some observations i made about the chess revival!!
note: these are based on the first preview performance ‼️ i have not seen any subsequent performances so i can't tell if anything's changed thus far (except hannah's grey dress was changed to a red one - i really like the change). i tried to focus on visual stuff. lmk if you want an audio!
first number is us vs ussr. ensemble is in all grey suits. when the song starts they all whip out blue and red pocket squares. the choreo is VERY fun and they go all out during the "but we're gonna smash that bastard!! 💥 " part. it ends with both sides holding each other back from a physical fight.
anatoly is still introduced as a "sad and lonely" chess player teehee. boris (the prev champion who was "disappeared") is said to have been his best friend. molokov grips anatoly's face and leans in super close at one point when he tells him he's "deeply fond" of him.
where i want to be features snow projections in the background. during the verses the snow is calm. during the chorus it turns into a snowstorm. also the ensemble is seated but they have choreography which includes pelvic thrusts/whipping themselves around in their chairs/doing the wave 😭
side mention but anatoly holds a white king chess piece throughout the show. it appears to be a comfort object. he pulls it out and fiddles with it when he's nervous.
freddie is bipolar in this production. (note: he was schizophrenic in kencen and bipolar in choncert.)
the arbiter sort of "sets" the scene sometimes. when freddie and florence are introduced they walk onstage and look at the audience. then "taste of pity" begins. the arbiter uses his hand to wave freddie to the floor. then freddie curls up on the front of the stage in fetal position and starts singing taste of pity. then the arbiter "snaps" florence into the scene and she immediately gets down besides freddie and sits him up and begs him to take his pills.
florence calms freddie down. she wraps his arms around herself. she kisses him deeply and then she tells him to take his pills. he does. then he and florence joke around and he wraps his arms around her and picks her up and carries her offstage.
the arbiter does little conducting hand motions during merano.
freddie and florence are both in sunglasses during what a scene what a joy.
press conference starts out okay. then a reporter asks freddie about his mental illness and he lashes out.
one night in rome has been changed to one night in stockholm. but they cut the flashback scene - nothing actually happened between florence and anatoly, but they both wanted it to.
every time the arbiter introduces a character there's a ton of applause. when he introduces walter, the audience starts to clap. the arbiter raises his hands and is like NO NO NO NO NO!!! he's kind of a dick!
also i'll touch more on this later but the waltokov in this production is INSANE. they are literally canon it is so good.
time for the arbiter!! the arbiter (or narrator i guess) runs down the stairs excitedly and pulls out a pocket square and is like i'm going to SING!! and i'm going to crush it!! the arbiter choreo is SO GOOD and there is an awesome dance break. at one point the arbiter mimes an air guitar. he also does a fun little jig throughout. so much fun.
the chess game begins. toly and freddie go to their mics and relay their inner thoughts as they make their moves. before the game commences anatoly extends a hand to freddie and freddie ignores it.
molokov arranges for a buzzing noise that gets louder throughout the chess match and anatoly also actively tries to mess with freddie by clearing his throat multiple times and tapping on the mic repeatedly to make noises.
freddie walks out of the match because the soviets are cheating. quartet. then florence goes back to the hotel room and freddie is searching for cameras. freddie and florence fight. freddie grabs florence's forearm and he says "did you finally fuck him??" and then florence pushes him away and BAM 💥 you want to lose your only friend starts.
1956 features video projections in the background. they continue and end with "why'd you have to do this to me?" and freddie smirks and says "you did this to yourself. i'll see you at the fucking mountain baby!" and he grabs florence's arm again and squeezes it, hard, and kisses her cheek and walks off.
during mountain duet "at least she's a good looking spy" is changed to "at least it's a beautiful view" - anatoly sings this while watching florence
after mountain duet and freddie's interruption walter approaches florence and threatens to deport her unless she gets freddie to lose. he suggests she take his medication.
freddie makes his demands so he can continue playing (remove the first seven rows of the audience, etc) and also the board is too shiny. the arbiter is like no u have to play on the shiny board.
after florence quits the arbiter sings one line of story of chess and walks onstage holding a bottle of pills. florence takes it but the arbiter remains in place with his hand still outstretched. florence leaves. freddie then goes to look for his pills. he walks towards the arbiter's empty hand. he realizes his pills are missing. he looks at the arbiter in panic and then looks around his pockets and realizes his pills are really gone.
