Photo courtesy of PBS
I’ve got an earworm in my head – the tune One Night in Bangkok, from the show Chess, which is airing as a concert version on PBS tonight around 9 p.m. – check your local listings.
One Night in Bangkok is the best tune, by far, out of the whole piece, which partly mitigates the earworm part of it. An earworm being a tune that keeps repeating in your head constantly long after you’ve turned off the music. I wish I could say the rest of the show is as good as the tune. But Chess In Concert is as good a production as it gets of the show that came out in the mid-1980s, written by Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, formerly of ABBA, with lyrics by Tim Rice, who was the lyricist who gave us Jesus Christ Supestar.
Theoretically, the show is about a love triangle set on the stage of world chess championships back in the late 1970s, when there was still a Soviet Union and the idea was for both the U.S. and the Soviets to prove the validity of their politics by beating each other at all sorts of competitions. But actually, the chess board becomes a metaphor for the manipulation of Anatoly (played by singer Josh Groban).
I will give Groban his props – he’s got one heck of a voice. Broadway star Adam Pascal plays the American with issues, Freddie, with Idina Menzel rounding out the trio.
But overall, expect intense antsiness unless you’ve got a Broadway fan in the house. Or you just put the show on as background to another activity. Although I will say that some of the dance numbers did grab my attention. Also, beware there are some language issues (bastard is as bad as it gets) and some sensual dancing. But other than that, it’s safe for most middle schoolers. Whether they’ll get into it depends on your individual middle schooler or teen.
Anne Louise Bannon
Your Family Viewer
