Chess Date: September 22, 2003 Theatre: New Amsterdam Theatre (New York) Co-Starring: Josh Groban, Julia Murney, Raul Esparza Music: Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus Lyrics and Idea: Tim Rice Musical Director and Artistic Producer: Seth Rudetskey Director: Peter Flynn Producer: The Actors' Fund of America Official Site IBDB: Chess IMAGE GALLERY • MEDIA • DISCUSSION PLOT SYNOPSIS Chess is used as a metaphor for romantic rivalries and the US-Soviet rivalry during the Cold War. The main characters form a love triangle: the ill-mannered American Grandmaster, the intense Russian champion who plans on defecting to the West, and the Hungarian-American female chess second, who arrives at the international championships with the American but falls in love with the Russian. From Bangkok to Budapest, the players, lovers, politicians and spies all struggle to get the upper-hand. CHARACTER DESCRIPTION Freddie Trumper is the tempermental and arrogant American chess champion who challenges the Russian champion at the world chess championships in Merano, Italy. However, his obsession with winning at all costs begins to take an emotional toll and forces him to reflect on his life and his fixation on chess as a way to escape an unhappy childhood. Credit: IBDB, Wikipedia, and StageAgent.com BACK • HOME