cue freddie's resignation. he cries throughout his resignation speech.
florence and anatoly have a moment in his bedroom. florence says her father didn't think girls should play chess so her mom taught her. but when her dad saw how good she was he came around. toly tells her about how he was taken from his family when he was little and he thought if he played chess good enough they'd let him go home. they end up going to bed together. then the bed lowers off the stage through a trapdoor.
when hhmh starts the bed comes back. anatoly is sleeping and florence sings while in bed.
anatoly announces his defection over a video projection. cue molokov's panic. then anatoly and the press and anthem. it's a beautiful rendition of anthem btw.
one night in bangkok involves very little clothes and a lot of neon lights. the verses are broken up with freddie's reporting for global. note: viigand is referred to as "vladimir" here and again later on, but during a different scene he's referred to as "dmitri" idk what that's about!
freddie starts onib wearing only white boxers and an undershirt and throughout the song the ensmble dresses him in all black.
svetlana is introduced. she rises from the trapdoor sitting in her chair. she's in a red leather coat and boots. molokov threatens her and yells at her and she flinches. then she sings he is a man, he is a child.
then soviet machine. molokov and viigand and the rest of the kgb team is drunk. walter shows up. then molokov sings the song TO walter. molokov is holding a bottle of alcohol and the arbiter walks in and stands btwn them and puts shot glasses in both of their hands. molokov fills the shot glasses up. molokov gives walter a videotape. then walter takes his shot and he joins in on "but we're gonna smash that bastard! 💥" and walks offstage and then the russians do this AWESOME EVIL KICKLINE (molokov has to pause to stretch out his knees before he does it).
walter approaches freddie and gives him the tape before the interview. freddie calls him out on working for the cia but accepts the tape.
flonatoly scene before the interview. then freddie walks in and holds his hand out for toly and toly doesn't take it 😭
the interview happens and svetlana's tape is played in the projections. anatoly storms off. freddie and florence fight. then you and i. and as you and i plays off the deal IMMEDIATELY begins.
during svetlana's wiwtb reprise she tries to put anatoly's hands on herself and he ignores her attempts to rekindle their relationship.
by the way walter tells molokov earlier in the show that he has a son who is 9 and then he tells florence that he has a daugher who is 9. walter the liar who cheered.
when freddie tries to get florence back during the deal he gets on his knees in front of her.
then the deal is over and the dramatic i am become death speech is projected in the background while freddie lies on a couch curled up in fetal position. he begins singing pity the child in this position (just like in taste of pity).
i think during the climax of ptc there are some images of young freddie projected in the background (but i can't confirm i can't see too clearly).
svetlana asks to meet florence and their conversation doesn't go very well. florence tells svetlana she's sorry but she can't help her (she won't leave toly). svetlana tells her not to be sorry because no one can help her and she walks away. ikhsw begins. by the end of the song florence and svetlana meet up again. no further dialogue but they seem to come to an understanding.
there is a talking chess dialogue scene and this leads into champion's chorus. the ensemble walks onstage and so do three dancers - two men, one woman. they are. um. barely clothed. they do an interpretive sensual dance together and it is very much threesome energy. i think they're supposed to represent toly, freddie, and florence ⁉️
endgame begins and toly and viigand (he's vladimir again!) walk onstage and go to their respective mics. while toly is angsting the ensemble and everyone else is under a green lighting. svetlana plays endgame in a very sinister way - her anger is very cold and she smiles when she sees his despair. freddie gets one verse in endgame where he yells at toly too.
toly falls to his knees during the NEVERRRRRRRR!!!!!!!! and holy heck he holds out that note forever. svetlana does a REALLY creepy smile down at him it's awesome.
the nuclear war stuff is happening in the bg. after endgame the arbiter walks onstage with tears in his eyes and delivers a monologue about how close the us and ussr were to nuking each other.
then molokov convinces anatoly to return home.
florence sings someone else's story.
florence congratulates anatoly for winning. you and i reprise. at the conclusion of the song anatoly leaves and he leaves his white king comfort chess piece in florence's hand.
walter comes up to florence and tells her she's getting two visas - one for herself and one for her father. he brings her father out onstage. they reunite.
as they walk offstage the arbiter comes and sings a couple of lines of story of chess and he snaps his fingers and the lights go out.
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