Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus are best known as half of the Swedish pop group ABBA and the songwriters who helped lead them to international superstardom. They’re also the composers of “Chess,” a musical that has built a kind of cult following despite a troubled production history.
“If you’re an ABBA lover or a musical theater fan, you will have heard many of the songs,” including the Top 40 hit “One Night in Bangkok,” said Rick Kerby, who is directing and choreographing the production that opens Thursday at the Manatee Players.
Dianne Dawson plays a woman torn between champions in the Manatee Players production of "Chess." PHOTO PROVIDED BY MANATEE PLAYERS
Cory Woomert as Freddie Trumper caught up in "One Night in Bangkok" in the musical "Chess" at the Manatee Performing Arts Center. PHOTO PROVIDED BY MANATEE PLAYERS
The musical is about a 1980s chess tournament during the Cold War between American and Soviet champions and the woman who comes between them.
The musical began as a concept album, then was turned into a stage show in London, where it ran for three years. An altered version opened on Broadway in 1988. It’s that version that Kerby is staging.
Some performers are so eager to appear in the show that they’ll go out of their way to make time, like Omar Montes, who drives everyday between his work in Orlando and evening rehearsals in Bradenton. He plays Soviet champion Anatoly, opposite Cory Woomert as the American, Freddie, and Dianne Dawson as Florence.
Aaron Cassette is the musical director and Kenneth Mooney is designing a set Kerby said has many moving pieces “that can take us to a lot of different places quickly.”
Omar Montes plays Soviet chess champion Anatoly Sergievsky in the musical "Chess" at the Manatee Players. PHOTO PROVIDED BY MANATEE PLAYERS
The cast also includes Mike Nolan, Rodd Dyer, Scott Vitale, Sarah Cassidy, Bruce LaRoche and Bradley Keville along with a large ensemble.
THEATER PREVIEW
"Chess” runs Feb. 11-28 at the Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 3rd Ave., West, Bradenton. Tickets are $27-$37, with student discounts available. For more information: 941-748-5875; manateeperformingartscenter. com
