the Andersson, Rice and Ulvaeus' show Chess witnessed the Russian-American rivalry between two chess champions. Director Greg MacLeod has brought a visually stunning production to the stage, allowing the plot to unfold cohesively. This was supported by sumptuous lighting and costumes. MacLeod's vision uses excellent projections effortlessly appearing to alter the shape of the stage, and sliding screens changing the scenes magically. A colour palette of simple black and white with splashes of red was very effective. Olivia Larkins' excellent choreography encompasses a wide range of styles, with the opening two chorus numbers very slick. However, the famous opening Act 2 numberneeded more impact. Musical director Bridget Telfer-Milne conducted the 12-piece orchestra with authority, although there were some uncomfortable moments, no doubt due to the complexity of the music. There was absolutely no weakness on stage, although there were some standout performances. The dark Russian resonance in Max Beal's voice allowed him to mould Anatoly Sergievsky as a good foil for the lighter voice of Ben Thomas' suave and arrogant American, Frederick Trumper. The lynchpin role of Florence Vassy was well characterised by Anna Langford, although the orchestral balance occasionally swamped her lower register. The excellent Arbiter, Joshua Larkins, had the unenviable task of opening the show vocally and Jack Archibald excelled as Alexander Molokov with an impressive quasi-Russian accent. The chorus sang with precision and robust vocal tone, despite the varied activities demanded of them — however, there is room for improvement with diction. The final question asked by Florence Vassy is as pertinent today as it was in 1984 when the show was written. Chess runs until Saturday. Don't miss it.
Otago Daily Times
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Cold war machinations in densely-packed show
Musical Theatre Dunedin presents Chess the Musical Mosgiel Coronation Hall Thursday, May 15 Review by BRENDA HARWOOD A large and committed cast put their all into a spirited and entertaining performance of Chess the Musical during last night's opening of the show at a packed Mosgiel Coronation Hall. Directed by Greg MacLeod and led by a strong lead trio of Anna Langford, Max Beal, and Ben Thomas, the production is filled with top notch singing, high-energy chorus numbers, dance and an interesting look at the history of chess. The production team, comprising MacLeod (who also oversees set and costume design), musical director Bridget Telfer-Milne, choreographer Olivia Larkins, and production manager Heidi Hayward, have achieved great things with the show. Created in the 1980s by Tim Rice and the genuis songwriters behind ABBA, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, Chess the Musical is a densely-packed and complicated story about the machinations of the shadowy secret forces of the United States and Russia in the midst of the Cold War, as their two chess masters battle for supremacy. The love triangle between American grand master Frederick Trumper (Ben Thomas), his second and lover Florence Vassy (Anna Langford) and Russian grand master Anatoly Sergievsky (Max Beal) is at the heart of the action — both on and off the chess board. All three are in very fine voice throughout the show, with Beal and Langford's duet of love song You and I and Thomas' leadership of the ensemble in hit song One Night in Bangkok among the highlights. They also work hard alongside fellow principal cast members and the ensemble to tell the story mostly in song — as Chess the Musical has only a small amount of spoken dialogue. Providing sterling support are fellow principals Jack Archibald as manipulative Soviet spymaster Alexander Molokov, Alex Gourdie as his American counterpart Walter de Courcey, Joshua Larkins as The Arbiter, and Sophie Whibley as Sergievsky's abandoned wife Svetlana. Archibald clearly has a ball as the bad guy, and his performance of The Soviet Machine with his ''cronies'' is great fun, while Larkins sings and dances well with the chorus in multiple numbers, and Gourdie makes the most of his solo moments. Whibley's beautiful voice is in evidence during her limited stage time, and she shines alongside Langford in the superb duet I Know Him So Well. The 22-strong chorus and dance ensemble are kept very busy throughout the performance of Chess the Musical, tackling multiple quick changes, and dancing their way through a lot of dense, complex stage business, all while singing strongly. Tackling roles ranging from a pack of pursuing journalists to Russian spies, chess babes to 1980s nightclub dancers, the cast are adaptable, energetic, and obviously enthusiastic. Providing sterling musical support for the action from the orchestra pit, the 13-member combined band and orchestra, conducted by Telfer-Milne, was excellent throughout. Occasionally, the balance between band and lead singers could have been a little better to allow more of the important lyrics to be understood. Costumes designed by MacLeod and Hayward, and created by a large wardrobe team, were wide-ranging in style and did a nice job of evoking the differing scenarios being represented. Designed by MacLeod, the set combined useful large pieces with simple, easily movable pieces that enabled scene changes to be made quickly, while leaving plenty of room for the large cast to move about, and adaptable lighting design by Daniel Cairns added greatly to the atmosphere of the show. The use of two large, mobile screens, to project everything from chess pieces to outdoor scenes and the faces of grandmasters through the years, was an inspired touch. Epic show . . . Leading cast members in Musical Theatre Dunedin's production of Chess the Musical, perform some of musical theatre's best-loved songs in the show. IMAGE: SUPPLIED All in all, Musical Theatre Dunedin's production of Chess the Musical is a complex, high-energy, and entertaining look back at the Cold War and the heyday of international chess. Bravo!
Otago Daily Times
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Putting musical together ‘full-on challenge', but fun
Tackling the beast of a show that is Chess the Musical is an exciting challenge for director Greg MacLeod and his dedicated cast and crew. ''Chess traverses such a wide range of genres, from classical, balletic and opera to Rogers & Hammerstein and ABBA-style pop, that it is a full-on challenge, but great fun,'' MacLeod said. ''It's enormous, there are 500 pages of music, and it races along like a freight train — which is a major reason it is such an entertaining show.'' The production team of MacLeod, musical director Bridget Telfer-Milne and choreographer Olivia Larkins are steering the large cast through the complex process of putting the musical together. Created by Tim Rice and the musical geniuses behind ABBA's multitude of hit songs, Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, Chess has a focus on dirty politics and people's struggles to control their lives that remain just as relevant today as they were in the 1980s, when the show was written. Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, it is a tale of love, rivalry and political intrigue, and is filled with hit songs including One Night in Bangkok , I Know Him So Well and Anthem . The show follows two chess grandmasters in a high-stakes world championship match — brash American Freddie Trumper (Ben Thomas) and calm, strategic Soviet player Anatoly Sergievsky (Max Beal). Caught between them is Florence Vassy (Anna Langford), who soon finds herself torn between loyalty and love. MacLeod is full of praise for his leading lady, saying Langford is taking the role ''to an amazing place''. ''Florence is at the heart of the show and is a great character, and Anna has stacks of experience to bring to the role — it is great working with her.'' He felt equally lucky with his two male leads, as well as the rest of the performers playing principal roles, including Jack Archibald, Sophie Whibley, Joshua Larkins and Alex Gourdie. ''They are all very talented and are working incredibly hard, which makes my job easier.'' The ensemble cast was also impressive, dancing and singing and tackling complex harmonies with aplomb. Telfer-Milne was leading a 13-piece orchestra, combining rock and classical instruments, to accompany the action. As a first-time director tackling a non-consortium show, where the team had created its own sets and costumes, MacLeod was loving the challenge and relishing the chance to work creatively. ''Usually I see things from the perspective of a performer, from the inside out, but this is a chance to look from the outside in. ''I can see the fruits of my labours and imagine it from the audience perspective, which is very cool.'' He was also enjoying the process of communicating with cast members and working to bring out the best in their performances. ''They are all really rising to the challenge, so I'm confident we are going to put on a fantastic show.'' Chess the Musical will be staged from May 15-24, with most performances at 7.30pm and a Sunday matinee at 2.30pm. Tickets are on sale now.
