home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- Path: sparky!uunet!haven.umd.edu!darwin.sura.net!jvnc.net!yale.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!igor.rutgers.edu!math.rutgers.edu!bgonzal
- From: bgonzal@math.rutgers.edu (Bil Gonzalez)
- Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
- Subject: Re: Chess
- Message-ID: <Dec.21.15.20.50.1992.15774@math.rutgers.edu>
- Date: 21 Dec 92 20:20:51 GMT
- References: <1992Dec17.233138.11066@news.duc.auburn.edu> <1h2mpgINNhua@bigboote.WPI.EDU> <102795@netnews.upenn.edu> <1992Dec21.144531.25182@devildog.att.com>
- Distribution: usa
- Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
- Lines: 43
-
- tomp@acpy01.att.com (Tom Purcia (CXNIXPT1)) writes:
-
-
- >I had the pleasure of seeing the version at Paper Mill Playhous. Yes, they did
- >rework the ending and the begining of the show but the stayed fairly close to
- >the B'way version. They tried to give the story a happy ending but IMHO it
- >really did not work....
-
- >All in all it was an interesting show but I can see why it never lasted on
- >B'way. The music is great but the story is very awkward and unbelievable.
-
- I think that the major problem with the show was its contemporary plot.
- When originally conceived, the relationship between the US and USSR was
- not very hopeful. There was no trust between the two nations. - Version 1
-
- By the time the show opened on Broadway (Verison 2) international politics
- had changed greatly, the relationship with the two nations was rather hopeful
- and this is reflected in many of the changes in the plot. New elements were
- added involving agents with the old way of thought sabotaging the attempts
- at peace. At the time, many things were going on that outdated the plot.
- Unfortuantely Michael Bennett (Sp?) passed away, and the concept of the
- show changed drastically, evolving into a much more political statement,
- and less of a musical show.
-
- I seem to also recall that lyrics were changed without the permission
- of Tim Rice for this production. All in all, when the show opened for
- previews, it was almost 4 hours long. The plot was very confused, and
- further cuts made it more confusing. When I saw this preview version,
- I thought that the show would never end. Just as you thought it was over,
- another twist was introduced. The show literally had several endingd, all
- pinned onto each other. I love the original album, and liked some of the
- additions, but generally didn't like the dialog added between songs (the
- new book) or some of the reworkings. I liked the visual style of the
- production, even for all of it technical complication, but the show itself
- didn't work. I remember sitting there saying "That will be cut, that will
- be changed, etc." I also remember panicking when an admired song or two
- didn't appear where it "was supposed to be", fearing that it was too cut.
-
- I'm sorry that I did not see the British version, nor have gotten to see any
- of the newer productions. I really feel that this is a brilliant score,
- one of my favorites, and I hope that it one day gets the production that
- it deserves.
-
- Bil Gonzalez
-