Review: A Vocally Powerful CHESS at Kennedy Center

Kennedy Center's new semi-staged musical series Broadway Center Stage started off with some powerhouse vocals this week in Chess - Benny Andersson, Tim Rice, and Björn Ulvaeus' 1980s musical that's almost never received the same treatment twice. This production features a new book by Danny Strong. While Mr. Strong definitely did not fix the book issues that have plagued the show since its inception - and dare I say it made it even worse - this production is yet another example of why the show continues to be produced. The music is exceptional and at the Kennedy Center it's performed by some of the best in musical theater today.

Very much a product of its time, Chess introduces us to the world of competitive chess against the backdrop of the Cold War at the height of the United States-Russia nuclear arms race. Loosely based on Bobby Fischer, American Freddie Trumper (played here by Raúl Esparza) is set to take on Russian grandmaster Anatoly Sergievsky (Ramin Karmiloo) at the world championship in Merano, Italy. Central Intelligence Agency Officer Walter (Sean Allan Krill) "requests" that Hungarian-born refugee Florence (Tony Award winner Karen Olivo) accompany the volatile, unstable, but extremely talented player to the championship as his second. Walter, of course, has a broader political agenda that falls outside the boundaries of chess. Anatoly has his own companion, Molokov (Bradley Dean), whose role is also a bit broader than the game itself thanks to his tie to the KGB. The chess match comes and goes (but not without incident), but the tensions between the two players linger on for some time thereafter, reminiscent of the U.S.-Russian relations at the time. Manipulation and deceptive acts aren't limited to the game itself, and of course there's a romantic conflict. (Anatoly's wife Svetlana, played by Tony Award winner Ruthie Ann Miles, enters the picture latter on in the show and adds yet another layer of complication). An Arbiter (Bryce Pinkham) serves as the narrator/commentator for the whole proceedings.

Strong adds his own elements to the story in an effort to provide opportunities to comment (sometimes "humorously") on some of the most headline-grabbing political issues we face in America today - from tense U.S.-Russian relations and ongoing larger debates about the nuclear option, to immigration - and draw parallels between "then" and "now." Without turning this review into something else entirely, I will say most of his attempts to draw parallels between two distinct sociopolitical contexts were clumsy at best and showed an incredibly naïve and unsophisticated understanding of international relations, the current and past global strategic environment and power structure, and more. Perhaps if the creative team would like to continue to improve the new book, focusing on these admittedly complex political realities, they might benefit from bringing in additional expertise to their team. An additional concern is that the book is even more convoluted than past attempts and not particularly theatrical. It plays more like a script for a screenplay.

Other issues plaguing this production, directed by Michael Mayer, include Lorin Latarro's not so natural incorporation of choreography (don't get me started on the interpretive dance number that stops the show) and inexcusable sound design (Kai Harada) that makes it nearly impossible at times to hear the lyrics over the exceptional orchestra on a platform above the action.

The good news though is that the cast, including a small ensemble, is comprised of astounding vocal talents and the music is treated with the respect it deserves. Karen Olivo, making a most welcome return to the stage (and DC in particular), proves to be up to the task and then some of delivering one of the best takes on Florence that I have seen, both as a singer and actor. Her version of "Nobody's Side" is particularly memorable, but her performance is strong throughout. She never lets up, even in the book scenes. The same can be said for Mr. Esparza. He takes numerous opportunities to play up his character's struggle with mental illness (new to this book) and gives a full out, commanding performance. Like with Ms. Olivo, it's a pleasure to see him back on stage in a theatrical context. Bryce Pinkham's contribution is also notable. He masterfully brings out the humor (whether necessary or not) in Strong's book, and is an equally strong singer. Mr. Karimloo delivers a wonderfully poignant and technically perfect rendition of "Anthem," yet again proving he's among the strongest singers working on Broadway and beyond today. While I was less than impressed with Ruthie Ann Miles - her rendition of "Someone Else's Story" was the least powerful I've heard and I found her to be quite wooden overall - it's most certainly not a reflection on her talent. She's just the wrong vocal/actor type for the role. If the intent of the creative team was to provide an out-of-box and new take on the character, it just didn't work for me.

While this production was a disappointment in many ways, I look forward to what the future holds for the Broadway Center Stage series. If it continues to showcase some great music and vocal talent, it's still a worthy endeavor.

Running Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes, including one intermission

CHESS plays at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater - 2700 F Street, NW in Washington, DC - through February 18, 2018. For tickets call the box office at 202-467-4600 or purchase them online.