CHESS THE MUSICAL

Presented by:

• BENTLEY MUSIC ACADEMY SDN BHD (245144-W)
• Address: 4th Floor, Wisma Bentley Music
  3,Jalan PJU 7/2,
  Mutiara Damansara,
  47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
• Website: http://www.bma.com.my/
• Facebook @bentleymusicmalaysia

Seat Plan (Click image to enlarge)

“In this energetic rock musical, the ancient game of chess becomes a metaphor for romantic rivalries, competitive gamesmanship, super-power politics, and international intrigue. The pawns in this drama form a love triangle: the loutish American chess star, the earnest Russian champion, and a Hungarian-American female assistant who arrives at the international chess match in Merano with the American but falls for the Russian. From Merano to Bangkok, the players, lovers, politicians, and spies gleefully manipulate … and are manipulated themselves.” Peter Cousens (2019) – Director.

CHESS – The Musical, penned by Benny and Bjorn of the Swedish band, ABBA, and with lyrics from Tim Rice (Evita, The Lion King) is one of the unsung greats of the music theatre canon, a symphonic rock opera of a masterpiece.

Akin to today’s crowd funding, this creative trio set about raising money for the original production by releasing a concept album in 1984, prior to a European Concert Tour in the same year, and it is from this that the big hits of the musical emerged: “One Night in Bangkok”, “I know Him So Well”, “Pity the Child” and, “Nobody’s Side”.

“Anybody who becomes successful in their careers or lives will eventually be exploited by politicians!”

Tim Rice (2017 Andrew Marr Show, BBC). Set in the political turmoil of the 1970/80’s ‘Cold War’ the musical is loosely based on the game of the century between American chess champion Bobby Fischer (1972) and the Russian chess Grandmaster, Boris Spassky, with components of the story being derived from the lives of Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov. This semi-staged, concert version is performed by students of all ages based in Malaysia and hosted by Bentley Music Academy, in collaboration with students from Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music, featuring members from Orkestra RTM. The principal and key ensemble parts are shared between the Malaysian and Australian cohorts.