Chess In Concert (2008/Reprise DVD/CD Set)
Picture:
C+ Sound: B- Extras: C- Music: B-
One of
the last Rock Operas, Chess arrived
in 1984 and became the first such stage production to use Music Videos to sell
a launching of such a production. People
still remember Murray Head’s hit version of One
Night In Bangkok, a Top Three hit by 1985 propelled by a huge hit Video
directed by David G. Hillier. However,
the hit about The Cold War and a game of strategy between the U.S. and U.S.S.R.
never found the increased climb in success that ever led to a film. The Cold War was over in a few years, but the
Benny Andersson/Tim Rice/Bjorn Ulvaeus hit never died and has constantly seen
successful revivals.
In 2008,
the show came to the Royal Albert Hall complete with the very successful Josh
Groban and was recorded for a new CD set, as well as taped in High Definition
for a DVD (and other outlets) that is also included in this new Chess In Concert release from Reprise
Records. It keeps the Cold War setting
and all the hits, including Bangkok, The Arbiter, Nobody’s Side, Pity The Child
and I Know Him So Well. Groban is joined by Idina Menzel, Marti
Pellow and Adam Pascal from Rent. The good news is that it is a big money
production, has good dance numbers and moves along nicely. The bad news is that though the cast can also
sing, the Rock Opera aspect has been overly sanded down and the result is that
the best material is not as good as the original recordings.
It is not
to say that this is an emasculation, but it is not what it could or should be
and may be too revisionist for its own good.
By rejecting the Rock aspect, it denies its heritage, all possibly out
of fear of being a period piece, though that period did not last long. The result is a good show that does not
justify its length. Hugh Woodbridge
manages to handle the stage directing well, but it is at too high a price for
this writer and likely for any purist who loved the original. Still, Chess lives and hopefully, the full Rock
Opera version will return down the line.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is not bad, but the downtrade from the
HD source to DVD has left the image too soft despite consistent color and a few
good moments. The Dolby Digital 5.1 and
2.0 Stereo on the DVD are the audio options, but along with the PCM 16/44.1 2.0
Stereo CD sound is too compressed with the PCM richer than Dolby, but Dolby a
little clearer than the PCM. That once
again leaves us wishing a DTS 5.1 mix was available on the DVD. The only extra is the booklet glued into the
inside of the DigiPak foldout the CDs and DVD are contained in.
- Nicholas Sheffo
