The acclaimed rock musical Chess features music by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA and lyrics by Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita).  Set at the height of the Cold War, the story involves a romantic triangle between two top players, an American and a Russian, in a world chess championship. However their greatest battle is for the love of a woman, forming a richly complex romantic triangle all in the context of the larger struggle for world domination between the United States and the Soviet Union. The character of the American was loosely based on chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer and the Russian on grandmasters Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov.

A highly successful concept album of Chess was released in 1984. The first theatrical production of Chess opened in London’s West End in 1986 and played for three years. A much-altered U.S. version premiered on Broadway in 1988. Our production uses the original UK version with modern additions from the recent U.S. concert version. Hits from the show include “One Night in Bangkok” and “Heaven Help my Heart.”