Benny Andersson News

A first-rate production of a second-rate show. The astonishing cast delivers song after song that sails out of the park.

Today in 1988, Chess opened at the Imperial Theatre, where it ran for 68 performances. Chess is a musical with music by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, formerly of ABBA, and with lyrics by Tim Rice. 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.

Dundalk Community Theatre concludes its season with a production of the ABBA hit musical CHESS. Performances run from April 26 to May 5. Director John Amato's vast knowledge of the show and his extremely talented cast bring to life this much anticipated cult-classic for diehard fans. Individual tickets are $23 for adults, $20 for senior adults and $15 for students/DCT Actors/Children 12 and under.

Creator/Producer Judy Craymer has announced that MAMMA MIA!, the global smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA, will transfer from the Winter Garden Theatre to the Broadhurst Theatre in late 2013.

Based on the 1972 'Match of the Century' between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky, CHESS details the trials of two champions and one female assistant who become pawns wrapped up in political plots, competitive gamesmanship, and romantic rivalries. Follow the cast from Bangkok to Budapest as players, lovers, politicians, and spies manipulate and are manipulated to the pulse of a monumental rock score by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA.

On Saturday 6 April, MAMMA MIA! celebrated its 14th birthday in London and now enters its 15th year. The show has also extended its booking period to 5 April 2014.

Tickets go on sale today for the world premiere of new stage musical From Here to Eternity. The show will preview at the Shaftesbury Theatre from 30th September with Press Night on 23rd October 2013. Tickets can be bought from FromHereToEternityTheMusical.com or by calling box office on 020 7379 5399.

Today we are talking to the originator of Jean Valjean in LES MISERABLES onstage and a preeminent Phantom (and the first to actually play the role) in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA who has clearly made a major mark with his performances in the theatre - not to mention his work on the original concept albums of EVITA and JEKYLL & HYDE - who now makes the leap to the big screen in his featured role in the super-successful feature film iteration of the Claude-Michel Schonberg/Alain Boublil musical based on the Victor Hugo novel - the titanically talented Colm Wilkinson. Opening up about his work in the original Royal Shakespeare Company production of LES MISERABLES and his collaboration with the creative team and cast of actors as well as his association with producer Cameron Mackintosh, director Trevor Nunn and more, Wilkinson details the finer points of creating one of the modern musical theatre's most memorable characters, from his first audition through to the West End, Broadway and beyond. Additionally, Wilkinson reveals all about shooting the feature film version, with Broadway/Hollywood superstar Hugh Jackman taking over the leading role and whether he would consider taking on another character in the show after having essaying Jean Valjean onstage and the Monsignor onscreen - maybe Javert? Plus, Wilkinson shares backstage stories involving fellow theatrical luminaries like Trevor Nunn, Tim Rice, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more in this career-spanning conversation with one of the mega-musical era's most major of stars - - all of that and much, much more awaits!

Based on the 1972 'Match of the Century' between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky, CHESS details the trials of two champions and one female assistant who become pawns wrapped up in political plots, competitive gamesmanship, and romantic rivalries. Follow the cast from Bangkok to Budapest as players, lovers, politicians, and spies manipulate and are manipulated to the pulse of a monumental rock score by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA.

East West Players (EWP), the nation's largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work and the longest-running professional theatre of color in the country, concludes its 47th Anniversary Season, themed Spirited Away, with the musical CHESS, book by Richard Nelson, lyrics by Sir Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Aida), and composed by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson (ABBA, Mamma Mia!). CHESS will be directed by Tim Dang, musical direction by Marc Macalintal and choreographed by Marc Oka.

Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus' MAMMA MIA!, the smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA, is set to return to Sacramento. Performances begin tonight, March 13 2012, and run through March 18 at the Sacramento Community Center Theater, 1301 L Street, Sacramento.

The Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Foundation presents Musical Theatre Guild's international hit CHESS in the Janet & Ray Scherr Forum Theatre at 3:00 p.m. today, February 17, 2013. The opening performance will take place on Monday, February 11, 2013 at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale. The award-winning Musical Theatre Guild, a company of professional performers, has presented concert-staged readings of seldom seen musicals for the past 17 years.

The award-winning Musical Theatre Guild, a company of professional performers who present concert-staged readings of seldom seen musicals, will continue its 17th season with the international hit CHESS. The opening performance will take place tonight, February 11, 2013 at 7:30 PM at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale. A second, and final, performance will occur on Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 3:00 PM at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza's Scherr Forum.

The longest-running show in Broadway history, Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, directed by Harold Prince and produced by Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Theatre Company, Inc., will welcome West End star and Platinum-selling Swedish recording star Peter Jöback to the New York cast this summer. Mr. Jöback will assume the title role for a limited engagement from Monday, April 29 through Saturday, August 24, 2012.

The Broadway stars of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus' smash hit musical Mamma Mia!, 'Dynamos' Judy McLane, Lauren Cohn and Felicia Finley, performed the ABBA hits 'Dancing Queen' and 'The Winner Takes It All' live yesterday morning, January 24 on 'Imus in the Morning' on both television and radio nationwide. Click below to watch the performances!

The Broadway stars of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus' smash hit musical Mamma Mia!, 'Dynamos' Judy McLane, Lauren Cohn and Felicia Finley, will perform the ABBA hits 'Dancing Queen' and 'The Winner Takes It All' live this Thursday morning, January 24 during the 8:30am half hour on 'Imus in the Morning' on both television and radio nationwide.

Now, Disney Theatrical Productions has confirmed that Aladdin, a new musical based on the Academy Award winning animated film, will play its pre-Broadway engagement at Toronto's Ed Mirvish Theatre(formerly the Canon) November 13, 2013 to January 12, 2014 and will open at Broadway's New Amsterdam Theatre in 2014. The show will feature music by Alan Menken; lyrics by the late Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin with a book by Beguelin. Casey Nicholaw will direct and choreograph.

The award-winning Musical Theatre Guild, a company of professional performers who present concert-staged readings of seldom seen musicals, will continue its 17th season with the international hit CHESS. The opening performance will take place on Monday, February 11, 2013 at 7:30 PM at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale. A second, and final, performance will occur on Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 3:00 PM at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza's Scherr Forum.

The Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Foundation presents Musical Theatre Guild's international hit CHESS in the Janet & Ray Scherr Forum Theatre at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 17, 2013. The opening performance will take place on Monday, February 11, 2013 at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale. The award-winning Musical Theatre Guild, a company of professional performers, has presented concert-staged readings of seldom seen musicals for the past 17 years.