By Amy Somensky Jan 11, 2008, 3:48 GMT
London: Two special concert performances of the 1986 musical Chess will take place at Royal Albert Hall on May 12th and 13th at 8pm. Set to lead the concerts are Josh Groban and Idina Menzel starring as The Russian and Florence respectively. The concert will be introduced by book and lyric writer Tim Rice.
11/18/2007 - Josh Groban - 2007 American Music Awards - Red Carpet - Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles - Los Angeles, CA USA © Chris Hatcher / PR Photos
Groban played the role of The Russian in a 2003 Broadway concert of the musical. The artist's CDs include Awake, Closer, and Noel. Menzel was awarded the 2004 Tony Award for her role as Elphaba in Wicked. She also created the role of Maureen in Rent, for which she was Tony nominated.
Chess features music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. The musical opened in London's West End in 1986 where it played for three years. A Broadway production followed two years later, but only ran for 68 performances.
Accoring to www.royalalberthall.com, "The story involves a romantic triangle between two players in a World Chess Championship, and the woman who manages one and falls in love with the other. Although the protagonists were not intended to represent any specific individuals, the characters' personalities are loosely based on those of Victor Korchnoi and Bobby Fischer." The musical features such songs as "Anthem", "I Know Him So Well", and "One Night in Bangkok".
For tickets to the concerts visit www.royalalberthall.com.
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