With music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (ABBA), book and lyrics by Tim Rice, Chess the Musical is arguably one of the most memorable scores ever had.
Featuring global smash hits 'I Know Him So Well' and 'One Night in Bangkok', this extraordinary semi-staged musical also features much-loved standards such as 'Anthem', 'Someone Else's Story', Heaven Help My Heart' and 'Pity the Child'.
This powerful new production of Chess the Musical features an incredible array of New Zealand musical theatre talent, the Auckland Philarmonia Orchestra, and a choir of 30, which will be filled with sumptuous musical arrangements.
Chess the Musical tells the story of a complex love triangle with dramatic political intrigue, set against the background of the Cold War in the early 1980s, where Soviet and American forces attempt to manipulate an international chess championship for political gains.Two of the world's greatest chess masters, one American, one Russian, are in danger of becoming the pawns of their governments as their battle for the world title gets underway. Simultaneously, their lives are thrown into further confusion by a Hungarian refugee, a remarkable woman who becomes the centre of their emotional triangle. This mirrors the heightened passions of the political struggles that threaten to destroy lives and loves.
The musical originally premiered in London's West End in 1986 (where it was revived in 2018) starring the beloved Elaine Paige. The season ran for three years, resulting in a BBC listener poll ranking Chess the Musical seventh in a list of 'Number One Essential Musicals' of all time.
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