Theater Review: Chess at Lancaster Opera House

Cold War Calculations

By Anthony Chase

Emily Yancey and Merrick Allen

In the Lancaster Opera House's current production of Chess, it's the vocal performances that emerge as the true checkmates. This 1980s show, with music by ABBA's Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and lyrics by Tim Rice, remains a fascinating artifact -- a Cold War relic with a surprisingly contemporary resonance.

The production, directed by J. Michael Landis, takes a modified concert-style approach to the material. Prioritizing the score's lush melodies over the staging, Landis relies heavily on the vocal prowess of its leads rather than dynamic movement or storytelling.

For the uninitiated, Chess follows two grandmasters -- an arrogant American named Freddie Trumper (yes, really) and his disciplined Soviet counterpart, Anatoly Sergievsky -- as they compete amid Cold War tensions. Florence Vassy, Freddie's manager becomes entangled in the personal and political machinations surrounding the championship and eventually becomes Anatoly's lover. This production follows the American version of the show, which shifts the setting from Merano, Italy to Bangkok for Act I, with Act II taking place in Budapest.

Emily Yancey, Merrick Allen, and Sydney Conrad deliver vocal performances of startling intensity and precision. Yancey shapes Florence's character through her singing – her clear and powerful upper register reveals Florence's determination while her impressive vocal control conveys emotional uncertainty. When she sings songs like, "Heaven Help My Heart" or “Nobody’s Side,” the intellectual and emotional aspects of the character fuse completely in a stunning performance. Conrad's Svetlana is affecting as a victim of political circumstance in a loveless marriage. These two women singing the duet, “I Know Him So Well,” is a highlight.

Merrick Allen

Allen achieves similar integration as Anatoly, as he vocally suggests both Soviet stoicism and concealed passion. The controlled power he, for example, brings to "Anthem" transforms the song from political statement to personal revelation. He has a striking stage presence and a startlingly pure legit voice. Indeed, he is a musical leading man of uncommon substance and quality. This is a fabulous performance. 

Jacob Albarella provides great fun by portraying Freddie, who is a bonafide asshole, with gusto and verve. His character is, of course, the red-herring antagonist in a play about cloak and dagger intrigues. In a season when few local performers have escaped the myriad respiratory maladies that are circulating, Albarella demonstrated admirable vocal restraint throughout, carefully measuring his compromised voice to land crucial power notes where they mattered most -- particularly in his full-throated rendition of Freddie's "Pity the Child" that comes late in the evening.

Jon May and Emily Yancey

Jon May alternates fatherly comfort and calculating menace as Anatoly's Soviet handler, Molokov, while David Bondrow effectively portrays Freddie's abrasive, brash, and money-hungry manager who interferes at every opportunity.

The narrative complexity of "Chess" has always been its Achilles' heel, but its score remains captivating. Numbers like "Anthem," "I Know Him So Well," and "Heaven Help My Heart," showcase a blend of pop-rock sensibilities with traditional musical theater construction that feels rather timeless. Indeed, seeing Chess and hearing numbers like ‘Terrace Duet,” “Anthem,” or “I Know Him so Well,” remind us how very much those lush and oversized 1980s musicals owed to Rodgers and Hammerstein in their soaring melodies and character-driven duets.

Let’s not forget, however, the crowd-pleasing outlier, "One Night in Bangkok," that empathically reminds us that this was the 1980s.

Fran Landis's music direction deserves praise. The large live orchestra, positioned in the venue's balcony, delivers the rich orchestrations with appropriate grandeur. Timmy Goodman's costumes effectively evoke the period, while Lou Iannone's multi-level set design provides functional playing spaces.

Limited video projections occasionally illuminate Florence's Hungarian past, and there is a fun shadow play sequence highlighting the seedier side of Bangkok nightlife, but the production generally forgoes the visual sweep of the romantic and globetrotting narrative, as it delivers a succession of momentous musical numbers. Tara Kaczorowski's choreography is similarly restrained, generally allowing the music to tell this story of emotional and political tensions with a bit of pop video choreography tucked in.

For audiences seeking the pleasure of hearing this ambitious score performed with vocal excellence, the production delivers checkmate.

"Chess" continues at the Lancaster Opera House through April 13, 2025.